Quick Solutions That Produce Long Term Problems

The pace we keep in corporate life is absurd. Well, it has been absurd for years, actually. If we would just sit down for an hour and really think about what we believe we can do in a day, we would laugh… and probably laugh rather loudly. It is really absurd. Multi-tasking is something computers have enough problems with. Humans do not multi-task, so stop deluding yourself.

Since the “TO DO” pile grows exponentially, and our energy starts to fade after 3:00 in the afternoon, we look for the quick solution.

Bam. Got it done. That was easy, just took a short cut and gave the customer what he wanted. Yes!

So I pose these questions for rumination and cogitation:

1. Did the customer want a solution that is temporary?

2. Will the customer understand that the solution is temporary?

3. When the temporary solution breaks, will the customer understand?

4. When the temporary, quick solution breaks will you lose credibility?

5. Where is integrity in telling a customer that you solved a problem for them, but failing to tell them that it will come back to haunt them?

6. When the problem comes back, won’t it cost more to fix than if you would have just done it right the first time?

7. Will you keep this customer long term, since you seem to solve their problems short term?

8. Are you really solving a problem?

9. Are you creating a much bigger problem?

10. How many times have you asked yourself these same questions?