The Paradox of the Low Hanging Fruit


In business projects, the metaphorical language of picking the low-hanging fruit almost always comes up. Just to be clear, the low-hanging fruit refers to the idea that the easiest or lowest cost work should get done first. Examples of low-hanging fruit include things like eliminating obvious waste, cutting overtime, reducing excessive stockpiles, and removing self-inflicted policy constraints.

Good things generally happen when you pick the low-hanging fruit. First, the project team can satisfy an immediate need to be successful, if only on a small scale. Because the low-hanging fruit is so easy to get, harvesting it early in a project can generate momentum for a more sustained effort. Second, everyone on the team can agree. Because the low-hanging fruit is obvious, disagreements on the obvious course of action are normally quite easy to resolve. Third, the project team can de-clutter the solution space. Getting the little things out of the way can help the team stay focused on the remaining fruit higher up the tree.

Now, the paradox. Low-hanging fruit is low-hanging for a reason. Said differently, an easy problem is already solved, not worth solving, or is left unsolved to avoid a more serious problem that the easy solution would generate. Though the temptation of picking the low-hanging fruit can be overwhelming, it almost always results in a sub-optimal solution – or worse, complete dissatisfaction with the end state. And yes, the problem will persist even after the low-hanging fruit is completely consumed.

One of my project teams recently starting working on a solution to “awaiting training” time. To synchronize instructional resources, classes start on regularly scheduled dates. If a student misses the start date for any reason, he or she is assigned other duties (and paid for doing them) while awaiting instruction. For obvious reasons, awaiting training is considered wasteful. The project team identified multiple obvious solutions, the low-hanging fruit, at our first meeting. Coming up with our list of solutions was easy – that’s why it’s called low-hanging fruit.

Keep in mind, this problem has existed at least since 1978 (GAO, 1982). Concern over awaiting training ebbs and flows depending on budget cycles, but the goal of reducing awaiting training has endured for over 30 years. So what are the chances that my team will solve a 30-year-old problem in the space of a few weeks? Can we just pick the low-hanging fruit and declare victory?

I won’t know the outcome of this project for several weeks, because we have not turned toward implementation yet. My hope is that we work out a structural solution – one that may not be easy. This hope is inspired by a concept that Andrew Goldsmith (1997) reported, because I think it elegantly captures the paradox of the low-hanging fruit. Goldsmith describes an orchard with pedestrian trees. The genetic structure of the trees is altered to make them short, so all of the fruit is low-hanging. In a training pipeline, I guess that would mean that start dates for training courses would adjust to the students’ schedule. Gosh, I wonder what sort of problems a system like that would generate?   

References

GAO. (1982).  Backlog of Navy Enlisted Personnel Awaiting Training Results in Inefficiency and Unnecessary Cost. General Accounting Office: Washington, DC. http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA119204

Goldsmith, A. (1997, October 31). Here's an idea that's not quite ripe.Document available on the Worldwide Web at http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/11/cdu.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers Lean Six Sigma Workshop

Image
We took a different approach to Lean Six Sigma training for the Society of Hispanic Engineers Eastern Leadership Technical Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico on February 24, 2012. We did three things that were just a little bit different from our normal approach: 1. We adapted the Navy's Lean Six Sigma curriculum to offer it in a workshop format. The hands-on nature of the workshop format aligned well with the typical curriculum already, but we had to make some adjustments for the space and time constraints of a conference workshop. 2. We simplified the process simulation just a little bit to minimize the materials requirements. We put together a meaningful simulation experience using only a single piece of paper. It made it a lot easier to travel with the materials. 3. We increased the enrollment cap from 20 seats to 60. The 20 seat limit was originally set to make the instruction highly interactive. To maintain the interactivity, we incorporated more co-facilitators for th
Read more

Key Performance Indicators in a Nutshell

Image
KPI Definition Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) are measured evidence that desired business results are being achieved. KPI's are feedback about how the business is performing. KPI's are essentially metrics linked in a meaningful way to an important business objective. These are the "critical few" measures that you need to know to get the job done. Goals define the end results we hope to achieve, and KPI's define the measurements used to monitor progress toward goal attainment. As a general rule, if you will not make business decisions based on a measure, then that measure is not a KPI. Purpose of KPI's When structured to reflect business strategy, KPI's provide business owners with answers to important business questions, help managers understand how their organizations are performing in relation to their strategic goals, and provide an indicator to determine whether performance is on track. The term KPI tends to be misunderstood and
Read more

Priming the Project Pump: Lean Six Sigma on a Shoestring

When I teach lean six sigma tools and techniques, I always emphasize the importance of application. Withouth projects that produce results, lean six sigma is only another empty training program about solving problems. Regardless of what I say or do during training, the transition from student to practitioner is sometimes slow. The slowness of the student-to-pracitioner transition is partly due to my unique organizational circumstances. I am building on the ruins of a previous lean six sigma deployment. The earlier deployment team had built infrastructure to the point of critical mass; the project pipeline was flowing and beginning to produce real operational results. Then leadership changed and the effort was abruptly cancelled -- existing project teams were disbanded. The re-deployment investment for the current effort consists of one half-time black belt (me) and a small office supply budget. With those resources, I am deploying lean six sigma to a nation-wide enterprise of a few tho
Read more