The Band Aid Solution

The Band Aid Solution

I’ve been accused of making things too complex sometimes. I know that surprises a lot of you, so try and hold your emotions in check, please. But something Malcolm Gladwell said in his book, The Tipping Point, really struck home:

“The Band Aid solution is actually the best kind of solution because it involves solving a problem with the minimum amount of effort and time and cost. We have, of course, an intuitive disdain for this kind of solution because there is something in all of us that feels that true answers to problems have to be comprehensive…The problem, of course, is that the indiscriminate application of effort is something that is not always possible. There are times when we need a convenient shortcut, a way to make a lot out of a little, and that is what Tipping Points, in the end, are all about.”

But can MPS be that easy? Lengthy and exhaustive studies of environmental variables, cultural habits and technology platforms can yield some really revealing results. I have often stood back, marveling at the sheer avalanche of information presented – as if overwhelming the customer with a landslide of paper (about saving paper) will itself yield a resounding ovation. Albert Einstein once said,

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.”

Is it as simple as pressing palms, showing a toothy grin and slipping your USB key in the backdoor? I dare say it may be simpler – cleaner – than that, but I know you might scoff, “There is no Band Aid solution for MPS!”

Don’t miss the point here, because it just may be that the minimum effort, time and cost – while relative – is also relatively simple to implement. Perhaps, the minimum effort, time and cost is actually our solution to our customers. Perhaps our own MPS team should be the Band Aid solution.

Have you recently surveyed your own environment, looked for inefficiencies that have crept back in over time or even talked to the rank-and-file within your own organization to simply observe their reactions? Do your highest paid executives spend the most time in meetings – the furthest away from your customers? Then perhaps we, ourselves, are in need of a Band Aid solution to minimize effort, time and the cost to reaching a mutually beneficial outcome.

Building an MPS organization from the ground up is nothing short of hard work. Retooling your existing business to handle MPS engagements can seem suicidal at points. That said, it has been my experience that we all make it much harder than it needs to be. This perhaps roots in fear, not of change, but of the uncertain – the risk of life and limb should you fail. I can empathize with you, having been there myself. You hold people’s lives in your hands if you fail, but equally so the spoils of victory in this brave new world are yours to imagine.

My simplistic suggest is to take some time, step away and breathe. Refocus on your purpose and distill your operations in accordance. Sometimes you might find that a Band Aid solution – minimal effort and time and cost – is all you really needed.

Ken Stewart’s website, ChangeForge, focuses on the collision between the constantly changing worlds of business and technology in an information-centric world. Get the latest industry news, and follow ChangeForge on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook. You might also be interested in reading more from Ken in his weekly column on MPS Insights every Tuesday.

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