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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on The challenges of being an abstract thinker in a work oriented world ]]></title>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[I thinkmybe I'm lucky..]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-224388-2450032]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[in that while I like to figure out what the real cause is and solve that, my years in Hspitality as a cook taught me how to keep current tasks on time as well. cooking meals for paying guests means you have to get it right as much as possible. They won't be back if you don't The &quot;deadlines&quot; for cooking range from 30 seconds to 20 minutes on cooking times, yet you can have multiple items that are needed at the same time that are at either end of that range.[ multitasking to the extreme  ]As crazy as it sounds, a few months in a kitchen as a cook can help most people, in opst industries, improve their multitasking.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jaqui]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:26:58 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Thanks for this...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-224388-2450016]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I am very much like you in this...I too frequently find myself thinking, &quot;What is my problem?&quot;.  Really, it's just the way my mind works and that is not necessarily wrong.  It's nice to know I am not the only one!]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[boxfiddler]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:12:21 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Thank you for your banter]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-224388-2449857]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I am a Conceptual Physics teacher that hates grading.  You have provided definition to my life with your descriptions of yourself.  thank you.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[pizadro@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:15:50 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: The challenges of being an abstract thinker in a work oriented world]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-224388-2449855]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Thank you.  I am the same but younger.  Im a HS Conceptual Physics teacher that hates grading.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[pizadro@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:14:36 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: The challenges of being an abstract thinker in a work oriented world]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-224388-2261770]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[It seems to me that this interesting contribution may have been mis-categorised under ???Project manager??? as some of the attitude appears to be antithetical to project management and the work mentioned sounds more like day-to-day operations (???daily grind???) rather than project management (please refer to PMI???s Project Management Book of Knowledge for distinctions between projects and normal processes).Project Management is about (among other things) determining the ???why??? of the project we are doing up front by establishing the business case and documenting it.  This is the big picture ???why???.  Of course there is room here for abstract thinking.  If our project is to build a bridge we can ask why build a bridge instead of a ferry or improving the road to the nearest existing bridge.Once we have determined the business case and clarified the concept we then determine the work required and the time and budget available.  This covers the time, cost and quality aspects of project management.  Room for ???why??? thinking again in that there are many ways to skin a cat (or build a bridge: what kind of bridge, which design, what materials, what suppliers?)The other functions come into play: people management, communications management, risk management and procurement management.  Lots of opportunities to ask ???why???.  Why this person instead of that one?  Why this contractor instead of that?  What are the most effective means of communication on our project?  Who needs what information?  What risks do we face?My point is that we do as much thinking up front as possible, get that into our plans, and when all have agreed and approved, execute the plans.  Not that we do not question things along the way, but most of the ???whys??? will now be micro-management and minute things.  Why does A have to wait for B to finish?  Why do we need to get supplies from location C instead of location D?  Why were certain things not done?  If there is a communications problem is there another way to ensure someone gets the required information?  Lateral thinking can help us do things better, or even do better things.  Everything is subordinate to the plan we agreed (subject to Change Management).The project manager???s job is to execute the plan and complete the project.  All abstract and other thinking will be geared to achieving the objectives within time and cost and to the required quality.  From my point of view there is no ???daily grind???.  There is instead a steady march towards the goal.  Like a long-distance runner we count down the laps remaining.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[yeoman]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:48:44 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Thank You.]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-224388-2245385]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[There's nothing quite like being an abstract/random thinker in a concrete sequential world.  Thanks for the survival tips!]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Smedley54]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 30 May 2007 06:56:19 -0700</pubDate>
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