Excellence Fatigue and the Normalization of Defects

BIG IDEA In A Few Words

The willingness to tolerate and assimilate recurring problems into the work flow and operations of an organization is technically referred to as the normalization of defects. Normalized defects are to organizations what broken windows are to urban neighborhoods. They undermine a culture of excellence and create disincentives to innovation. If mediocrity is tolerated long enough it becomes expected. Morale for higher capacity team members plummets and it becomes harder to attract top level talent. The motivation to collaborate diminishes because fewer visionary projects are initiated.