2 The paternalist syndrome

In some organizations, a group or groups seem to wield outsized power relative to their peers. The power is sometimes granted or enforced through things like access controls or approvals. The operations group may refuse to allow changes to systems without an extensive review process. The security team may prevent other teams from adopting technology created after 1984. The development group may refuse to build tools that allow people to make changes without their watchful eye.

The rules or mandates can typically be traced back to some inciting event that justified draconian action. But the very thing that was supposed to make the teams more effective instead drags them to a crawl. If you’ve seen this in your own company or teams, you’re not alone.

I call this the paternalist syndrome, named after the parental relationship one group assumes over others. The paternalistic syndrome relies on gatekeepers to decide how and when work gets done. This concentration in power initially seems like a prudent decision but can quickly devolve into a productivity strain.

2.1 Creating barriers instead of safeguards

2.2 Introducing the gatekeepers

2.3 Examining the gatekeepers

2.4 Curing paternalism through automation

2.5 Capturing the purpose of the approval

2.6 Structuring code for automation

2.6.1 Approval process

2.6.2 Automating approvals

2.6.3 Logging process

2.6.4 Notification process

2.6.5 Error handling

2.7 Ensuring continuous improvement

Summary