• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
SBCA Chartered Accountants

SBCA Chartered Accountants

Chartered Accountants in Preston

Call Us Now 01772 204102

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Accountancy & Tax
  • Business Growth
  • Private Wealth
  • Who We Help
  • About
  • Our Team
  • Client Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Client Login

Spitfires and bullet holes: How to think differently to solve problems

When it comes to critical thinking for your most urgent business challenges, where do you start?

18th February 2021 by Chris Bond

When it comes to critical thinking for your most urgent business challenges, where do you start?

Do you reach for the same old self-help books? Or maybe you turn to a trusted colleague or consultant to draw on their expertise or viewpoint?

These strategies have value, and I’m not suggesting you ditch your support network.

But I do want to offer a different approach; one that will help you push the boundaries of what you thought was possible AND potentially create some big wins for your business.

Spitfires and bullet holes

“What do Spitfires and bullet holes have to do with anything?”

Good question! Inspiration can strike from unexpected sources. And the story of Abraham Wald is a great example:

The mathematician who saved hundreds of flight crews

Wald was an eminent mathematician born in 1902, and during WW2 his amazing lateral thinking came into its own.

The US military approached him with a dilemma. Imagine the scenario:

You don’t want your planes to get shot down by enemy fighters, so you armour them.

But you want to find the optimum way of armouring the planes so that they’re as light and fuel efficient as possible.

When the planes returned back to the American base from their engagements in Europe, they were covered in bullet holes. There were more bullet holes in the fuselage, not so many in the engines.

The military saw an opportunity for efficiency; you can get the same protection with less armour if you concentrate the armour on the places with the greatest need – the places that are getting hit the most.

So their question to Wald, was:

“Exactly how much armour should we put on those parts of the plane?”

That wasn’t the answer they got.

The armour, said Wald, doesn’t go where the bullet holes are. It goes where they aren’t: on the engine.

Wald could see that the missing bullet holes were on the missing planes. The planes that got hit on the engine weren’t coming back.

Taking the statistics and evidence at hand, and applying a simple mindset shift, Abraham Wald working together with his military colleagues and engineers, saved countless planes and hundreds of lives.

The moral of the story?

Two things jump out:

  1. The solution might be closer than you think. All you need is a fresh pair of eyes, a slightly different perspective. Creativity – lateral thinking – is a valuable resource. Never be afraid to reach out to people beyond your skill set or industry niche to get a broader view and an ingenious solution. Think tanks and mastermind groups are a brilliant way to access new ways of thinking. Everyone brings something unique to the table and by getting involved you could reap the benefits.
  • What aren’t you seeing? When you’re fixated on the problem it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Take a step back. Regroup and reset and come back to the challenge with a clear head. You might be amazed at the solutions that come up.

Do YOU have a business problem that needs solving?

Whether it’s financial or something broader that’s holding you back, I’m here to help. (I draw the line at fixing planes though). 

Contact me today. 

Category iconBusiness Development,  Business Management

Xero Gold Partners
ICAEW Chartered Accountants
Clear transparent pricing champions

Footer

Get Your Free Copy of Chris’s Book

Reflect Dream Do

Quick Links

  • Get in touch
  • Book Your Discovery Call
  • Client Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Meet Our Amazing Team
  • Work for us
  • Time. Money. Headspace.

Get Your Free Tax Planning Checklist

Business Tax Planning Checklist

Join The Preston Business Community

Preston Business Community

The Latest From Our Blog

Tax Time

Tax Time – Dates for May 2022

21st April 2022 By Chris Bond

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF SPRING STATEMENT 2022

The ups and downs of spring statement 2022

24th March 2022 By Chris Bond

Tax Time

Tax Time – Dates for April 2022

21st March 2022 By Chris Bond

Read more from the blog

We use telephone tracking numbers to link a user’s call to the marketing channel that they originated from. This is done using cookies, you can choose to decline cookies using your browser settings if you would prefer not to be tracked. We may record calls for training or monitoring purposes.

This firm is not authorised under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 but we are able in certain circumstances to offer a limited range of investment services to clients because we are members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. We can provide these investment services if they are an incidental part of the professional services we have been engaged to provide.

Copyright © 2022 SBCA Chartered Accountants · Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · Site Design by Simply Smarter Marketing