Bottleneck Rules - Clarke Ching
CoLab Book Club - May 2024
Clarke Ching’s The Bottleneck Rules was our May #CoLabBookClub choice. Clarke is well known to a number of our group and has written numerous excellent books so we all looked forward to reading and discussing his ideas.
Clarke also has a great newsletter that is well worth signing up for!
Overview
The Bottleneck Rules is a straightforward, engaging and quick read. Clarke introduces the concept of bottlenecks in an everyday context and explains how to manage them effectively. He defines a bottleneck as a resource — a person, a machine, a computer CPU, a traffic intersection, a slow internet connection, and even an airport runway — that can’t keep up with the demand placed on it. Inspired by Eliyahu M. Goldratt principles in the Theory of Constraints, Clarke then provides multiple examples of solving work related bottlenecks.
Our Key Takeaways
✔️ Every process has a bottleneck.
✔️ A bottleneck determines a system's output and productivity.
✔️ Clarke's FOCCCUS formula - Find, Optimise, Coordinate, Collaborate, Curate, Upgrade, Start - is a very effective guide for identifying and managing bottlenecks in any system.
✔️ Once you have tamed your bottleneck, the next step is to make sure the bottleneck is working on the right stuff and in the right place.
✔️ A strategically placed bottleneck can be intentionally designed to regulate flow through a system.
Who is it For?
This book is aimed at a broad audience, including coaches, business managers, team leaders, project managers, and anyone involved in operations or process improvement.
Thank you!
Thank you Clarke Ching for distilling your knowledge and experience into such an accessible read. So much gold! And also for your generosity in sharing an electronic copy of the book and supporting learning material with us.
🎤 Thank you Alfred Enslin, Allan Atkinson, Elisabeth Stiller, Kat Debney, Pete Tansey, Peter Bink and Toni Wilson for the interesting discussion!
#AgileCoLab #BookClub #Learning #WheresAlfred #Cheers