Fire Quote by Frederick P. Brooks Jr
““Fifth, when schedule slippage is recognized, the natural (and traditional) response is to add manpower. Like dousing a fire with gasoline, this makes matters worse, much worse. More fire requires more gasoline, and thus begins a regenerative cycle which ends in disaster.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Mythical Man-Month, Frederick P. Brooks Jr, 1975
Adding people to a delayed project worsens the problem, creating a vicious cycle that leads to failure.
In simple terms: More workers can increase delays.
Key Takeaway
Avoid adding staff; focus on process improvement.
Themes
project management
resource allocation
risk
Mood
frustrated
cautious
Type
cautionary
analytical
When to use this quote
- software development
- construction projects
- event planning
- crisis response
Key Concepts
mythical man-month
software engineering
systems thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- What root causes are behind the delay?
- How can you improve workflow without extra manpower?
A Different Perspective
More staff may not solve schedule issues and can cause chaos.
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