Business Poetry

Every successful human endeavor

 Has a start and an end
Successful: A start and an end
Most unsuccessful projects
 Wither and die
  Starved of money
   Bored to death over time
It is the start that defines the end
 A successful project’s end point
  Can be seen from its start point
At a successful project’s end
 The start point is still visible
  And where we are now
   Looks better than where we were.
And we feel that the journey
 Was well worth the price.
If you can’t see your end point
 From where you are
Move the start point
 Or the end point
  By splitting the project
   Into two parts.
The start point
 Is well-defined
  In space
  In dollars
  In staff
  In tangible resources
  In faith that the end point is attainable
  and that today is today.
The end point
 Is well-defined
  In space
  In dollars
  In staff
  In tangible resources
  In faith that the end point is attainable
  and that tomorrow is not today.
These things are called quantifiers
 And each is said to be one of
  Numeric
  Spatial
  Boolean
  Date/Time
Management  Measures
 If you aren’t measuring
  Then you aren’t managing
A measurement
 Is a quantified fact
Words are the building blocks of communications
Words are either spoken and then heard
 Or written and then read.
Spoken words
 Hover in the air
  Float across the wind
   And vanish in the haze
But written words
 Are forever.
It it ain’t written down
 It don’t exist.
I wrote that!
A goal
 Is where I am not.
A goal
 Is another place
 At another time
 With more money
Do you agree?
A goal is visible
 And believable.
Because I know where I am
 (facts, measurement)
And can prove it
 (written down)
A project
 Is just a means
  To reach my goal
   From where I am
In a series of steps
 One step after another
Yet some people on my path
 Call them “Objectives”.
If you are human
 Then state your endeavor
  And write it down!
Identify your goal, your end point.
Identify where you are right now, your start point.
 With numbers
 With dates and times
 With locations
 And with faith.
If your faith is lacking
 Move your end point
  By splitting your project
   Into two parts.
Quantify, quantify, quantify.
And write it all down.
“I want to be home
 with my two cats”.
My home is on the corner of Bloor and Mill.
I’d like to be home before the sun sets
 Which tonight means eight of the clock.
I’ve done it before so
 I can do it again.
Here I am
 Standing at the bus stop
  Corner of Warden and Bertrand.
The bus flew pat me
 Before I could cross the busy road.
I think the buses here
 Run every seven minutes or so.
I can do this.
I will enjoy standing in the sunshine
 For seven minutes
After all
 It is only twenty past five!
My objectives are to
 Keep an eye out for the next bus
 Flag it down
 Board it and pay my fare
When it reaches Warden station
 I must get off,
 Walk up the stairs 
 To the island platform
 Board the next westbound train
 To Kipling station.
When the train reaches Kipling station
 I must get off,
 Walk up the stairs 
 To the bus platform
 And board the Bloor street bus.
As we pass Mapledawn road
 I must ring the bell.
At Mill road I must 
 Get off
 Walk to the building
 Open my door
 And enjoy the welcome
 As two cats twine them selves around my legs.
Jupiter, and Bumpous.
Some goals for tonight:
 Make and eat my supper
 Check and answer voice-mail
 Check and answer email
 Build and issue the next deliverable for
  Gary
  Brent
  Shaun
  Tony
  And David
 Write my blog
 Enjoy some ice-cream
 Treats (3 each) for the cats.
 Print three documents for tomorrow’s meeting
 Brush my teeth
 Go to bed
 Read some more Rudyard Kipling
Boy oh boy oh boy!
It’s been a good day.
I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. 

Talk to Me !