Ten Patterns of Failure

Success must not depend on heroics and failure must not depend on lack of talent. But both these situations are recurring themes in many organizations, which shows that organizational learning is not automatic.

Organizational learning is deliberate, non-intuitive and requires a substantial and coordinated expenditure of effort throughout the organization. In IT organizations, there are several patterns of success and failure. In fact, some of the patterns of failure will often look like successes.

Failure Pattern #1: This pattern is quite common. A major problem is encountered and success is achieved through the heroics of a few people. Often this heroics involves working non-stop for long hours to get the job done.

Failure Pattern #2: Success is achieved by timely intervention of a couple of talented individuals. As the target date nears and the output does not look like what was expected, our talented troubleshooter, who is often working on something else, is called in to solve the problem. Mr. or Ms. Talented comes in and solves the problem. Management feels pleased that they identified the problem and took timely action to achieve success. The organization stays exactly where it was with zero learning.

Failure Pattern #3: A solution is found before the problem is understood. The solution is developed. When it does not fix the problem, more effort is made to fix the solution instead of defining the problem. Programmers work twice as hard in a trial and error manner.

Failure Pattern #4: This new technology is so exciting! A solution is purchased. It sits waiting for a suitable problem. A team is assigned to find out the problem that would be fixed by the solution.

Failure Pattern #5: A commitment is made with zero understanding of what is required to deliver.

Failure Pattern #6: This is a technology problem. Our business analysts don't understand technical design. Our computer programmers don't understand our business.

Failure Pattern #7: We are action-oriented. Let's get the job done. But the end state is never defined or a consensus about the end state is not established among the key stakeholders.

Failure Pattern #8: A solution and a system are proposed from the top. The rest of the pattern is all too common.

Failure Pattern #9: I like this technology vendor. We've good relationship. This approach becomes the fountainhead of several other patterns mentioned above.

Failure Pattern #10: Senior management says that we don't have resources. What this means is that we don't know what we are doing.