The Wetware Crisis: The Thermocline of Truth (2008)
9 days ago
- #Project Failure
- #Thermocline of Truth
- #IT Management
- The 'Thermocline of Truth' in IT projects refers to a barrier where lower levels know the project's true status, while upper levels remain optimistically unaware.
- Factors creating this thermocline include lack of objective metrics, IT engineers' optimism, managers avoiding bad news, and upper management punishing honesty.
- Real-world examples (e.g., Y2K remediation) show sudden shifts from 'on schedule' to 'delayed' just before deadlines, highlighting the thermocline effect.
- Breaking the thermocline requires honesty from lower levels and upper management rewarding truth-telling, though many organizations discourage bad news.
- Anecdotes illustrate consequences of unrealistic schedules and management ignoring risks, leading to project failures and cancellations.