Dear Detective,
You’ve learned more about bottlenecks from Billy than most business experts learn in years.
While traditional books might bury these lessons in hundreds of pages about 1980s factory floors, I’ve focused on what matters today—practical tools you can use anywhere, from hospitals to tech teams, from charities to coffee shops.
Now let’s wrap up with a quick look at the FOCCCUS formula—your detective’s toolkit for solving bottleneck mysteries wherever you find them.
Find
This is where your detective work begins! Look for the bottleneck by following the clues—usually queues or piles of waiting work. As our young detective Billy loves to say: “The Queue is the Clue!” And you know what? He’s absolutely right.
Optimize
Once you’ve caught your bottleneck, it’s time to help it perform better without breaking the bank. Here’s some great news: Before people know about bottlenecks, they often haven’t paid special attention to these critical resources—which means there’s usually lots of valuable low-hanging fruit just waiting to be picked! Maybe your bottleneck needs fewer distractions, smoother processes, some friendly on-the-job training, or just a few clever tweaks. It’s amazing how often tiny changes can make a huge difference.
Coordinate
Here’s where you get everything dancing to the same rhythm as your bottleneck. Picture a naval fleet moving in perfect sync with their flagship aircraft carrier—beautiful, right? Sometimes this means deliberately slowing things down (I know, sounds crazy!) to prevent outpacing your bottleneck. Smart moves like getting the kids to put their shoes on before you’re ready to leave (not when you’re already late), or how clever airports do passport checks at departure instead of arrival. Small changes, big impact!
Collaborate
This, truly, is where the most magic happens! Get your non-bottleneck resources helping out the bottleneck. They’ve got spare capacity, so put it to good use!
Think about it: Often this is the first time the bottlenecks and non-bottlenecks have had a proper chat about how they work together—and you wouldn’t believe the quick wins just sitting there waiting to be discovered. And here’s another delightful secret: Two (or more) brains working together are usually far, far cleverer than one working alone. It’s like having a detective partner—everything gets easier!
Curate
Channel your inner museum curator and be choosy about what goes through your bottleneck. Prioritize, find alternatives, and—here’s your new superpower—learn to say “no” nicely. Trust me, protecting your bottleneck from overwhelm is an art worth mastering.
Upgrade
Yes, spending money can be absolutely brilliant—it’s just not usually your first move.
After you’ve done your detective work and tried the steps above, smart spending can transform your bottleneck. New equipment? Extra staff? Better facilities? Go for it! The key is spending wisely once you understand what’s really needed.
Start Again (Strategically)
Bottlenecks are sneaky—they tend to move when you make changes or when the world shifts around you. Sometimes it can feel like playing whack-a-mole—fix one bottleneck and another pops up somewhere else! Sometimes you’ll need to improve performance where the bottleneck is now, other times you’ll want to guide it to a better spot. (Think about it: In a cinema, you want your bottleneck to be the number of seats, not the speed of the popcorn machine!) When your bottleneck moves, just dust off your detective hat and start again.
Remember:
• Use these steps as inspiration, but let your common sense be your guide.
• Sometimes you’ll need all the steps, sometimes just a few. The goal is making things work better, not winning a formula-following competition!
• Don’t be the clever smarty pants who comes up with the ideas all by yourself—collaborate and co-create with your colleagues.
If you’d like to dive deeper into the world of bottleneck detection, check out The Bottleneck Rules: How to Get More Done (When Working Harder Isn’t Working) for more detective stories and advanced techniques.
Happy hunting, detective!