The Second Principle- Common Sense

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"Common sense allows you to accept everything that is necessary and useful, and at the same time eliminate what hinders our attainment of the goal"- Anon


Harrington Emerson’s second principle is common sense. He writes ‘It takes neither much intelligence nor much labour to run a tunnel into the mountain’ as technically it can be done by anyone with enough equipment and resources. However, completing the job in the most effective and efficient way possible is a completely different story, one that requires a great deal of common sense. If this principle is not applied, Emerson writes that ‘more capital is invested than necessary. It is the material asset that appeals, not the greater value of organisation and skill’. Common sense allows us to consider that, despite a task technically being completed, is it using the most optimal method that minimises the waste of time and resources?

This principle especially applies in situations where things have been done in a certain way for a long period of time. Often it is easier to ignore the fact that a better process can be adopted, as people tend to be reluctant to change the methods that they are comfortable with. A manager in a company that wants to implement a new more efficient process finds himself stuck, as Emerson writes ‘for those above him will treat his ideas with impatience and scepticism, those below him will meet them with rebellion’. This resistance creates a ‘penalty on efficiency’ that comes from a lack of common sense, also known as ignorance. This principle is vital for a good manager to implement if they want to reduce wastage of time and resources, yet it is much easier said than done. As the saying goes, common sense is not so common.


-Ella

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