Fallbacks

A critical part of a good plan is a good fallback. When things are not going well there is a sense of certainty knowing that there is an alternative plan in place to take over. However this fallback is often the reason for long term systemic failure.

The reason for that is people start becoming complacent when they know that there is a backup. At first nobody wants to use it. But over time this becomes more than just crutches, but a means in itself integrated into the master plan. Yet most fallbacks were not designed that way.

We must constantly evaluate whether the fallbacks we set in place are truly hampering real progress. If they are, it is best to label them as critical emergencies instead.