THE LONGER CALCULATION
Thomas Edison had a unique way of hiring engineers. He’d give the applicant a light bulb and ask, “How much water will it hold?” There are two ways to find the answer. The first choice was to use gauges to measure all the angles of the bulb. Then with the measurements in hand, the engineer would calculate the surface area. This approach could take as long as 20 minutes. The second choice was to fill the bulb with water and then pour the contents into a measuring cup. Total elapsed time: about a minute. Engineers who took the first route, and performed their measurements by book were thanked politely for their time and sent on their way. The engineers who took the second route were told by Edison: “You’re hired.” David Armstrong, Managing by Storying Around, (New York: Doubleday)
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