A Predictable Failure

I’m going to set aside my inner nerd and amateur psychologist for a moment. Because some of the things I’ve been noticing more and more over the past few months can’t be explained by IT knowledge alone.

The mood you sense in many projects right now is concerning. Maybe it’s because of the summer, the geopolitical situation or uncertainty, or the economic climate… Maybe it’s just me—for some reason, I always seem to get brought in for a certain type of project. Who knows for sure?

But: I’m noticing more and more often that people do things even though they know it could (and will) lead to trouble in the end. The crazy thing is: it’s clear to everyone, they’re aware of the risk, and yet everyone goes along with it. There’s just no other way right now. We have to see it through. It’s too late now; there’s no fixing it. The deadline is set. That’s how it was agreed upon back in the day. It was before my time. Etc., etc.

A failure waiting to happen!

Perhaps in the hope that—by the time things really blow up—they’ll no longer be part of the project, someone else will take the fall, maybe things won’t turn out to be so bad after all, or that things have gotten sooooo much worse on another front that their own issue won’t even matter anymore.

Then there are those who have the courage to make a change (and I celebrate you every day and every time) and to do things “right.” They, however, are often worn down and, despite all their good and important arguments, don’t get their way. It’s then called a “management decision.” Strategically intended. Or, as we say in German or Bavarian: “The higher-ups trump the lower-ranks.”

Sure—you never see the whole picture from all its different perspectives. And—obviously—those in charge often have to juggle far more things than what you perceive from a project’s perspective. In that context, 3 or 4 million and a project that fails might really not matter at all. We have to respect and take that into account as well. (P.S.: It would just be nice to know about something like that, so we could factor it in…)

Nevertheless, I believe that a certain complacency—if not outright resignation—often prevails. And that those who want to take action are frequently held back.

I would therefore like to see more openness regarding potential problems (stop greenwashing), more transparency (paint the big picture), and more courage (let’s do it) to do things sustainably and the right way.

And I hope this wish hasn’t become outdated.

#informatikersindcool