What Good is a Band-Aid?
Most have all worn a band-aid at some point. For our little ones, they seem to wear them as a fashion statement. The typical 2-year old feels wearing a band-aid is part of their outfit.
Our daughter was no different. Whenever it was time to remove it, we found ourselves in a battle. She just didn't want to take it off. We didn't understand it. No matter whether needed or not she insisted it remains.
Even when we did get it off, the next day she would need another one for a new reason. So it made me wonder when is the right time to remove the Band-Aid?
How band-aids help
We acknowledge band-aids are temporary solutions to bigger problems.
We put a covering over a wound to protect it and provide the time to heal; even prevent infection. The band-aid is never meant to be permeant and needs to come off or new problems arise.
Temporary fix considerations
Consider the following factors when alleviating pain through temporary solutions.
Select the right location: Ensure to put in place the fix in a location providing the desired protection. Misplaced band-aids deliver no value and come with a cost.
Size appropriately: Sometimes we may choose a fix with the wrong size. Selecting too big a fix can be costly or result in delaying the implementation of a permanent solution. A temporary solution too small may be ineffective; leaving the problem and less time to resolve the underlying issue.
Suitability: Let’s apply a solution to the right problem. If we don’t, we may receive accolades for our innovation and still suffer from the underlying problem.
Usefulness: Use the temporary fix for the specified period. When we don’t, the fix may contribute to a more severe problem. We see this in organizations regularly. It occurs when a solution has outlived its usefulness. Some organizations accumulate what they call technical debt as a result.
Conclusion
Applying a temporary fix can provide the time needed to heal and put in place a more stable solution. The best leaders take enough time to solve the right problem and are wise enough to understand the life of the band-aid.
Try reading The Beautiful Constraint as you dig deeper in designing the right solution for the right problem.