THE TEAM THAT OPERATED the Nut Island sewage treatment plant in Quincy, Massachusetts, was every manager’s dream. Members of the group performed difficult, dangerous work without complaint. They needed little supervision. They improvised their way around operational difficulties and budgetary constraints. They were dedicated to the organization’s mission. But their hard work let to catastrophic failure. How could such a good team go so wrong? In this article, the author tells the story of the Nut Island plant and identifies a common, yet destructive organizational dynamic that can strike any business
