Are Your Lights On? - Gause

 

Are Your Light’s On?  How to Figure Out What the Problem Really Is.  By Donald C. Gause and Gerald M. Weinberg has been a favorite of mine since I first ripped through a copy I found on my father’s book shelf in early 80’s.  I subsequently reattached it late one evening in the early 90’s.  Over the past 20 years I have returned to it over and over again and have provided many copies along with its powerful yet exceedingly simple message to the members of many analytic teams I have I have had to privileged to assemble and lead.  The message Are your light’s on?  Are you awake?  Are you able to use your brain before you engage your gears? Or as Tom Watson the founder of IBM has beckoned us to do, THINK!   

There are six chapters in this book.  Each chapter takes about between 15 and 20 minutes to read.  An average reader should be finished in less than two hours.  For the cost of a movie, perhaps $8 bucks, and a similar time commitment I suggest that the lessons within this book are more powerful per dollar than anything I have ever read.  For me the revelations of this book are almost spiritual in nature.   I’ve had mixed reactions from team members to whom I have shared its message.  Some think it’s cute-- it is.  Some believe it’s a book about problem solving-- it’s not.  Some are insulted by the implication--they should be, and alas some have never found the time to read it--that’s a crying shame.  Those who have seen the light share in a new found wealth.  Those who have not will remain in the dark.  ARE your lights on?  Are your LIGHTS on?  Are your lights ON?  Are YOUR lights on?