Business Jargon that Proves You’ve Never Gone Camping
“The long pole in the tent” is a metaphor with multiple meanings:
- The most important aspect of a problem. The most crucial thing that needs to be addressed first for a project to be successful. For example, it might refer to a key decision-maker or department.
- The most intractable part of a problem. A component of a project that takes longer than others. For example, in a project, “XYZ work is the long pole in the schedule.”
- The critical path: The longest path from start to finish that determines the overall duration of a project.
Although it can be annoying to keep up with these metaphors, this one is a solid addition. Though “critical path” has been historically used, it is less comprehensive than this metaphor. Critical paths often neglect department and human levels, frequently where many implementations stall.
References and Resources
A hot metaphor emerges by New York Times; Type: Article