Saw the value of planning versus trying to do things on the run again yesterday.

All of the journals and the training courses around the world keep telling people that what they have to do to make things work properly is to plan their work and then monitor the extent to which they can meet their plans and then adjust the plan and so on.

For most people, being able to express in their assignments at school what they have learnt gets them good marks and then when they get into the work force they discover that some things have changed.

Once upon a time people were able to rely on a diverse workforce that compartmentalised expertise. So you had dedicated personnel people who knew what they were doing, did it every day, gained expertise and so were able to do things quickly and efficiently. Then there were dedicated finance staff or dedicated training staff or dedicated (pick an area of speciality and stick it in here). What this meant was the staff who were undertaking other tasks were able to rely on doing their jobs and not having to worry about doing other people's work as well.

When you increase the amount that anyone has to cover, and NOT extend the time available to do it in the following happens:

On the one hand you will reduce your costs because you have managed to get rid of a lot of staff
On the other hand you will either increase your level of inefficiency and hence increase your costs or you will force people to work harder and harder and for longer and longer and thus also increase your inefficiency over time and hence your costs.

If people would only look at the reality of what is really happening in the world today, they would find that there are many people in the work force who are literally carrying others who have given up the struggle and can no longer put in the hours and do the work expected and there are CEO's who make their living causing a mess by firing people and decentralising work places and flattening structures and getting the hell out of town between the time they get their bonuses for reducing costs and the time that the organisation either falls apart or has to take its operations overseas to attract cheaper labour.

So when do people have to time to PLAN and to MONITOR their plans? Probably in retirement!

All of this arises from the most distressing news I have heard in years.

It was bad enough when an American giant corporation took over the manufacturing of a genuinely Australian product - I am talking about KRAFT Foods.

NOW they want to take the operation to CHINA.

We clothe ourselves with goods from China, we send our raw materials to China only have then to buy it back as value added produced goods, now we will have to eat Chinese yeast products?

Not this little black duck!

Where is Dick Smith when you need him?