Preparing for Failure

Here Comes the Rain

I recently went on a family vacation to Disneyworld.  I was sitting under the roof of a snack bar when the sky began to grow dark.  A few minutes later, I watched as a park full of happy vacationers ran for cover to escape the Florida rain.

Sitting there, witnessing the mad scamble for cover, I acknowledged the fact that no matter how meticulous your planning and preparations may be, there are just some things you can’t control.  What you can control is how you react when the rain comes.

Even Mickey Can’t Control the Weather

One of the most amazing things you will discover when you visit Disneyworld is how polished everything there is.  From the process of getting into the park, to waiting in line for an attraction, to the service in the restaurants and gift shops that are spread across the park’s map, every single thing at Disney is deliberate and expertly executed.  So how do they handle something they can not control, like the weather?  Well, they plan for that too.

Disney visitors who are looking to get away from the elements generally seek some form of shelter. Doing this will find you in either a restaurant or a gift shop - presented with ways to spend your money while you wait for the rain to stop and the sunny skies to return.

Not everyone at the park seeks shelter from the rain, however.  Others decide to brave the elements and continue with their magical day.  Those are the people you see walking around in Mickey-emblazoned ponchos that the park conveniently happens to sell at every single gift shop

So whether you choose to hide from the rain or venture out in it, Disney has found a way to capitalize on something they can not control.

Controlling the Uncontrollable

While we would be hard pressed to find a way to actually profit from an uncontrollable situation the way Disney has managed to, we can learn something from their example.  A typical Web design process includes a number of uncontrollable, but predicable problems - from delays in the approval of design comps, to the submission of content for the site, to last minute revisions that negate previously approved efforts.  All of these are issues that can affect an otherwise smooth project, but the impact they have on that project is something we can influence.

Consider the example of content delays, a problem that sadly arises in far too many Web design projects.  Addressing content very early on in a process (and by addressing content I mean more than just asking who is providing that content - I mean actually working out exactly what the content itself will be and creating some initial drafts of working copy), knowing that it can often turn into a problem, is a way that the idea of bringing in a professional copywriter may be made viable.

Clients often object to a copywriter, thinking that they can avoid the expense and do it themselves.  This presumption is generally what leads to the problem of delay (and inappropriate Web copy) in the first place, but by addressing this problem in a proactive rather than a reactive fashion, perhaps we can, if not avoid the problem altogether, turn the situation into a positive.  Addressing the quality of content and the commitment needed to create appropriate Web copy early on may help convince a client that hiring a Web copywriter is, indeed, the right choice.  By facing a typical problem up front, before it actually becomes a problem, we may be able to create a better product in the end.

Strive for Perfection, Prepare for Failure

The problem of delayed content is just an example.  What I am presenting is not a solution to any one specific problem, but rather I am suggesting that we rethink how we approach our processes in the first place.

So many processes that I see, and some of which I have helped to shape, focus on creating the best possible projects by having a consistent plan that aims to drive out problems.  Those processes are plans for success, yet despite our best efforts, problems will arise – and oftentimes, from project to project, we see the same problems again and again. Instead of only working on eliminating problems and delays from our projects, let’s also find ways to turn those commonly faced problems into positives when our efforts to drive them out fail – let’s plan for failure.

A process without fallback plans, or in this case a forward thinking way to address those problems head-on, is essentially planning for a best case scenario every single time – and as much as we all wish every project was a best case scenario, the reality is that they rarely are.  By planning for failure, we can not only influence the outcome of predictable problems by having a solution for them ready to go, but we can also minimize the impact of unpredictable problems by training ourselves, and our processes, to adapt to bumps along the way in an agile and effective manner.

Just like Disney will have to contend with daily rain showers so long as they remain in the Sunshine State, so will we continue to be forced to deal with hiccups in our Web design projects.  But just like that Florida rain, with the proper planning and preparations, we can ensure that our projects do not get soaked when the skies turn dark and everyone else runs for cover.