Flint Michigan – Water

The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world. Organization: Flint Michigan Municipality Project type : Municipal water supply Date : Apr 2014 to May 2016 (ongoing at time of writing) Cost : Unknown for now, but potentially in the billions. Synopsis : In the most powerful nation on earth you would assume that if you're in a major city, it would be safe to drink the tap water. If you're in Flint Michig...
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Culture’s Cogs – Feedback

Synopsis: Feedback is the mechanism that keeps a culture alive...  This post is part 4 in the Cultures Cog’s series of posts. Click here for – Part 1 In the two prior parts of this blog series we looked at the role "imperatives" and "expectations" play in giving rise to a culture. In this final post we'll look at how feedback is the link that keeps a culture alive. Feedback is the interaction between people that tells them whether or not expectations are being achieved. Feedback can eit...
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TSA Body Scanners

The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world. Organization: Transportation Security Administration Project type : Security system Project name : Unknown Date : August 2015 Cost : $160M Synopsis : Clearly security at major public venues is a top concern in the current global environment and airports are often at the leading edge of the fight. In the USA, the Transportation Security Administration (TS...
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Volkswagen

The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world. Organization: Volkswagen Group (VW) Project type : Vehicle emissions system Project name : Unknown Date : September 2015 Cost : Potential costs in the region of $18B Synopsis : Arguably one of the most expensive scandals in modern corporate history, the revelation that Volkswagen cheated government emission testing has shaken people's confidence in a onc...
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Target Canada

The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world. Target - Canada Project type : Retail store opening Project name : Unknown Date : Jan 2015  Cost : In the region of $7B Synopsis : Drawn by lower prices, it is common for Canadian families to cross over into the USA to grab their shopping. One favourite destination has always been the US retailer known as "Target". Famous for their large red and white bul...
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Culture’s Cogs – Imperatives

Synopsis: Imperatives are the core values of the management team and the foundation stones of corporate culture. To influence corporate culture, leaders need to bring clarity and consistency to their imperatives. This post is part 2 in the Cultures Cog’s series of posts. Click here for – Part 1 As a follow up to my discussion on the topic of "culture's cogs" I thought I would dive a bit deeper into each of the cogs. In this post I'll explore the issue of imperatives. As noted in my origina...
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Culture’s Cogs

Synopsis: Imperatives, expectations and feedback are the mechanisms through which management's desire for high performance are translated into a functioning corporate culture. Regular readers will know that I've been studying corporate cultures over recent months. My goal is to understand how corporate cultures come to be and what management teams can do to shape positive cultures (i.e. cultures that improve quality and productivity while simultaneously lifting employee engagement, morale and...
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Christmas Blunderland

The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world. Christmas Blunderland - UK Project type : An assortment of Christmas themed entertainment parks Date : Nov-Dec  - 2008, 2013 and 2014  Cost : Unknown Synopsis : One definition of success is "meeting or exceeding expectations". Satisfy expectations of the customer or stakeholders and the project is viewed as a success. Fall short of expectations and no matt...
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IBM

The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” – a list of failed or troubled projects from around the world. IBM (International Business Machines) - USA Project type : Organizational performance improvement and strategic realignment Project name : Roadmap 2015 Date : 2010-2014  Cost : Unknown Synopsis : Most of the projects noted in the catalogue were aimed at producing some form of product or tangible deliverable. IBM’s “Roadmap 2015” initiative is a little dif...
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Sinking of the RMS Tayleur

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. White Star Line Project name : RMS Tayleur Project type : Passenger ship Date : 1854 (filed under historical failures) Cost : Unknown Synopsis : The sinking of the White Star Line's Titanic on her first voyage is one of the world's classic disaster stories. What few people know is that the Titanic was not the first passenger liner sailing under the White St...
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