Organizational patterns & anti-patterns
The dysfunctions technology organizations experience are combinations of the same patterns. The trick is identifying them, understanding root causes, and knowing which ones to address first.
Hero Culture
HighWhen your best people are also your biggest risk.
What it looks like A few people everyone knows. When something breaks, they fix it. When a critical project is behind,...
Shadow Engineering
MediumWhen business units start building their own software — and IT just found out.
What it looks like Business units are building applications, workflows, and integrations using no-code tools, AI codin...
The Black Box
HighWhen nobody outside technology understands what's happening inside it.
What it looks like Business leaders describe technology as a mysterious operation. Money goes in. Sometimes products c...
The Estimation Death Spiral
HighMissed estimates erode trust. Eroded trust makes estimates worse. Repeat.
What it looks like Technology consistently misses delivery commitments. Business partners stop trusting estimates. The...
The Silo Republic
HighWhen every team optimizes for themselves and nobody optimizes for the whole.
What it looks like Teams don't talk to each other. Information doesn't flow across boundaries. Each director runs thei...
The Transformation Graveyard
MediumWhere change initiatives go to die — and why the next one will too.
What it looks like A history of change initiatives that started with fanfare and faded without impact. Agile transform...
Recognize these patterns?
Every organization is a unique combination of patterns. A TRUST assessment identifies which ones are present and builds a roadmap to address them.
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