Theory of Constraints
Peak hour rush on a metro train is one of the numerous small games which city-zens play. In cities that have evolved into cooperation machines, everyone moves in a file. In cities which are still figuring out, everyone moves at the pace in which they please. While we often attribute it into the ingrained culture, my own simple explanation is that cooperation comes after repeated interactions and the emerging cities are still early in the repeated interaction game.
I would want to ask a really simple question.
What limits your speed ?
In both cases, each ones’ maximum speed is limited by the one ahead of you and if you slow down, you slow down everyone else. This is my simple take-away from the book Goal by Elihu Goldratt. It’s a thesis on supply chain and theory of constraints.
“Each ones' maximum speed is limited by the one ahead of you, but if you slow you do slow everyone else”
So when we say it should not be hindered, it does not mean that there should not be any activity preceding it, but just that it should not hinder this activity.
In fact, the optimum is when someone provides a very visible pacesetting while providing max opportunities for you to stretch.
A great example of this is how marathon records are set. The open marathon record is 2:01:39 while the pacesetter for it is 1:59:40. In an open marathon, the leader is competing against his own will. His single goal is to win, and efficiency (time is taken) comes second.
In a pacesetter, the light in front of you shows how much you need to cross to break the record. It never takes away your ability to maximize but keeps you fully in-sight.
So that’s it. Apply it while you cross a station, don’t jump a queue where everyone’s cooperating and don’t let yourself be hindered by someone who is slow. Or even better, get someone who moves fast, the pace could be just set for you.
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