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“If It Works, Don’t Touch It” and Other Excuses That No Longer Hold — Jarroba
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- DeepHorus
Corporate inertia is increasingly undermining the adoption of artificial intelligence, as many organizations cling to outdated excuses that no longer hold water, according to a recent analysis from Jarroba. The technology publication highlights how phrases like 'If it works, don’t touch it' and 'We’ve always done it this way' are being used to justify resistance to change, even when the benefits of AI are clear. This phenomenon, termed organizational inertia, creates a dangerous gap between the demand for AI-driven results and the lack of official support for these tools.
The report examines four common excuses: 'Don’t reinvent the wheel,' 'If it works, don’t touch it,' 'We’ve always done it this way,' and 'Now is not the right time.' Each contains a grain of truth but is often misapplied to avoid updating outdated systems. For instance, 'Don’t reinvent the wheel' conflates reinvention with necessary updates, while 'If it works, don’t touch it' ignores the silent decay of unmaintained systems. The analysis emphasizes that these phrases prioritize avoiding visible risks of change over the invisible risks of stagnation.
The historical justification for these excuses was the high cost of change—weeks of manual work, risk of breakdowns, and steep learning curves. However, the calculus has shifted dramatically. The cost of implementing new tools, especially AI, has fallen significantly, while the cost of not evolving—such as security vulnerabilities and lost efficiency—has risen. The report notes that in software, what isn't updated becomes insecure, as attackers adapt continuously.
Key figures include the observation that companies now demand results akin to those achieved with AI yet fail to provide official pathways for its use. This contradiction is widespread: employees are expected to innovate without access to modern tools. The article cites that while exact percentages are not given, the pattern is common across industries, suggesting a systemic issue.
The implications are stark. Companies stuck in inertia risk falling behind competitors who embrace AI. The invisible risks—like gradual loss of market relevance—often remain hidden until they become emergencies. The analysis warns that the most treacherous excuse, 'Now is not the right time,' allows urgency to crowd out improvement until the lack of improvement itself becomes the crisis.
Reactions from within organizations vary, but many employees report frustration with being denied proper AI tools while being measured against outcomes that require them. The Jarroba article positions this as a leadership failure, where managers avoid the effort of updating processes. Without cultural change, even the best AI tools will remain underutilized.
Looking ahead, the report calls for a strategic shift. Companies must recognize that the era of 'if it works, don’t touch it' is over, as AI makes adaptation cheaper and more crucial. The path forward involves dismantling these excuse-phrases by demonstrating the concrete benefits of AI in small, low-risk projects. Leaders must also invest in training and infrastructure to support change. As the article concludes, the cost of inaction now far outweighs the cost of change, making organizational renewal not just advisable but imperative.
