Did you ever hear someone say something and then think, “I couldn’t have said it better myself?”? That was my thought when I read the below story. It is my honor and privilege to share the thoughts of Janet DiVincenzo about slack. Enjoy!
-Margaret
Got Slack?By Janet DiVincenzo
My commute to work allows me the freedom to ride my bike. One morning, I rode my bike to work. My office was being used for film productions and I needed to do some housekeeping. I had to be there a bit early. This was not the time to be late. Although I was running a bit late when I left the house, I wasn’t too far behind. Or so I thought. The chain fell off the sprocket about halfway to my office. Although I’m not a bike mechanic, I have done this type of repair quite a few times. It’s not pleasant to have your fingers greasy.
I pulled over, put my backpack down, and started to work. I think, okay, I can do it. The chain was so stiff I couldn’t move it. This chain must have some slack somewhere! I was determined to find the slack. I quickly found the slack, and repositioned my chain. Phew.
The rest of the ride made me think about slack. Slack, also known as float in project management, refers to the time a project can be delayed without causing additional delays. I didn’t have a lot of slack this morning, but I had enough to overcome my little setback.
What about you? Are you allowing enough slack in your project planning? Do you assume that everything will go according to plan when creating a schedule? Do you plan for the unexpected? You know they will.
Biography of Janet DiVincenzohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/janetdivincenzo
Janet is the Assistant Director for Online Learning at University of California, Irvine. She works with faculty on campus to create online classes. She is also available to consult instructors and staff regarding pedagogy, technology and best practices in online and hybrid education.
Janet has been teaching for UCI Extension for many years. She has taught both online and in the classroom. She has taught Leadership, Management, and Team-Building in a Project Environment; Introduction To Project Management; and Project Management For Elearning Professionals.
Janet holds a B.A. Janet has a B.A. in Spanish and a M.A. Latin American Studies. She is a Project Management Professional (PMP), from the Project Management Institute, and a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance(CPLP) from Association for Talent Development (ATD).