Do we need Elon Musk to help fix our planning systems?

That clarity can be made by attaching a person-and a name-to every requirement. That is, each requirement should come with the name of the person who made that requirement.

Musk: "You should never accept that a requirement came from a department, such as from 'the legal department' or 'the safety department.' You need to know the name of the real person who made that requirement."

Once that clarity is achieved-that is, when every requirement has the person's name attached-then you can start questioning whether these requirements make sense. No matter how smart or how 'powerful' that person is.

Musk: "Requirements from smart people are the most dangerous because people are less likely to question them. Always do so, even if the requirement came from me. Then make the requirements less dumb."

2. Delete any part of the process you can

The second step of Musk's algorithm is all about subtraction-a widely undervalued habit in management. In this case, it is all about deleting any part of the process you can.

In fact, it is all about deleting just a bit more than you feel comfortable with.

Musk: "You may have to add [parts or processes] back later. In fact, if you do not end up adding back at least 10% of them, then you didn't delete enough."

3. Simplify and optimize

Only when you have walked through steps one and two can you start by simplifying and optimizing (parts of) your processes.

This particular order of steps protects you from doing unnecessary work-it keeps you from improving (parts of processes) that you do not need in the end.

Musk: "A common mistake is to simplify and optimize a part or a process that should not exist."