The new admin-istrator decided that his contribution should be to establish a standard of excellence in one impor-tant area within two years. He chose to focus on the emergency room, which was big, visible, and sloppy. He decided that every patient who came into the ER had to be seen by a qualified nurse within 60 seconds. Within 12 months, the hospital's emergency room had become a model for all hospitals in the United States, and within another two years, the whole hospital had been trans-formed.
As this example suggests, it is rarely possible -or even particularly fruitful - to look too far ahead. A plan can usually cover no more than 18 months and still be reasonably clear and specific.
この例が示すように、非常に遠くを見通すことはほとんど不可能か、やっても仕方がない。一つのプランは通常18ヶ月以上をカバーできない。しかしそれでも妥当であって、ある局面では明確なものである。
この例が示すように、遠く先を見越すことは、とても可能性のあることであり、特別に良い結果を生みさえするのです。計画は通常18ヶ月は超えないものですが、それでも適度に明確で、具体的です。