When a machine fails, people often look for the broken part.
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But experienced engineers know that sometimes the most important clue is not what is there.
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It is what is missing.
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A missing bolt.
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A missing inspection.
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A missing signature.
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A missing maintenance record.
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A missing assumption.
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A missing question.
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Over the years, I have noticed that many failures are not caused by dramatic events.
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They are caused by small omissions.
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Things that should have been done but were not.
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Things that should have been checked but were not.
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Things that should have been recorded but were not.
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In engineering, a missing bolt can bring down an entire assembly.
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In business, a missing fact can lead to a wrong decision.
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In insurance, a missing document can delay a claim.
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In leadership, a missing conversation can create unnecessary conflict.
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The challenge is that omissions are difficult to see.
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We naturally focus on what is visible.
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Yet many investigations ultimately revolve around a single question:
What is missing?
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Sometimes the absence of something is more important than its presence.
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The most valuable habit is not merely observing what exists.
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It is learning to notice what should exist but does not.
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Because many failures begin not with a wrong action.
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But with a missing one.
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The absence of a small thing can create the presence of a large problem.