Published on 13 Mar 2021 in agile
The Chesterton’s Fence principle is: Before you make any rash reforms, understand why decisions were made in the first place.
I’ve slipped into this trap before. When helping organisations develop new ways of working, it’s tempting to jump right in with improvements and experiments.
Chesterton’s Fence is a reminder to look deeper first. I’ve never found anything to prevent change, but understanding past decisions provides a firm foundation for the work to come.
The term comes from Gilbert Chesterton, an English writer and philosopher. In his 1929 work ‘The Thing’ he describes a reformer coming up against an institution or law and compares it to a fence or gate erected across a road: “The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, “I don’t see the use of this; let us clear it away.” To which the more intelligent type of reformer will do well to answer: “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can comeback and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.”
The point is that if you don’t understand why something was put in place and only look superficially, you may miss second or third order effects. Of course this sounds obvious but it’s often ignored as we rush ahead, assume we know better or don’t look before we leap.
An example. You’re starting a new job. Eager and capable of spotting things that can be improved, you want to prove yourself. As tempting as it is to jump in, it’s wise to observe and seek to understand the whole system before making changes.
Management structures are a typical example of Chesterton’s fence. Without doubt they can be convoluted and unnecessary, but many organisations that get flattened go on to re-create them. It turns out they’re useful; for decision making, to provide clear and manageable communication channels and for supporting employees. Examples of lessons come from Google, Zappos, Medium and Github.
As systems get more complex, so do the effects of changes we make. The environment provides a couple of examples:
Failure to spot second order effects can be catastrophic. So what can we do to improve our own decision making? Remember to avoid assumptions, to observe more, ask more questions and really understand past decisions before moving ahead. Returning to my own experience, even things that are seemingly just plain wrong warrant time to ensure you know why they’re being done. Either you’ll be justified in the reform, discover and avert a hidden consequence, or simply learn something that lends weight to what you’re proposing.
We should applaud challengers, reformers and innovators. Chesterton’s fence isn’t about halting change, it’s about learning. We should all take the time to understand previous decisions and the implications of reversing them before making new ones.