Working in the industry I've noticed a few things. People always look at Band-Aids vs. Solutions. Even within the realm of project management or some might say particularly in the world of project management.
Classical Band-Aids:
- Communication is poor, instead of increasing frequency and quality of interaction an often response is to document it.
- Schedules are slipping consistently, so lets through more people/money at it.
- Morale is low, let's give em the pep talk and a hand shake, a pat on the back, and tell them to soldier on.
Sound familiar? Of course it should these wouldn't be "Classical" Band-Aid approaches to business issues if they weren't seen often enough to approach cliche.
So why Band-Aids over a solution? Why?
Solutions are:
- Expensive
- Complicated
- Often Embarrassing
How so?
Band-Aids are easy. Low Hanging fruit in the consultant world. Often picked to show immediate gains and validate hypothesis. But cutting to the root of a problem or issue takes more effort, more commitment, and lastly ownership and the last thing anyone wants to do in the "corporate" world is own up to a failing in their organizational operations.
Expensive - Solutions often mean paradigm (yeah I used the word paradigm) shifts in how they approach the issue/problem. These changes mean re-training, resistance and sometimes buying new machines, software, and people. All daunting prospects. How does all this stack up if we can go to the classical Band-Aid of saying ok we need to document this...
Complicated - Solutions at least good ones are end to end endeavors. They address a business problem/issue end to end. They aren't stop gaps. This means it crosses over organizational silos, human capital relationships, and the political barriers in addition to their overall pure business impact. Honestly who wants to step on the feet of the powers that be to solve a business problem that has been affecting the higher ups but obviously has been assumed as "nature of the beast". It doesn't get much more intimidating than that.
Embarrassing? How so? In order to solve a problem you must admit that there is a problem to begin with. Telling a "C" Level exec that his decision to adopt a particular stance on technology is killing his competitive advantage is the nightmare for any management type and similarly a line engineer telling his co-worker in production that their process may not be revealing the end all to the products woes.
So what to do what to do?
Get over it.
An unpopular viewpoint I am sure but I didn't join the the workforce to be popular. I have tons of friends. I joined to workforce to solve problems and provide an unquestionable value proposition. I leverage Project Management and Scientific Management principles to enact such solutions. Sometimes it casts light to places where others would rather remain within the umbra and there are consequences for that, I bear many a scar from such altercations. But it changes nothing. Solutions not Band-Aids are what is called for in times of doubt and uncertainty.
You don't go to the hospital with abdominal pains and say "My insides feel funny? Can you slap a "Band-Aid" on me doc? I think I can handle it"
You wouldn't want that doc to say "Oh I've seen this 1000x no problem, here's a Band-Aid call me if it gets worse"
Call me crazy but I would be looking for like "Ok. Let's see tell me the syptoms, when did it start, how intense, and I am going to assume you want me to fix this, ah ha based on this I think you have a ruptured appendix. I am going to schedule surgery to fix this... I hope you have insurance... ;p "
What's the alternative, soldier on and die a septic death? Pass.
Solutions are much more desirable than a slow agonizing death.
The video is from Heartbreak Ridge(1985) I thought it appropos.
-Optimal Optimus
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