Redesign By Committee

Carl was excited to join his first "real" company and immerse himself in the World of Business. The fresh-faced IT Analyst was immediately assigned to a "cross-strata implementation team" tasked with redesigning the RMA form completed by customers when they returned goods. The current form had been flagged for various weaknesses and omissions.

The project's kickoff meeting ran for three hours, with twelve team members in attendance representing departments throughout the company. By the end of the meeting, the problem had been defined, and everyone had homework: to report to the next team meeting with their own interpretations of what the new form should look like.

Each team member dutifully came back with at least one version of the form each. The next meeting consisted of Norman, the QA Manager, critiquing each prospective form as it was presented to the group. Without fail, he'd shake his head with a furrowed brow, muttering "No, no ..."

This proceeded, form after form, until Terry, an Accounts Junior, presented his version. When Norman expressed displeasure, Terry dared to ask, "Well? What's wrong with it?"

Norman gestured to the list of required criteria in his hands. "You've missed this piece of information, and that's probably the most important item we need to capture."

Terry frowned. "But, Norman, your form doesn't have that information on it, either."

Upon looking down at his own form, Norman realized Terry was correct. He rallied to save his dignity. "Ah, yes, but, you see, I know that it's missing."

Stupefied, Terry backed down.

Carl cycled through bafflement, boredom, and agony of the soul as the meeting dragged on. At one point, Finance Manager Kevin picked up yet another version of the form and asked, "What about this one, then?"

Jason the Ops Manager skimmed through it, ticking off items against the list of criteria. "Yup, yup, yup, yup ... yes, this is it! I think we've cracked it!" he exclaimed.

Norman peered at the form in Jason's hands. "That's the form we're currently using." The very form they needed to replace.

Hours upon hours of combined effort had thus far resulted in no progress whatsoever. Carl glanced at the conference room's wall clock with its stubbornly slow hands, wondering if a camera hidden behind it were recording his reaction for a YouTube prank channel. But, no. He was simply immersed in the World of Business.

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