Striking the right balance

I've got this idea for a new executive desk toy. It is based on a project management tool explained to me by one of the team who has recently completed an MBA.

Imagine a set of scales with four balances instead of two, all interconnected. All four balances are in the same position, relative to the others, and are named time, resources, budget and specification.

Now think of any project in which you are involved. The opening of a new restaurant, say. You start off with enough time, sufficient resources and the budget to achieve the desired specification. That lasts about a week. Then something puts pressure on at least one of these elements - the builders find a structural problem that hadn't come to light before "Well guv'nor, it's going to cost, and it's going to add at least another couple of weeks to the job."

At this point, you can correct the problem by increasing the budget and increasing the time, but the bankers aren't going to appreciate you going back cap in hand for an extra £50,000 and you can't afford to miss that vital Christmas trading period. You could lower the specification, but this is a quality product.

This is where my executive toy would come in handy. I think management teams are pretty bad at facing up to problems early enough to be able to do anything constructive.

It is in the nature of the hospitality business - involving people, property and short-shelf-life products (rooms, covers, food) - that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of things that can go wrong. Yet we are endowed with incredible optimism.

We are not good at project planning - working backwards from the goal to give ourselves a true handle on whether the time, budget and resources can deliver the specification. Instead, we have a kind of "it'll be all right on the night" approach. How often have you been to a smart restaurant opening, only to find that the loos are still a building site?

My reason for raising this is that I believe it is a cause of stress and tension for middle managers that could be eradicated if the board was a little more realistic in its expectations. Our managers often work long hours, travel great distances and take responsibility for multimillion pound turnovers. Maybe we could lighten this load by making sure they have the time, budget and resources to match the task.

I'd like to get this toy into the shops by Christmas. I'm looking for top quality materials and construction, at minimal cost, and with the smallest number of people involved. Do you think I've got enough time?

Stephen Evans is currently working with City Centre Restaurants. He is also chief executive of Food That Delights; non-executive director of Dineline; chairman of First! Venues and a member of the Restaurant Association national committee.