Celebrate failure. Most projects are so dysfunctional that they continue even when they know they have failed. This is so pervasive that people will avoid turning over stones in case they discover problems.
My current project was a classic case of ignore anything that might mean failing to follow the plan. Any possible problem or bad smell was buried deep.
We started a rival analysis project. Instead of ignoring problems, we celebrated breaking our model. Any time anyone found a problem with our model, we bought them a bottle of champagne. Very soon, everyone on the project was trying to break the business model. It may have cost us a couple of cases of champagne but it meant we had a much more robust business model. Not only that but we started to have fun and celebrate failure.
In other words, we failed fast to win early. (This is a phrase coined by David Spann of Westminster College at The Agile Conference in Salt Lake City, 2003 )
Posted by chrismatts at October 13, 2003 10:09 AM