Constraints Can Be Your Best Friends

Apr. 21, 2003

An interesting study has shown that having less can actually help you do more. I know it sounds trite, and even seems to fly in the face of logic, but studies done recently bear out this idea. 

Limits of time, money, people, and scope (how complex or far-reaching a task is) actually improve the chances of success in a technology project. What’s so interesting about this result is that it is totally opposite to what is considered the ‘traditional’ approach – studying the problem in great depth and then building the ‘perfect’ solution. 

You can start using this idea yourself by asking different questions at the beginning of a project or task. Instead of trying to find the ‘perfect’ solution, find what can be done quickly that will have the greatest impact. This change in focus will lead to different sets of priorities and will improve the odds of the project actually making a difference or being a success. 

Small, simple tasks are far more likely to have an impact than large, ideal ones. So try to impose limitations whenever you can, even if you don’t need to – odds are, you’ll find that it makes a big difference.
These and other ideas can be found in “Revolutionizing IT: The Art of Using Information Technology Effectively” by David Andrews and Kenneth Johnson.