Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex and more violent. It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction" -E.F. Schumacher

 

Storyline (Provided by a reader):

This happened in one of the biggest cosmetics companies in Japan. 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 lot of time and money 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.

Reflection: "Most of the things in life are simple and only the wise understand them" - Paulo Coelho

Comments

[Bhasker Patel]

Excellent practical advice/guideline

[Anonymous]

This is definitely my favorite reflection so far. I work in IT, and this field attracts a lot of people (like me) who live to experiment with cool and elaborate new things.

I probably don't stop often enough to ask "is this really the simplest or most effective way to tackle this problem?"

[Anon]

I've seen lots of "Rube Goldberg" solutions (http://www.rube-goldberg.com/gallery_04.php) on my various consulting assignments. To me, I think these are a natural consequence of group-think and consensus-based management. The bigger the company the worse it is. I think some of these people have nothing better to do.

This makes me think of occam's razor which essentially says, "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_Razor)

[Chiew Boey, Malaysia]

Very true indeed. Many of time, mankind tend to see a situation through complicated eyes, and think that it is only through complexities that a situation can be improved.

It is high time to compliment wisdom vs intellectual.

It is high time to go back to basic and simplicity.

It is also high time to extend more cooperation rather than competition for success.

It is very high time to see into the values of the products to be the benefits and advancement of mankind rather than where is the market shares and what is the margin. As the value adds brings about the profits.

It is also high time to know that we are in Wisdom Age that our human resources development is to take beyond Knowledge workers. Coaching Vs Managing perhaps?

It is indeed very high time that we come to know that through Universal Principles (Wisdom) business could achieve greater height and success.

May all be blessed abundantly. Thanks to this enlightening forum to grow and share.

[RC]

...occam's razor which essentially says, "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one."

Zipblocks mimic the most fundamental and basic building blocks in existence...the simple crystal lattice...how long will it be until someone realizes just how simple they are?

[Jean]

I have been a person who puts so much information in my presentations to let people know that i know these things but mind you it doesn't always impress people. Most of the time the simple presentations are the ones that are really appreciated and understood. Once in awhile i still fall prey but this one reminds me to keep it simple. Thanks for the wise advise.

[Jordan 1]

You got a really useful blog I have been here reading for about half an hour. I am a newbie and your post is valuable for me. These practices are unfair, but they say that most of their rules are only to apply to people who overdra. I have a website about Jordan 1 shoes, we can exchange our idea.

[Anand]

thanks Jordan 1.
Anand

[Assignments]

I liked this post very much as it has helped me a lot in my research and is quite interesting as well. Thank you for sharing this information with us.

[Kevin]

Clerical Correction: This is actually a quote from E.F. Schumacher.

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/E._F._Schumacher

[anand]

Thank You Kevin. I will check it out.