LEADERSHIP

120 • LEADERSHIP
To decide which problems to ignore and which to attack,
ask the following three questions:
1. Will it impact the critical path? Problems that threaten
the start or finish of any task on the critical path threaten
the project’s scheduled completion date. Time is usually very
important, and if it happens to be the driver of your project,
delays seriously threaten the project's success. When a problem
is “on the path,” it needs your immediate and full attention;
move quickly and forcefully to resolve it.
Getting Critical about Paths—Tasks with no time flexibility are
called critical tasks. The critical path is determined by finding all
full paths (those continuous sequences of tasks that stretch from the
beginning of the project to the end) and adding up the durations
for all tasks on the path. The longest path determines the shortest
time in which the project can be completed. A task “on the path”
cannot be delayed without delaying completion of the project. Reserve
your use of the word critical to describe those tasks that lie
on the critical path. For more information on critical paths, see
Superpower Planning Tools.
2. Will it impact the driver? The driving constraint must
be protected at all costs. If the driving constraint is not
achieved, the project is a failure. Don’t do anything your mom
wouldn't approve of; but otherwise, do whatever you have to
do! Your project, your team, and your reputation are at stake.
When the driver is at risk, take decisive action immediately.
The Driving Constraint—Every project can be described in terms
of time, resources, and outcomes—the triple constraints. The driving
constraint for a project is the least flexible of the three. For the
project to be a success, the driving constraint must be met. Always
protect the driver. When hard decisions must be made, protect the
project’s driving constraint at the expense of a more flexible constraint.
For additional information on this important concept, see
Superhero's Success System.