The Law of the Instrument

Give someone a hammer, and eventually every problem begins to look suspiciously like a nail.

Organizations do this too.

A meeting worked once, so now every problem requires a meeting. A spreadsheet solved one issue, so now everything needs another spreadsheet. A training helped one group, so everyone receives the same training.

This is the Law of the Instrument:

We tend to rely on the tools and methods we know best.

Familiar solutions feel safe. We understand them, we can explain them, and we already know how to use them.

But familiarity does not guarantee fit.

Before reaching for the usual solution, make sure the problem is actually a nail.