Short board

Author: Peng Shunhai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Every enterprise has "shortcomings," which are the main targets of competitors and the "weak points" of the enterprise. For the enterprise itself, the top priority is to immediately identify these shortcomings! Then, from now on, be vigilant about them! How to be vigilant is explained in this book. The book analyzes the "bucket effect" in enterprise management. This is not an economic theory derived from economists or management scholars, but it has a wonderful effect both theoretically and in practice.
A bucket floating in the history. Eternal production and consumption are like layered mountains extending in all directions. A small stream slowly winds through the dense crowd. It comes from the primitive wilderness and dashes forward without stopping into the uncertainties of the future. The stream is not large, not as vast as rivers or as expansive as the ocean, so it has not attracted much attention, let alone the bucket floating with the stream. That was a meticulously designed and exquisitely crafted bucket. The wood might come from the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia or the Amazon in South America; its bail is inlaid with rare gemstones and precious ivory, symbolizing the noble status of its owner; even the bucket hoop was extraordinary—made of hard bronze engraved with powerful characters, so even the most seasoned management scholars and economists were awestruck by its design and craftsmanship. The only flaw of that bucket—the one that jealous people painstakingly identified—was that one plank was not as high as the others. It seemed deliberately short, as if to satisfy the petty desire of ordinary people to nitpick. But to the noble, this was utterly insignificant.
The bucket traveled tirelessly, and no one noticed any signs of fatigue. The stream was filled with hope and precision, and the bucket floated on the buoyancy of hope and precision, favored by history. Most of the time, the bucket did not show its short side to people, not out of deliberate design, but because that short plank seemed to prefer staying in places where it was rarely seen. People were very willing to understand it, just as they were willing to understand those of us who were introverted. Only a few noticed the bucket, and when there were rapids and whirlpools, they noticed the short plank. No wonder, the bucket seemed to reveal that side of itself only for a moment at such times.
Those who noticed the short plank did not react with alarm; they simply debated a few simple questions. The questions were so basic that I hesitated to record them here. But in the end, one thought overcame me. At that time, I wondered, could there be anyone dumber than me in this world! The questions they debated were:
1. Was this a "divine sign," or just a coincidence?
2. Was it a ritual vessel, or a drowning tool?
3. Was this an oversight, or a reflection of character?
You may not believe it, but many widely used management or economic concepts are not derived from economists or management scholars but from practitioners in these fields. "The bucket effect" is a prime example. You won’t find its origin in the works of famous or lesser-known experts and professors, or in encyclopedias or specialized dictionaries of economics and management. However, this does not diminish the wonderful effect this important concept has both theoretically and in practice. No one can ignore the content it encompasses, or else all their efforts and the glorious achievements they bring will be instantly wiped out. This is the magic of the "bucket effect."