How things go wrong and
how to put them right
Things can go wrong through events beyond your control or
through incompetence. It is difficult and very rare for anyone to
admit that they are incompetent, but this is why things most
frequently go adrift. It is therefore useful to know something
about the causes of incompetence so that you can put them right.
You should also know about troubleshooting so that you can
tackle problems, whether or not they are of your own making.
Theodore Roosevelt once said: ‘Do what you can, with what you
have, where you are.’ The trouble is, people don’t always take
this advice. Things go wrong because people do less than they
are capable of, misuse their resources or choose an inappropriate
time or place in which to do it. Situations are misjudged and the
wrong action is taken.
STUDIES OF INCOMPETENCE
There have been two interesting analyses of incompetence
which, if studied, will give you some clues about how to avoid or
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