Real-world examples of policy constraints

Goldratt divided “constraints” into “physical restraints” and “policy constraints” in his theory of constraints.

• A policy constraint is a constraint created by the human mind.

https://twitter.com/tnsm0223/status/1120468543101984769

One of the questions on our entry sheet for new business graduates is “List the articles about Cybozu over the past year that have most interested you and explain why and how you found them interesting. For example, if you could cite the aforementioned article and discuss why individual independence is important for teamwork based on your own experience, I would be very interested. (Oh, I can’t submit this article because it’s two years old… But I’d like to read it, as long as it’s written with enthusiasm…) This “past year” constraint is a policy constraint.

I don’t know the reason for this “restriction”. Perhaps there is a clear reason for this. Even so, if there are benefits in the absence of constraints,

• Advantages in case of constraints
• Advantages when there are no restrictions should be compared to consider whether to maintain the constraint. By suggesting, “Why don’t we remove the constraint?” if there is a reason, it gets verbalized; if there is no reason, the constraint gets removed. Either way, it is a step in the right direction.

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