-Date: Thu,  8 Feb 1996 19:58:32 -0500 (EST)
-From: Bill Cattey <wdc@MIT.EDU>
-To: lambert@MIT.EDU
-Subject: A slice through the lists...
-Cc: ilead@MIT.EDU

I was originally going to send this just to Dave Lambert, but as I went
along, I felt it had ideas that everyone would find thought provoking.

Respectfully submitted,
-wdc


I think the most URGENT and most IMPORTANT thing to work on through the
lists you provided at the meeting is a single simple thread:

	OVERLOAD

It is not a line item, but I believe it is most important.

I would like to see the Ilead team make tangible progress as soon as
possible on:

1. Helping people get relief from feelings of overload.
2. Providing people with hope that they will be able to set and keep
realistic workloads.
3. Providing people with tools and resources to control workload.
4. Providing people with the tools to give themselves accurate
assessments of what their tasks and priorities are.
5. Identifying work that can be pruned away.
6. Identifying methods for more effective use of ourselves.

----

Actions to take:

* Integrate team lists into IS-1 project as quickly as possible.

* Suggest a prototype reporting mechanism (take it from a team that has
a good one.) to address "What's happening with 'x' -- project status"
line item.

* Suggest a prototype project plan that will replace NO lists of
milestones, dates, risks, with A list of them, but remember this is NOT
supposed to become a paper creation project.  It's a quick guide.

* Present a comprehensive model of how people's time is pulled in
different directions to make explicit the tradeoffs we're facing.  (I'll
supply one.)

* Identify a mechanism to build credible mentors and helpers for the
overworked to REDUCE OVERLOAD.

----

I work best when I'm well rested, thinking clearly, and am not being
pulled in many directions by multiple customers with too-quickly
changing priorities.  Everyone else probably does to.  Let's make
TANGIBLE PROGRESS ON THIS IMMEDIATELY.

Goals:
To be able to REPORT progress on this AT the next Ilead meeting.
To be able to raise issues for discussion to address various hot items
relating to overload at the next Ilead meeting.
To be able to present something at the next Ilead meeting that people
will be able to take back to their teams that will make TANGIBLE
PROGRESS on reducing overload.
To utilize the Ilead meeting for presenting of solutions, and discussing
issues, not brainstorming and list making.