Why Some Systems Keep Working When Things Go Wrong

Key points

Resilient systems rely on both redundant and alternative paths when their primary plan fails.

Spare capacity alone is insufficient; systems must also have the ability and authority to change course.

Experience matters; systems adapt better when they practice operating under degraded conditions.

Operational resilience emerges from building capacity, ability, and experience in changing course.

Operational resilience is the ability of a system to keep carrying out a critical function in the face of friction, partial failure, or adversity. Operationally fragile systems break when conditions change or parts fail, while operationally resilient systems find a way to keep going despite the altered (and typically worse) conditions they find themselves in.

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