The Case of a Failed Project: A Mystery Solved

John Scarborough recounts the aftermath of a test project failure that stunned engineers and managers alike. The project was highly strategic yet very challenging. Team members were proud to be assigned to it. Early warning signs did not go unheeded. However, after the customer rejected a release of code, confidence plummeted, and the controls that the team had put in place were no longer sufficient to keep deliveries on track. The harder they worked, the more their deficiencies became apparent. Fortunately, all was not lost. Through a defined retrospective process with open and sometimes painful self-assessment, the team was able to deliver a positive study that led to overhauling and improving the company's processes for quality management. Take back an approach that can lead you from failure and disappointment to progress and success.

• How to establish an atmosphere of openness and candor
• Transform meaningless labels such as "failure" and "success" into explicit improvement actions
• Ways to accept uncertainty rather than striving for perfection that will never come