Deming's 95/5 Rule

Deming's 95/5 rule flips the common instinct to hunt for a person who made a mistake. It says most failures are baked into the way work is organized, so leaders get better results by fixing processes before pointing fingers. The article cites healthcare, aviation, and software where system redesign cut errors without changing staff, proving the point with concrete industry examples.

When a problem shows up, the rule tells a manager to ask "what about our workflow let this happen?" instead of "who slipped up?". That shift changes coaching conversations too. Instead of demanding more effort from an individual, a systems-focused coach probes whether tools are usable, training is adequate, expectations are clear, and competing priorities are resolved. The piece shows how this approach reduces defensiveness and surfaces insights only the frontline worker can see.

The author also warns against letting the rule become a dogma. Not every issue is systemic, and skill gaps still matter, but the heuristic saves time by eliminating needless blame hunts. It also nudges leaders to examine their own assumptions about responsibility, helping them spot hidden biases that keep organizations stuck in a blame culture.

Practical takeaways include starting every post-mortem with a systems check, auditing tools and handoffs, and redesigning processes before launching performance improvement plans. By treating problems as symptoms of broken systems, technical leaders can drive sustainable gains, improve morale, and free their teams to focus on building value rather than covering up mistakes.