About this Presentation
This Critical Chain Project Management basics workshop is intended to provide a practical, easy to understand, and actionable introduction to the foundational concepts and principles of Critical Chain. The format is engaging for audiences as I frequently look for their inputs into their everyday experiences on projects as well as the concepts being discussed. In addition to the key concepts of Critical Chain, I also emphasize the importance of fostering a high-trust workplace which accelerates and maximizes the expected results. Three key areas covered: Focus, 50/50 estimates, and buffers. Focus Versus Multitasking on Projects: How much more successful could projects be if nonproductive multitasking could be minimized? A McKinsey Quarterly article indicates that multitasking damages productivity, slows people down, hampers creativity, makes employees anxious, and is addictive. Supporting these findings, a recent multitasking study states, “multitasking makes people less productive, less creative, and more likely to get thrown off by distractions”. Multitasking can also be a significant cause of extended project durations as illustrated in Exhibit 1. If a project team member has three project tasks to complete, A, B, and C, each task takes much longer to complete when multitasking. Context switching between tasks increases the completion times even further and causes the project team members to have to stop frequently to remember where they were each time they switch to a different task. Video length: . PDF: slides.
What Will You Learn
To help you get the most value from this session, we’ve highlighted a few key points. These takeaways capture the main ideas and practical insights from the presentation, making it easier for you to review, reflect, and apply what you’ve learned.
Multitasking can be detrimental to productivity and brain health, and should be minimized in project management
Trust is a critical factor in successful project management, and organizations with high trust environments perform better
Critical Chain Project Management can improve ROI, minimize project costs, and improve team morale, providing a strategic competitive advantage
Instructor(s)
Joe Cooper
Joe Cooper is an Enterprise Business Architect at DMI operating at the intersection of business and technology; leveraging innovation, transformation, continuous improvement, and team-engagement to accelerate systemic outcomes for organizations. Joe has been a practitioner, implementer, and lifelong learner of the Theory of Constraints principles for 20 years, specializing in Critical Chain for project, program, and portfolio management. He is a regular speaker at global TOCICO and Project Management Institute (PMI) events and is TOCICO certified (2010) and PMI-PMP certified (2003). Other certifications include SAFe Agile Product Manager, SAFe Advanced Scrum Master, Scrum.org PSPO and PSM. Joe earned degrees in Physics, Mathematics, and Professional Pilot Technology from Indiana State University. He is an FAA certified commercial pilot (multi-engine, instrument, seaplane) and an aviation enthusiast. Joe enjoys spending time with his lovely wife and three wonderful (young adult) children. He also enjoys cultures and languages, health/fitness/nutrition, deep sea fishing, and studying Emotional Intelligence.
Ms Alka Wadhwa
Alka Wadhwa is an experienced consultant and process improvement expert with over 24 years of expertise in the Theory of Constraints (TOC), Lean Six Sigma, and organizational performance optimization. She has successfully led projects in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, driving significant improvements such as a 67% boost in hospital operations and a 140% increase in outpatient visits.
Previously, Alka Wadhwa spent 17+ years at GE Global Research Center, where she led initiatives to enhance various GE businesses through advanced technologies, process redesign, and system optimization. Founder of Better Solutions Consulting, LLC, she specializes in using TOC, Six Sigma, and data analytics to streamline operations and build high-performance teams.
Her work has earned her multiple accolades, including the Empire State Award of Excellence in healthcare.
Dr Gary Wadhwa
Dr. Gary Wadhwa is a Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with extensive experience in the field. He completed his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery training at Montefiore Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, and has served as an Attending at prestigious institutions like St. Peters Hospitals, Ellis Hospital, and Beth Israel Hospital in NY. With a career spanning over two decades, he was the former CEO and President of a group specialty practice in NY from 1994 to 2015. Dr. Wadhwa holds an MBA from UT at Knoxville, TN, and has undergone additional training in System Dynamics at MIT, Health System Management at Harvard Business School, and Entrepreneurship and healthcare innovations at Columbia Business School. Committed to expanding access to Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery care, he is currently engaged in a meaningful project to provide healthcare services to underserved populations in inner city and rural areas through non-profit Community Health Centers.