Beware of Short Cuts

We live in a world where we are often pressured to take shortcuts so as to save time and cut costs as much as possible. Almost everyone takes a shortcut at one time or another. For example you may jump a shallow fence instead of using the gate.

However, if you’re not very careful and thoughtful, the wrong shortcuts could end up costing you a lot more. Here’s a short story to think about.

Let’s say you are running a project as a registered building company and you are given a contract of building a three-story building that would be used as a trade centre in the heart of an urban city. You solicit bids from several contractors and finally settled for the least experienced contractor for the least cost possible, and you also ignored obtaining necessary government development authority permit or approval simply to cut down cost.

Now it appears you have successfully accomplished you building project. You then handed over the said building to your client in an elaborate and well attended handover ceremony. Because the structure looks so good and decent on the outside, you may have possibly negotiated with some of the noble and wealthy men that were in attendant in that colorful ceremony on how to build similar structures for them.

Two years later during a heavy downpour, the building collapse because the structure has been compromised. Properties were destroyed .Several lives were lost. Majority may find it very difficult to begin again in life economically. Now, what was intended as a shortcut to save money ends up taking lives and other valueables.Where is your reputation now?

How often is safety compromised everyday because we are looking for the quickest way out? The story presented here is indeed one in a thousand ways we seek for short cuts without giving enough considerations to its grave consequences.

In other to save time many of us have developed a life style of hurriedness in almost everything we do. Remember that whenever you are in a hurry you hardly follow up any situation with calmness and the needed carefulness which it deserves.

In almost every shortcut there are hidden dangers in disguise. As we follow our plans for this year may we always remember to think deeply whenever we are tempted to take any shortcut.
It is well.