Shortcuts are OK!

Well I have heard somewhere - "Shortcut leads to HELL or DISASTER"
Having heard that, still, there are many occasions where we are forced to take shortcuts.

Examples of such shortcuts could be

• Trying to deliver a working functionality/solution rather than a optimally working functionality/solution.
• Taking a deviation to be able to reach a logical point, where set of functions can be delivered.
• Choosing to deliver partially working functionality (not covering all the scenarios), to ensure that the functions delivered are atleast demoable or to refrain from delivering half-baked functionality.
• Swapping some of the planned functionality/tasks with some other functionality/tasks.
• In some cases entirely skipping/omitting a set of functions or tasks.
• In simple terms, committing or promising something and not standing up to the promise to its entirety.

Bottomline - We end up taking shortcuts, thus delivering different items than expected. 


To me, shortcut is a natural phenomenon and one could choose to take shortcuts either due to personal priority or time crunch or unforeseen events or unforeseen requirements or missed out items or a combination of these aspects and more.
From a professional or business or deliverable perspective I call such decisions as "adjustments".


So when can we call shortcut as legitimate adjustment?
Shortcut can be called as adjustment ONLY WHEN some fundamental governing principles are also observed or accompanied with. 

Some of the key governing principles are as follows 

• Such decisions are not last minute runtime decisions but are made well in advance of the actual delivery date. The advance term can vary from 1 to 10 working days or even more depending upon the nature of the job BUT definitely not on the day of delivery.
• Such decisions are never made by a lone person but is always a group / team decision reached with mutual consent.
• Such decisions are chosen for simplicity rather than convenience or ease. When I say simplicity meaning accompanied with a suitable and substantial rational. I like to stress upon 'rational' as that holds the key.
• All the parties are intimated in advance about the same - ensuring no last minute surprises. Transparency is a must!
• Such decisions definitely MUST accompany a subsequent plan to complete the deviations.
• The timeline for completion should never be far stretched, infact it has to be "as early as possible". As human beings we tend to forget things and later such missed out items often come and BITE us. 
• Such decisions help save the FACE rather than falling FLAT on it.

To conclude...
"Sensible adjustments might lead to enhanced trust thus glory - Shortcuts will definitely lead to HELL or DISASTER"

So cheers to adjustment - cheers to your glory!!!