Planned pattern
The Policy Outlives the Problem
A rule created for one context survives after the risk has changed.
How it starts
A real problem needs a rule. The rule protects people from repeating a known mistake.
How it drifts
The context changes, but the rule remains easier to defend than to review.
What to watch
Look for rules that everyone follows but nobody can explain in current terms.
Questions worth asking
- What problem did this policy originally solve?
- Does that problem still exist?
- What harm does the rule now create?
Comment carefully
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