Fixes that Fail (Shifting the Burden)
A short-term fix that alleviates symptoms but creates unforeseen long-term consequences, often requiring more of the same fix and leading to a vicious cycle of dependency.
THE IDEA
Description
A fix, effective in the short term, has unforeseen long-term consequences which may require even more use of the same fix.
This is the fixes-that-fail pattern. In the related shifting-the-burden pattern, reliance on symptom relief also weakens attention to, or capacity for, a fundamental remedy.
Early Warning Symptom
“It always seemed to work before; why isn’t it working now?”
Management Principle
Maintain focus on the long term. Disregard short-term “fix,” if feasible, or use it only to “buy time” while working on long-term remedy.
Business Story
A manufacturing company launched a new set of high-performance parts, which were wildly successful at first. However, the CEO was driven by maximizing his ROI, so he deferred ordering expensive, new production machines. Manufacturing quality suffered, which led to a reputation for low quality. Customer demand fell off dramatically over the ensuing year, which depressed returns and made the CEO even more unwilling to invest in new production equipment.
Other Examples
- People and organizations who borrow to pay interest on other loans, thereby ensuring that they will have to pay even more interest later.
- Cutting back maintenance schedules to save costs, which eventually leads to more breakdowns and higher costs, creating still more cost-cutting pressures.
When to use it
In personal finance: using credit cards to pay off other debt without addressing spending habits.
In business: cutting R&D or marketing spend to hit quarterly earnings targets, sacrificing future growth.
In software development: adding quick patches instead of refactoring core architecture, increasing technical debt.
In service operations: using repeated emergency overtime to clear a backlog, then checking whether fatigue and errors are creating more work.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Manufacturing Company's Deferred Investment
A manufacturing company launched successful high-performance parts. To maximize ROI, the CEO deferred investing in new production machines. Quality suffered, reputation declined, demand fell, and returns dropped, making the CEO even less willing to invest—a classic fix that fails.
Borrowing to Pay Interest
People or organizations who take out loans to pay interest on existing loans temporarily relieve cash flow pressure but increase total debt and future interest payments, leading to a deepening cycle.
Cutting Maintenance to Save Costs
Slashing maintenance budgets reduces costs in the short term but leads to more frequent breakdowns and higher repair costs, which then create further pressure to cut costs again.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Can you identify a personal or professional situation where a short-term fix led to unintended long-term problems?
What early warning signs might indicate you are caught in a 'fixes that fail' pattern?
How could you apply the principle of maintaining focus on long-term remedies while using short-term fixes only to 'buy time'?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- The Fifth Discipline The Art Practice of the Learning Organization (Peter M. Senge)