The Saga of the Brick Wall

Jan 21

Jan 21 The Saga of the Brick Wall

digital transformation, leadership, risk mitigation, storytelling

Our house was built in the 80s... and even though we are in the desert.... many large...mature... pine trees adorn our neighborhood. Each property also has a privacy brick wall surrounding it.

From Tiny Seedlings Grow Mighty Trees

I am only guessing that when the three pine tree seedlings were planted near our brick wall over 40 years ago that the builders imagined they would provide immense shade and beauty in our back yard. I'm also certain they did not anticipate the havoc and expense it would cast upon us.

What we did discover over the past few years...is that the roots from these three mighty trees have lifted the brick wall to a point where it is fragile and unstable. We have avoided dealing with it and hoping each year it won't fall over into the neighbors pool. Now in January...the time has come...while the weather is cool and it is on our timeline...not an unexpected disaster.

It's Never Easy

We have a company that we have used over the years to do improvement projects around our property. They had a look at the wall....not a problem...should only take two days... and it will be built to last....how exciting to have it behind us! What they told us also matched our expectations and was exactly what we wanted to hear!

Now...you'll be shocked to know...it really wasn't that easy. After they tore down the wall...they found the footings were destroyed and the roots of the trees were causing huge issues. Now that we were in the middle of it...there was no turning back. This meant re-estimating the cost and timeline as well as back breaking work to get it back on track.

As the work crew puts in extra time on a Saturday to get this project done... I could not help but draw similarities from the Saga of the Brick Wall to our lives in Corporate America.

Technical Debt Can Wreak Havoc. Like our mighty pine trees... if you ignore upgrading or addressing issues on legacy core systems they can be much harder and costlier to fix/replace.

Things Grow Slowly Over Time. Like our seedlings it took years and years of small incremental growth to leave us with a big problem. It was ignored or not contemplated by the previous owners and by the time we bought the house all we could do was keep it up and be the ones to finally fix it. Every new user learns the legacy system...old users forget what came before... soon the workarounds become "the way it's done". Painful...yet true.

Roots Run Deep. As we found out... the roots of these mighty trees ran deep and were not easy to displace. Their power was evident in how it upended the wall. We should have known it would be more difficult... and more costly to replace. It took 40 years to build it up so there is no short cut or easy answer to fix it and these deep roots cannot be ignored. Same for projects we take on to innovate our legacy systems and processes.

Take Time to Appropriately Re-Plan. Once you truly uncover the size and complexity of the problem...take a deep breath and take time to assess the path ahead. Don't waste time grieving or churning over your disappointment or saying "how can that be". Consult experts... weigh the options... make decisions that ensure lasting success. This will most likely take longer but you have to keep in mind that "haste makes waste".

Its Messy and Disruptive Before it is Done. Any overhaul addressing legacy problems... means you are in for longer than expected mess and disruption. The urge to hurry it up or have it back in working order is tough to accept. Your ability to remain calm and support those doing the hard work is key. It's not their fault it's taking so long and they want it done quickly and to a high degree of professional quality as badly as YOU do! They didn't create the legacy issues and they had no idea it was there until they got there. To cut corners means potentially dealing with a crumbling...unstable wall again soon.

In Closing...

As I write...I believe they have finally addressed all the legacy issues...as tough and as challenging as it was. They are starting to rebuild the footings for the wall to be built up again...brick by brick...row by row. Once the wall is done...it still won't be done. The area on both sides of the wall will need to be cleaned up and put back together. The cement will have to dry and the wall repainted.

What's funny about it... is that for all the time and expense...when someone comes over to hang out in our back yard...they won't stare at the wall and shriek with delight "what an amazing...beautiful wall". It will be functioning...do what it needs to do...and everyone will take it for granted. What WE know is that we avoided a disaster...addressed problems that had built up over the years that others ignored and avoided... and we can do other things in the yard to improve it now that it is finally done.

You have to take the time to solidify the foundation before you can focus on the future

Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:

We all have our own "Saga of the Brick Wall"....what is YOURS?
What observations or things did YOU run into from YOUR Saga?
What do YOU think of the comparisons listed above from the Saga of the Brick Wall to our Corporate Projects...especially those addressing legacy systems and processes?
What are YOUR thoughts on the closing comments? Have YOU found that there is still more work to be done even after you think you are done? Are you flustered that once you launch something that fixes legacy issues that others take for granted that it just does what it used to do...just newer?
Do YOU agree that solidifying the foundation is key before focusing too much time and money on the future?

Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!

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