A guest visited a friend's home and noticed that the chimney in the host's kitchen was straight and that a large pile of firewood was stacked nearby. The guest advised the host to modify the chimney to be curved and to move the firewood away, warning that a fire could break out otherwise. However, the host gave no indication of taking the advice seriously.
Soon enough, a fire did indeed break out in the host's home. Neighbors from all around rushed to help extinguish the flames. Once the fire was put out, the host slaughtered a sheep and an ox and prepared a feast to thank the neighbors for their help. Strangely, he did not invite the guest who had originally suggested preventing the fire by moving the wood and altering the chimney.
Someone pointed out to the host, 'If you had heeded that gentleman's advice earlier, you would not need to prepare this banquet today, nor would you have suffered any losses from the fire. Now, when rewarding those who helped, the person who offered preventive advice is not thanked, while those who put out the fire are honored guests. This is truly strange.'
Realizing his mistake, the host immediately went to invite the guest who had offered the initial advice to join the meal.
This story illustrates a common misconception in business management. Many believe that a great manager is one who can resolve difficult problems as they arise. However, as the saying goes, 'Prevention is better than cure.' Taking measures to prevent problems before they occur is far superior to fixing them after chaos has ensued. From this perspective, Those who prevent business issues are actually more valuable than those who simply solve them after the fact.