Jonah Program^®

“There are so many problems, we don’t even know where to start! Some problems are resolved as soon as we identify them, but most seem to hang around no matter what we do...sometimes they appear to go away for a while, but they always seem to come back in one form or another and with a vengeance... it’s not uncommon that we put a solution in place only to find out it causes us more headaches than the problem itself – it gives new meaning to the phrase ‘the medicine was more harmful than the disease?’ Even when we have an excellent strategy, we’re blocked from implementing it - if not because of all the obstacles in the way, it’s people resisting change... we’ve gotten so used to some of our problems hanging around, we don’t even consider them problems anymore – they’re ‘facts of life’...”

It’s not at all uncommon to hear any or all of these complaints from someone talking about problems in their personal or professional lives. Why do some many problems seem to defy our most earnest attempts to solve them? The reason is that we too often attempt to treat our problems in isolation. We fail to recognize that our problems are interconnected and that fixing one often requires fixing others. So where do you start?

What is the Jonah Program^®?
The Jonah Program^® employs a systematic and logical process that is a practical blend of the scientific method and the Socratic technique to answer the three questions essential to any successful change: What to Change?, To What to Change? and How to Cause a Change? This process is referred to as the Theory of Constraints (TOC) Thinking Processes (TP).

Why should I complete the Jonah Program^®?
You should seriously consider attending The Goldratt Institute’s Jonah Program^® if:

1. Despite sincere efforts, some of your or your organization’s problems persist.
2. You or your organization seeks a robust and systematic process for solving problems that begins with problem identification and ends with the detailed tactics to successfully implement a strategy that resolves the problems once and for all.
3. Attempts to create organizational change have not been fully successful.
4. You need a systems approach to designing business (process) improvements.
5. You and your team need to develop a value proposition for your market (or your suppliers and vendors) so that increased demand is matched to delivery capacity.
6. You and your team need to think through large-scale integration issues, or
7. You identify with any aspect of the quote above.

What will I learn in the Jonah Program^®?
In the Jonah Program^® you will learn, step-by-step, how to apply the TOC TP using a subject matter of your own choosing (i.e., Increasing company throughput via product life-cycle management, Improving student retention at..., Developing an Unrefuseable Market Offer to..., Creating a community-based health clinic). The result of your efforts will be a robust and detailed plan for deploying a strategy that resolves the problems identified in your subject matter (and the ability to apply the tools to any subsequent subject that you choose).

The challenges of getting the requisite approval, buy-in or collaboration for any change often far outweigh the more tangible aspects of implementing a strategy. In the Jonah Program^®, you will also invest time internalizing TOC’s Six Steps to Buy-In. These steps are a systematic process that enables you to circumvent resistance to change by building understanding, ownership and consensus on What to Change?, To What to Change? and How to Cause a Change?. When people are able to answer these questions in a meaningful way, you’re able to secure the commitment and conviction needed for them to go to work on the deployment plan.

Jonah Program^® Venue
The Jonah Program^® is offered on an open or dedicated basis. When offered on an open basis (meaning anyone can attend), the course is generally ten days, often split into two five-day sessions separated by a week or two. When offered on a dedicated basis for an organization, the Jonah Program^® can take up to 20 days depending upon the amount of integration that is desired across the different subject matters chosen by the participants. When done on a dedicated basis, the result might very well be an integrated strategy spanning many or all parts of a system.