WORK IN PROGRESS is not real progress

I see hoardings on the streets, and on construction sites, that reads, WORK IN PROGRESS. Does that mean actual work is getting done; of course, it means people are working but, the point they have broadcasted with their hoarding is that they are working, they never say anything about when is it going to complete. Let’s say, a hoarding says, WORK IN PROGRESS – EXPECTED TO FINISH ON 20-10-2011, that would make total sense. I know, I’m being unrealistic and stupid, fine!...but I am still to make my point.

What I am really getting at is why do we have so much of work in progress, it’s time we understood that work in progress in not real progress. If you were expected to finish 10 tasks by tomorrow, and you are done with 90% in all the 10 tasks but have not finished even one, then you have all the 10 tasks under WORK IN PROGRESS, in a way, you have not done anything so far. On the other hand, if you did 5 tasks fully and didn't even start with the other 5, then you have 5 things completely done and ready to submit, that means there are only 5 things that are WORK IN PROGRESS.

I think, when it comes to getting things done, keep your WORK IN PROGRESS count low. This WORK IN PROGRESS hoarding is very devious, it gives a feeling that work is getting done, but that’s not the reality. 

As a matter of fact, I used to write – Reading XYZ document – in my weekly status (that's the equivalent of WORK IN PROGRESS hoarding). I never wrote when I am gonna finish it…Slowly, I realized that there are a lot things under WORK IN PROGRESS and I am actually not getting a lot of things done. So, for over a month, I’ve been writing – Reading XYZ, expected to finish by EOD – now that gives a real sense of completion. Now, I get to see a lot of things done, no re-work, and not a lot of things under WORK IN PROGRESS.