Done is Not Enough: The Illusion of Completion and the Pitfalls of Getting It Wrong
BY
Asante Babers
/
Mar 10, 2024
/
Security Strategy
/
15 Min
Read
In the high-speed environment that defines much of today's tech industry, the "get it done asap" mindset often overshadows the critical "get it done right" approach. This race against time is frequently fueled by an internal competitive culture, where teams are pitted against each other to deliver results the fastest, a checkbox culture that values the quantity of completed tasks over their quality, or direct pressure from leadership pushing for deliverables within unreasonable timelines.
The repercussions of this speed-over-substance approach are far-reaching. From a quality assurance perspective, rushing to meet deadlines without adequate testing or review cycles leads to products and services that are fraught with bugs and vulnerabilities. Statistically, the Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ), including internal failure costs (like rework) and external failure costs (such as compensations or reputation damage), can account for as much as 20% of total revenues for some organizations. Moreover, the 2020 IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report highlights that companies with a faster lifecycle in their software development processes experienced significantly higher costs in data breaches, indicating that speed can indeed compromise security and financial stability.
The illusion of career growth is another significant issue. Professionals are often led to believe that the quickest path to advancement is through rapidly ticking off tasks, without true engagement or mastering their craft. This mindset stifles genuine skill development and can lead to a workforce that is technically adept but lacks depth and critical problem-solving capabilities. A survey by LinkedIn Learning in 2019 revealed that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development, underscoring the importance of quality learning over speedy outcomes.
Security issues are perhaps the most alarming consequence of the rush to complete tasks. In their haste, teams may bypass essential security protocols or fail to implement robust security measures, leaving organizations vulnerable to attacks. According to the Verizon 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report, 28% of breaches involved small business victims, with a significant portion attributed to inadequate security measures that could have been mitigated with a more deliberate and thorough approach. Threat actors, aware of these vulnerabilities, often spend months or even years planning their attacks, capitalizing on the weaknesses created by a culture of haste.
As an industry, the imperative to slow down cannot be overstated. Embracing a culture that values thoroughness, quality, and security above mere speed is crucial. This shift requires a reevaluation of internal metrics for success, moving away from the number of tasks completed to the depth of the impact those tasks have. By doing so, organizations can enhance their resilience against threats, foster genuine career growth among their employees, and ultimately deliver products and services that are not only efficient but also secure and of high quality.
The transition to a "get it done right" culture is not merely a philosophical shift but a strategic imperative. As technology continues to evolve and integrate more deeply into every aspect of our lives, the stakes for security, quality, and reliability only get higher. The challenge for leaders is to instill this culture across their organizations, balancing the need for speed with the indispensable requirement for integrity in every task undertaken.
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