“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is a pattern I have come across through every job I have had and every other aspect of life. I read about it in Effortless - “solve the problem before it happens.” I read about it this morning in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, where Covey gives the example of not taking the time to perform maintenance on his lawnmower, which eventually cost him more in time and money to fix than it would have to just maintain in the first place. I also came across it when working as a nurse in the ER and even in my own health journey.
The Culture of Quick Fixes
Even though the proverb from Benjamin Franklin is widely known, why do so many of us avoid taking the time to prevent something, let alone address the root cause? We have become a society of quick fixes - swallow this pill, try this fad diet, take this shortcut. I love Covey’s description, calling it “quick fixes with social band-aids and aspirin that addressed acute problems and sometimes even appeared to solve them temporarily, but left the underlying chronic problems untouched to fester and resurface time and again.”
Preventative Measures in Careers and Health
In both of our careers, Damien and I have spent a lot of time planning preventative measures by assessing risk. We have also spent a lot of time performing root cause analysis on problems so that plans can be put into place to prevent the issue in the future. These aren’t quick fixes - they take time, energy, and sometimes money. But in the long run, they save more time, energy, and money than if the preventative measures weren’t taken.
I have been on my own health improvement journey for the past three years, and it is still in progress, but I am working on preventing future long-term health issues - something I wish I had done 20 years ago to prevent my current chronic health issue. But, since I can’t go back and can only move forward, I decided to make the changes, despite how hard they are so that I won’t be dealing with new issues in another 20 years.
Applying Prevention to Business
Taking the time to plan, assess, and mitigate risk, and look into the root causes of issues within your business is just as important as doing so with your own health because it is for the health of your business. It may seem cumbersome at the time, but trust me, it will save you headaches in the future. As Covey says, “The more people are into quick fix and focus on the acute problems and pain, the more that very approach contributes to the underlying chronic condition.” Don’t just band-aid fix something. Don’t mask the symptoms with some aspirin. Find the root cause and address it.
Some Tips
- Schedule regular maintenance and check-ins for both personal health and business processes.
- Create a culture of continuous improvement within your team, encouraging proactive problem-solving.
- Invest in training and development to equip yourself and your team with the skills to identify and address root causes. Premortems are a great way to start!
Ponder This
- What preventive measures can you implement in your business to avoid future issues?
- How can you apply the principle of addressing root causes rather than quick fixes in your personal life?
- Reflect on a time when preventive measures saved you time and resources. How can you replicate that success in your business?
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Books
- Effortless - Greg McKeown
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey
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