"Speed it Up" and "Successful Presentations": on the mark.

Thanks to Capt. Mounce for his delightful article "To Speed It Up, Size It Down," in the May-June 2006 edition of Defense AT & L. I agree completely. One of my favorite stories is how Charles Lindbergh's plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, was completed in about three months from scratch. Wow! And it was successful. I wonder how "mega-projects" ever have a chance.

I appreciate Mounce's candor in his recommendation to do away with the military acquisition career field. This idea has been mumbled under people's breaths for years, but this is the first time I've seen anyone come out and say it. Since most projects last more than three years (the average assignment for a military officer), it's guaranteed that there will be disruption in leadership and its attendant problems. I am interested to know what will come of his remark.

I also liked the recommendation to "get rid of useless processes and procedures." Under Lean thinking, this is referred to by its Japanese name "muda," and it's a wonderful idea.

Aristotle's Rules ... Rule

In the same issue, I very much enjoyed "Aristostle and the Art of Successful Presentations" by Matthew Tropiano Jr. As a frequent victim of "PowerPoint poisoning," I found his points about Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to be right on the mark. The article should be required reading for briefers, as it would surely save a lot of wasted time at meetings.

A final aside: There's a subtle yet valuable byproduct of reading Defense AT & L. Many of the authors reference good books in their articles. I have ordered and read many of these books. Always nice to get recommended reading from others in your business.