[The easiest and fastest way to read The Goal, and the absolute fastest way to learn The Theory of Constraints.][Watch a video summary of Chapter 27.]

Rogo delivers good results and commits to a 15% improvement. He stops to see Julie on his way home where they discuss life goals. Julie waffles about their relationship.

Highlights

“It’s too bad the standard report we’ve prepared can’t begin to tell the full story of what’s really going on.”

Vanity metrics may be Rogo’s primary enemy.

Page by Page

P220 – “All of the other manufacturing operations in the division reported only marginal gains in performance or sustained losses. Despite the improvement at Bearington and the fact that as a result the division recorded its first operating profit of this year, we have a long way to go before we are back on solid financial footing.”

“Rogo,” says Peach, “because you seem to be the only one among us who has improved to any degree, we’ll let you start the round of reports.”

P221 – “It’s too bad the standard report we’ve prepared can’t begin to tell the full story of what’s really going on.”

P222 – “How big?”

Rogo commits to 15% improvement to Peach. Again, what was his other choice?

P223 – “But what am I going to do after that?”

It is good that Rogo is thinking through iteration. Think through another round!  However, his jumping at the risk here is reasonable – there might not be another round if he doesn’t win today.

P224 – “No sense killing myself trying to get back to the plant. It occurs to me, in fact, that by the time I get back to the plant it’ll be time to go home.”

P225 – “It was my father’s rule: the business was what fed us, so it came first.”

Eating together is a core act of family – in Boy Scouts, the importance of a troop dining together is stressed.

P226 – “Do you even know why you want the things you do?”

“I think we should do the opposite. We ought to start asking a few more questions.”

[Rogo has done a lot in this relationship – but simply acquiescing to his wife won’t solve the issues they face.  He pushes back when he has to.]

“And what’s all this about a goal? When you’re married, you’re just married. There is no goal.”

[This is a pretty fatalistic view of the world.]

P227 – “All I’m saying is we ought to throw away for the moment all the pre-conceptions we have about our marriage, and just take a look at how we are right now,” I tell her. “Then we ought to figure out what we want to have happen and go in that direction.”

Rogo is searching to add personal goals to his life.