They were about to start another project

I read somewhere that Otis, or another elevator production company, had a serious problem with its products: people were complaining that their elevators were too slow.

So, they had one project after another to increase the speed. Some succeeded, some didn’t. But customers were still unhappy. They were about to start another project, when…

The wise guy: why do you want to increase the speed?
The executive: because we need the elevators to be faster. 
The wise guy: why?
The executive: because it’s important for an elevator to be fast. 
The wise guy: why?
The executive: because people are complaining that they are too slow.
The wise guy: why do you think they are complaining about that?
The executive: because they get bored in the elevator. 
The wise guy: aha! So, you don’t want to increase the speed, you just don’t want the passengers to get bored!

Later, they came up with the idea of putting mirrors in the elevators. Then, people had something to think about when they were in the elevator, and they were no longer bored. They even thought the elevators had become faster.

However, this story is about initiating the right project. How does it apply to us, when we’re already in the project?

 

انجمن مهندسی و مدیریت ساخت ایران (ICEMA) Iran Construction Engineering Management Association