The Two-Story Outhouse

                                                                                

The above cartoon is part of a collection that I have that illustrates pretty well what we all have probably experienced. The designer may have thought it was a good idea, but didn't clearly think about how functional it really was. Over the years, I have worked with people who were brilliant and highly skilled, as well as some who made decisions they were not the least bit competent to make.
I am pretty analytical, and I like to think things through when I have the opportunity. It doesn't mean I've never had a bad idea, but most of the ones I have had I allowed to die inside my head and did not  inflict them upon others.
I would like to say this has been my experience with others, but that would only be partially true. I can think of several examples over the years where an organization was faced with a situation that required changing how things were done. In the best case scenario, leaders would look at the desired end result, what was needed to get there, and what were the best resources available to get us there. Unfortunately, instead of pursuing the best item out there sometimes the decision is made: "We already own this, let's make it fit (or work)." Think of the square peg in the round hole, "reconditioned" equipment, installing one of an item when you actually need four, etc.
One of the deadliest terms you can potentially encounter is "low bidder". Things today are not as bad as it used to be, but, in the past, many organizations pretty much exclusively went with the low bidder. Sometimes, that is an OK decision, but other times you end up with something like the cartoon above and end up paying much more to fix the mess.
While you may or may not have much influence on decision-making in your organization, especially when it comes to spending money (I, for example, can approve expenditures of up to $250; even I am not impressed), you have control in your private life. While you don't think in terms of low bidder, you want to make sure that the decisions you make are sound. The next time you go to make a substantial purchase or other important decision, ask yourself: "Is this a two-story outhouse?"