K.I.S.S.

K.I.S.S. Focus On Problems vs. Focus On Solution Focus on Problem: When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens would not work at zero gravity (Ink won’t flow down to the writing surface). In order to solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 MILLION dollars. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on practically any surface including crystal, and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees Celsius. Focus on Solution: What did the Russian’s do? The cosmonauts used a pencil !! Focus on Problem: 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 most prestigious cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a customer purchased a soap box that was empty. Upon further research, the company found that it had happened more than once. Immediately, the management authority got on the problem and isolated the cause to be the assembly line, which transports all the packaged soap boxes to the delivery department. Occasionally, an empty box was making its way to delivery. 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 insane amounts of money. Focus on Solution: But…when a rank and file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into the complications of X-rays, but came up with a different solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan, and pointed it in the direction of the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan…it simply blew the empty boxes off the line. Moral Of These Stories: K.I.S.S… Keep It Simple Silly ! Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problem. Learn to focus on solutions NOT problems. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you will find that you hardly have anything. If you look at what you have in life, you will find that you have almost everything. Happy problem solving… and thanks to whoever originally submitted this to the many forwards that made it to my e-mail box.