Today’s breakdown of the FAA’s NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system created havoc for 21,000 flights. NOTAM informs pilots of adverse conditions, such as ice on the runway or interruptions to flight operations outside of the aircraft.
Software is fallible; it’s written by people working on requirements that may be incomplete or outdated (NOTAM is an older system), requiring regular maintenance and review. This is not intended to be an apology. It is an opportunity to point out that _organizations_ and not IT is responsible for platforms. How it runs, what happens when things go wrong, and how you communicate.
When things go wrong, leaders look to teams to come together. The blame game is very… 20th century. Avoiding the blame game is equal parts culture and preparedness on the part of the company or ecosystem.
Over the years, I observed five practical principles for responding to situations impacting a business.
