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One of the most expensive assumptions people make is:
"It's only a small problem."
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A slight vibration in a machine.
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A minor oil leak.
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An unusual smell.
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A small crack in a wall.
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A strange sound in a vehicle.
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A delayed maintenance activity.
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Individually, each appears insignificant.
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Yet many major failures begin exactly this way.
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The problem is rarely the warning.
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The problem is ignoring the warning.
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Throughout my professional journey, I have seen major losses where the earliest signs were visible long before the incident occurred.
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The signals were present.
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The interpretation was missing.
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In engineering, risk management, and life itself, success often depends on recognising small deviations before they become large consequences.
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By the time a problem becomes obvious, it has often become expensive.
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Wisdom is not merely solving problems.
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Wisdom is recognising them while they are still small.
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Because the cost of action is usually lowest at the beginning.
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And the cost of inaction is usually highest at the end.
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A tiny crack may become a structural failure.
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A small leak may become a shutdown.
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A warning light may become a major repair.
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A minor oversight may become a major loss.
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Big failures rarely arrive without warning.
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Most failures whisper before they shout.
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