Preventing Panic
A toilet seat taught me about firefighting.
“Did you leave the toilet seat up again?” My wife called from downstairs.
“There’s a non-zero chance,” I carefully responded.
“By the moons of Endor! I told you to keep the toilet seat down for a reason.”
“Because you want to make life inconvenient?”
“No, because your son insists on dipping your socks in the toilet. Now you’d better clean up.”
As I stared at a sock-filled toilet, something in my head clicked.
In organisations - and in society as a whole - we’re tempted to solve the issues of today, rather than preventing the issues of tomorrow.
Whilst our focus on today’s issues is understandable - we feel the pain of today’s issues, but not tomorrow’s - there’re three interesting considerations:
Firstly, solving an issue today provides an immediate sense of progress: fires are put out, pain is relieved. Whereas, preventing an issue that hasn’t yet happened offers no such feedback - so why do it? Therein is the trap.
Secondly, solving an issue today does just that: it solves one issue. Whereas, prevention can save us from all similar future issues - a much larger return for our efforts.
For example:
Can we reduce the need for painkillers in the future, by improving our posture today?
Can we reduce the need to rescue broken-down vehicles in the future, by servicing them today?
Can we reduce the need to fix software bugs in the future, by fixing the development process today?
Thirdly, remediation often happens where the problem shows up. Whereas, prevention is often best administered elsewhere.
Suggests Ackoff:
“90% of the problems that arise in a corporation are best solved somewhere other than where they are recognised, but 90% of them are solved where they're recognised.
When you get a headache, what do you do? Brain surgery? Well that's where the headache is. Why the hell do you take a pill? Because the pill contains a chemical, and you swallow it, and it goes into the stomach where it dissolves. The chemical is absorbed by the bloodstream, which then carries it and deposits it on the brain. And that's a whole lot better way to take care of a headache and brain surgery.
“Because somebody understands the way a system works, you treat a headache by taking a pill instead of doing brain surgery. But, not if you're a manager. If you're a manager you do brain surgery.”
The takeaway? Prioritise and pinpoint potent prevention - to save socks, systems, and your future selves. As they say, “a stitch in time saves nine”.
NB: Inspired by Senge’s “The Fifth Discipline”, and a lecture by Ackoff. Quotes adapted for brevity.
