Avoiding the IT helicopter syndrome
We’re over-protecting people in their daily IT tasks, because we don’t trust them to fail well
Failure as a bad thing
No one wants to fail. That is a fundamental of our societal structure. Failure is, for all intents and purposes, bad. Sure, sure. Some teachers, some parents, they tell you things like ‘there is no failure’, but everyone knows there is. There may be no ‘winners and losers’ (there are), but there is assuredly failure. If there wasn’t, they wouldn’t grade things, now would they?
Failure is something all of us seek to avoid, as it’s not a fantastic feeling. Failing is exposure; failing is having to admit you’re wrong, or at the very least, admit you did wrong. Failure is telling everyone this thing you’ve made will fix problem X, only to catch on fire during the demo, whether it fixed problem X or not.
So yeah, it’s not the best, failure. I don’t like it; others don’t like it. It is to be avoided if possible, and grinned at and beared when it does occur.
And still….
Failure as a good thing
Failing teaches us, like no amount of success or protective coddling ever will. That little kid who’s told not to touch the stove again and…
