The Phoenix Project
by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr and George Spafford
A novel about an IT manager rescuing a failing project by applying manufacturing principles: the three ways (flow, feedback, continual learning), the four types of work, constraints and work-in-progress limits. It is The Goal for technology and it has changed how many organizations run operations.
Read it if…
you work in technology operations and want DevOps principles in story form.
Skip it if…
you are far from technology; The Goal covers the principles more generally.
Three things you will actually use
- Unplanned work is the silent killer; expose it.
- Limit work in progress.
- Find the constraint and protect it.
Do this first
Make all work visible on one board, including unplanned work.
Our verdict
Useful fable for technology.
Compare with other Leadership books
Leading Without Authority
Keith Ferrazzi with Noel Weyrich · Leadership
Relevant for matrixed work.
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Leadership: The Power of Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman · Leadership
Convenient essentials.
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