Investigate the latest improvement fad

摘要

The term 'fad' is applied correctly to those activities or ideas that enjoy a short-lived popularity. Fads are not good because their negative impact is cumulative. Each failed initiative raises the bar above which future improvement processes must rise to deliver lasting improvement. However, just because an approach has been around for a long time doesn't mean that it is effective. For example, for around 2,000 years blood-letting was a common medical practice for many ailments. Even once medical diagnosis showed blood-letting to be ineffective for all but very specific conditions, it was still used despite the evidence that it increased the risk of infection and extended the healing cycle.