Cronylistic

Cronylistic describes a style, process, or mentality characterized by an obsessive, meticulously detailed, and often overly complicated approach to organization, planning, or execution. It suggests a tendency towards excessive structuring, a focus on minute details, and a prioritization of order and control that can sometimes hinder efficiency or creativity. This can manifest in areas like project management, personal routines, or even artistic endeavors. The term implies a potential for rigidity, an aversion to flexibility, and a susceptibility to becoming bogged down in minor issues. The core concept is a relentless pursuit of order, even at the expense of broader goals or common sense. The resulting structure may appear impressive in its complexity, but it may ultimately be counterproductive. The cronylistic individual, process or system would typically exhibit an unwavering adherence to rules and prescribed methods.

Cronylistic meaning with examples

• The project manager's cronylistic approach to scheduling, with its endless sub-tasks and minute deadlines, ultimately slowed progress and stifled team morale. Everyone became bogged down in process, and no one felt like they were making headway. It became a textbook case of micromanagement and ultimately a dysfunctional system.
• Sarah's cronylistic filing system, meticulously organized by color, size, and date of acquisition, consumed hours each week. Finding documents became an exercise in decoding intricate codes, ironically, she was less able to find a file faster. Her method was incredibly detailed, but the system was cumbersome and slowed overall project completion, with no advantages.
• Despite its initial promise, the company's cronylistic software update protocol, involving dozens of mandatory steps and endless prompts, proved to be a significant barrier to user adoption, rendering a complex system, and resulting in an abandonment of the platform. The system was meant to enhance user experience, but was cumbersome.
• The artist's cronylistic technique, involving hundreds of precisely placed brushstrokes and an obsession with perfect symmetry, while visually impressive, sacrificed spontaneity and emotional depth. His art was impressive and technically perfect, but sterile and less expressive. Ultimately the work was cold and sterile, as emotion was missing.