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Two Sons
Once upon a time, there was a father who was about to pass away. One day, he told his two sons that he would hand down all his fortune to the son who accomplishes the mission quickly. The mission was to go to village A and meet his friend and bring the letter. The first son yelled in delight because he thought it was a piece of a cake since he had run errands for his father several times before. So, the first son did not prepare anything until the day of the mission. On the contrary, the second son spent all his time preparing and researching for different ways to get to village A. The second son scheduled the departure and arrival time and measured the duration. He then identified alternatives in case the plan did not work out. On the mission day, the first son left the house later than the second son because he was used to the trip to village A. However, the second son left in the morning with the map and plan on his hand. On the way to the village A, the second son took plan A and found out that the road was under construction. So he changed his way and took plan B. When the first son arrived at the construction site, he jumped out of his skin. So, he just decided to take the road that was next to the construction site. As he walked he had a feeling that he was going in a wrong direction. However, he continued to take the road until he found out that it was a way to village B.
As a result, the second son brought the letter to his father and received all the fortune.
Moral: It is critical to perform a feasibility study before implementing a plan as the second son did. Otherwise, you will most likely encounter surprises and fail to provide a solution. Thus, an extensive plan is essential.
When you face problems, it is recommended to fix them on the spot. The longer you hover on the current problem, the harder it is to solve the problem.
These stories are adapted examples written in my class, IS 6840 (formerly MSIS 488).
© Vicki L. Sauter. All rights Reserved.
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