Celebrating Failure

I receive the monthly newsletter from Engineers Without Borders, an interesting organization providing engineering services to developing countries.

Whether because they're Canadian or because they're engineers, or both, they are unusual among aid organizations because they focus on understanding what didn't work. For the last three years, they've published Failure Reports detailing their specific failures. The reports make an interesting read, not just for aid organizations, but for anyone trying to manage engineering teams.

I wish more organizations, and even more individuals would write documents like that. I probably should too.