Learning from the Enterprise

While writing the article “Agile at Home”, which put forward the idea of using Agile methodology in our family life, I realized that there was in fact much more to the corporate system that we could borrow and customize to enhance our personal productivity. This article is an attempt to explore some ideas in this direction.

Quarterly planning

We often make plans, small as well as grand plans, which fade into oblivion due to the lack of proper planning. Either we set too stringent deadlines that are practically impossible to meet, or on the other extreme, we do not set any time constraints at all, thus ensuring we never get the task done.

I feel that a quarter of the year (3-month period) is the perfect time-slice: It gives some breathing space to complete or at least make a good progress on any activity; and at the same time, it is short enough to bring some urgency in the execution.

Corporate Policies

Every organization has a set of policies in place. They are carefully documented, and shared with all the employees. Every new joiner is made aware of what constitutes ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ as per the enterprise.

Of course, every family has their own set of values and rules; the only difference is that almost always they are of bespoken kind. I am not suggesting that every family should write down their code of ethics; but it would definitely help everyone to share a common set of philosophy. This could be conveyed via discussions at dinner table or in any other way that makes sense.

Emergency Procedures

This, in my opinion, is one of the most important points.

What to do in case something goes wrong: Whether to act on impulse, or to follow some guidance?

I strongly feel that every family member should be educated on what things can possibly can wrong, and what should be the proper response.

Of course, nature and destiny can strike us in ways we can never imagine. But it never hurts to be prepared for the known, and let our mind free to take on the unknown.

Know Thy Numbers

All organizations, big, small and medium-sized, focus on numbers: the bottom line, the top line, the margins, the revenues. At home, I feel, we could just as possibly pay some attention to numbers, albeit of a slightly different nature. More often than not, the family members at best have a fuzzy idea of finances, and it would help if – at least – the earning members clearly know where they stand in terms of income and expenditure.

Apart from money, there is another type of numbers that matter to us, or, should matter. The BMI, the creatinine level, HDL, LDL... And so on. These numbers become more and more important with senior folks in the family and it is imperative that we not only keep a good track of their status.

Annual budget

This is a bit tricky. All corporates (and governments, of course) have an annual budget. All the expected income and expected expenses are laid out and tallied. Some provision is also made for unexpected spending. This sets the financial tone for the whole year and acts as a guidance for low or high spending in any area.

I haven’t tried this yet; but with some discipline and careful planning, I see no reason why every household can’t have an annual budget of their own. This could be an inclusive-affair, with all the senior members of the family pitching in and working together to create an annual budget that meets everyone’s requirements.

There’s much more to learn from the enterprise, of course. Each of these points should have their own blog-posts; but I hope this at least got you started thinking.