1st Edition

The Right Choice Using Theory of Constraints for Effective Leadership

By Ted Hutchin Copyright 2012
176 Pages 50 B/W Illustrations
by Productivity Press

172 Pages
by Productivity Press

The need for competent leadership remains one of the most pressing issues facing organizations. Introducing a powerful technique to help readers become better decision makers, The Right Choice: Using Theory of Constraints for Effective Leadership supplies the understanding required to manage effectively well into the future through the use of the coaching cycle and the reflection process.... Read more

Setting the Scene
The Background to the Book
Some History!
So What Is Leadership, and What Do I Mean by Effective Choices?
OK, so Why the Focus on Making Choices?
So Why Do People Delay?
Why Do We Have to Make Choices?
What Is a Choice?
A Working Definition
So Here We Are!
What It Means to Be Blocked—The Individual Level
What It Means to Be Blocked—The Team Level
What It Means to Be Blocked—The Organizational Level
Some Assumptions of My Own
The Choice Hierarchy
The Area Known as "Conflict of Subordination"
References and Further Reading

Some Thoughts on Leadership
What Do I Mean by the Term "Leadership"?
The Starting Point: The Tools of the TOC Thinking Processes
The Use of the TOC Leadership Coaching Cycle
     Station 1: What’s Holding Us Back?
     Station 2: Why Is This Holding Us Back?
     Station 3: What Is the Compelling Picture Going Forward?
     Station 4: How Do We Achieve the Objectives Set?
     Station 5: Review and Reflect on the Journey
What Are Undesirable Effects (UDEs), and Why Are They Important?
What Are the Criteria for Determining a Good UDE?
What Does a UDE Cost?
A Case Study from the World of the Manufacturing Industry
Beginning the Process of Developing a UDE
References and Further Reading

Gaining Consensus on the Problem
Gaining Consensus on What to Change
Gaining an Understanding about "Clouds"
A Discourse on Method
Case Study 1: Small-Scale Manufacturing
References and Further Reading

Case Studies to Help Us
The Use of Case Studies to Help Us Understand the Predicament of Leaders in Organizations Today
Case Study 1 from an MRO Environment
Case Study 2 from an MRO Environment
Case Study 3 from an Outpatient Department in a Hospital

Leading the Team
Understanding the Dynamics of Team Leadership
Leading the Team to Achieve the Goal
Measuring the Progress of the Team
Making It Happen
     The Flight Crew
References and Further Reading

Focusing on "Knowing Myself " as a Core Aspect of Leadership
The Legacy of Leadership
Using "Personal Focus" to Gain Balance
A Final Thought
References and Further Reading

Making It Happen—Or Not
So What Happened Next?
So Why Does this Happen? A Question of Paradigms
Paradigm Lock Overview
The Importance of Worldview
Paradigms: The Discussion Goes Deeper
The Four Elements of a Worldview
A Clash of Constructs
Three Perspectives
     The Seven Basic Questions
References and Further Reading

Drawing It All Together
Bringing the Main Case Study up to Date
Developing the "Flight Crew"
Changes to the Organizational Structure
Making It Happen
Reflection on the Case Study
Drawing Conclusions from the Case Studies
The Coaching Quadrant
     Healing and Restoring
     Reconciling and Mediating
     Sustaining and Nurturing
     Guiding and Mentoring
A Reflection on Leadership
Final Thoughts
References and Further Reading

Index

Biography

Ted Hutchin, PhD, is the managing director of I & J Munn and principal of the TOC-Lean Institute. He is also a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, and an industrial fellow in the University of Nottingham Business School.

In his work with TOC he has led the teaching, implementation, and ongoing coaching support across the full range of TOC applications throughout the manufacturing industry and also into the service and voluntary sectors with organizations as diverse as hospitals and the Anglican Church. He has lectured on the Masters in Supply Chain Management and the MBA within the Business School at the University of Nottingham and also on similar subjects at Cranfield University.

As can be seen from his research and writing over the past twenty-five years, the dominant theme has been the management of change and the problems and issues change creates for people. He has a proven ability to guide people in the creation of breakthrough solutions that get to grip with the core issues of the organization, the team, and the person’s own life. Using a holistic approach to addressing such issues and developing.