I don't want the details (michaelheap.com)

Article summary

The article discusses a conversation between the author and an SVP of engineering after an incident occurred, where the SVP expressed disinterest in the details of the incident, instead focusing on what changes would be made to prevent similar incidents in the future. This approach is presented as a way to drive change and improvement within an organization, rather than simply understanding what went wrong. The article argues that asking 'what are we changing' rather than 'why did this happen' can lead to more meaningful and lasting improvements. This approach assumes that the people involved are competent and well-intentioned, and that the focus should be on improving the system rather than assigning blame.

Main themes

• incident response
• organizational change
• leadership
• trust
• systemic improvement
• scalability
• tradeoffs

What commenters say

• Leaders should focus on driving systemic change rather than understanding the details of an incident.
• Knowing the details of an incident is necessary to make informed decisions about what changes to implement.
• Trust in a team's competence is not enough to justify ignoring the details of an incident, as leaders still need to provide guidance and resources.
• The approach of focusing on change rather than details can be seen as a way to empower teams and promote a culture of continuous improvement.
• However, this approach can also be seen as dismissive or unengaged, and may not be appropriate in all situations.
• The role of leadership is not to know all the details, but to set expectations and drive the team towards a solution that meets those expectations.
• There is a tradeoff between knowing the details of an incident and being able to scale an organization, as leaders who know all the details may not be able to handle the complexity of a large organization.
• The cost and potential consequences of implementing changes should be considered, as engineering is fundamentally about tradeoffs.