The bottle and stones of life- ways of governing metaphor

Good governance and priorities - Metaphor of the bottle and large stones

The authorship of the story presented is no easy to determine because shows are variations in context and characters, although the final message is the same.

In a morning walk, an elderly teacher with students stopped in a forest clearing, pulled from his knapsack a glass jar and a dozen stones. He carefully placed the stones in the jar, one at a time, until he could not get another. He then asked the students: - Is the jar full? The group answered affirmatively. With a grin, the teacher took a sachet with gravel and began to pour on the rocks, shaking the bottle to permit gravel stones occupy free space. When he could no longer put more gravel in the jar, he asked again: - Is the jar full? Now, the pupils answered - probably not. The teacher smiled knowingly. He took a small bag of sand and began to pour over the stones and gravel, easily filling all the spaces. He repeated the same question and the group certainly answered: - No. Then, out of the knapsack a bottle with water, pouring the liquid onto the bottle with stones, gravel and sand, until the water reached the edge.

At that time he looked at her students and said: - Well, what we get clear of all this? One of them answered: - No matter cradle busy we are, if we work hard and strive always be able to do a little more of what we do now.

"That is not only wrong but dangerous conclusion," said the teacher. The real lesson we can draw is that if we put the stones in the jar at first, then there will be no way to do it.

What are the stones in your life? Do your children, your friends, your dreams, your health, your loved one? Or are your work, your meetings, your business trips, power or money ?  Improve the training? Enjoying at work? The choice is yours. Once you've decided, put those stones first. The rest will find its place. If you dedicate part of time to define the main goals, then you will be using your time wisely.

In a democratic government, in theory voters give confidence to someone who has the ability, leadership, vision and strategic goals and prioritizes government action to address the big issues (the stones), without this meaning neglect minor matters. The reality offers us evidence of developed countries in which it acts well and therefore, its population has high standards of modern life and potential for the future.

In this case, voters are critical, educated, know that the stones go first and then the rest, and also are able to demand it; they can recognize the farce or phoney.

For non-developed countries, large stones are the issues that must be resolved with urgency to get out of backwardness, complacency, tropical effeminacy, false prosperity, are: lack of leadership, weakness or institutional absence, the absence of security citizen, poor education, lack of national identity, corruption entrenched in the entire state apparatus, control of the state by criminal groups (drug traffickers, smugglers, illegal miners and loggers, among others), de facto territorial fragmentation (policy , geographic, connections, culture, released under the control of criminal gangs).

For all of the above reference are applicable to Peru, all are large stones to be placed first but in any government there is the political will, vision and ability to do so, they prefer to fill the jar of sand (populism) (Note 1).

The lack of financial resources can not be used as an excuse, it is rather the lack of qualified and consistent human resources with values ​​and ethics, which prevents such action. It is a fallacy to argue that Peru is a poor country and therefore can not make critical structural reforms.

Unfortunately in undeveloped countries like Peru, voters do not choose relying on reason and critical thinking to evaluate government plans, but in emotions, personal preferences and the expectation that the wonderful and bizarre promises of the candidates come true . End up choosing the most populist, the most fanciful and finally does not fulfill any of the promises and acts completely opposite to what people expect; choose the one filling the jar with sand (Note 2).

These governments easily fill the jar with sand, then with a little effort and luck achieve to introduce some gravel because the sand still yields; maybe some water but it will be impossible to place large stones. It may be possible if you change jar (government and ruling) and acted correctly; but if the population continues with the same political ignorance, the same expectations (and effortlessly receive free gifts), it will again choose who insists only knows fill bottles with sand. Peru's history will be repeated until there is a leader, who as Alexander the Great, decide that the stones (big business) are important.

This metaphor applies to people, as perceived in the final advice of the wise. It applies to companies where a fan of the bottles with sand insists on putting in key positions to friends or accomplices, or verify that a control system over people about works perfectly.

It applies to governments and the difference between the countries is noticeable. In Singapore, the government strongly placed large rocks, then placed the lighter material; Chile also strives to put the big rocks and then the rest of material. In Peru, for convenience, incompetence, myopia, inability or immorality, the rulers only fill the jar with sand.

Note 1. Populist programs that require the use of large amounts of resources, generally administered with high discretion which facilitates corruption. In social spending no more than 30% comes to those who should receive the aid, the rest is lost in sinks (bureaucracy, embezzlement, misappropriation, overvaluation). In the state with the SERVE program, it has taken really qualified professionals putting in place stalwarts of the current government, without professional, moral or executive powers. Pure sand, no stones.

Note 2. The current ruler promised lower gas less than 10 soles (three dollars), however it is sold at 40 soles ($ 12) and paradoxically, Peru is natural gas producer country. Chile, absolute fuel buyer, sells it at a price significantly lower. Is believed to be military, would control crime; however, it seems that did not exist and crime, omnipresent and omnipotent, is like a fifth branch of government (executive, legislative, judicial, electoral and criminal)

References

The big rocks of life

http://www.appleseeds.org/PDF%20Files/08-09/Big%20Rocks_Covey.pdf