It’s not what you do but the order that you do it.

I have seen a good many large-scale and small-scale change projects in my time.

The order in which you do things can have a big impact on the result, as any mathematician: 4 / 5 + 3 -1 = 2.8 but 5 + 3 -1 / 4 = 1.75.

But here is a simpler example: If you put on your underwear, trousers and shoes and shirt you look ready for a job interview. If you put on your shoes, trousers then underwear first you may struggle to get anything past those shod feet and second, you’ll look like an idiot with your underwear on the outside.

This is obvious isn’t it? Ok, try putting this in the right order…

STREAMLINE: Use new procedures and technology to streamline your products and services making them efficient and effective.

DOWNSIZE: Reduce the size of the organisation, with an impact on competence, capacity and desire.

CHANGE: Embark on a massive period of change demanding significant competence, capacity and desire.

THINK: Rethink what are your core and affordable services; what should continue, what should be streamlined and what should be outsourced or stopped.

OUTSOURCE: Outsource non-core services and non-essential people, allowing flexibility without commitment and ostensibly allowing another organisation to provide the services to other people which you don’t want to do or cannot afford.

UPSKILL: Upskill your people so that they have competence, capacity and desire, either to improve your business or somebody else's. Either way they are adding to society rather than being a drain on the public purse as someone who is unemployed or depressed.
What are the implications of this order?

STREAMLINE, DOWNSIZE, CHANGE, THINK, OUTSOURCE, UPSKILL,

Or this?

THINK, UPSKILL, CHANGE, OUTSOURCE, STREAMLINE, DOWNSIZE,

Please put your observations in the comments below.