The Difference between Focusing on Problems and Focusing on Solutions

Often in our day to day life we face many problems and although no one wish to have them; but we have to solve them.

Problems are generally like a tree; with very small root and lots of branches; hence very small & strong root and superficially very big.

But the problems, may not be as big as they seems... Before going ahead let me present you with two simple cases (part of an email forwarded by my friend)

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Case 1

When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the writing surface).

To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.

And what did the Russians do...?? They used a Pencil!!!

Case 2

One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan 's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department.

For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a whoopee amount to do so.

But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc., but instead came out with another solution………………He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.

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Most people, when encountered with problems gets trapped in the branches and loose the root; from where it can be solved in the most simplest way.

So, our primary goal should be identifying the root cause, before going into much implications of the issue and

Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problems.

choose your way!!
Do not worry about the current phase, it will fade away soon till then think to reduce your overhead expenditures.