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Processes, Tools and People
Things go wrong. People make mistakes. Unknown/unknowns make a grand entrance in production. You bang your head against the paper-thin meeting room wall and look up at the… soul-sucking florescent lights trying not to scream something that will break your company’s HR rules.
Careful. Either the process or the tools will be the prime suspects. In some teams, changing the process is easier. On most, tools are simpler to replace. Diagnose the actual problem incorrectly and — just like trying to clean a dirty carpet — you just push the stain further down to hide it.
Remove existing negatives before adding philosophical positives. Processes, tools, and people will always have both friction and flexibility — highlighting less important problems and hiding more critical ones. Remember to be careful with what you think has to be fixed first.