The Spare Key Decision

A small design studio kept a spare key in a locked drawer inside its office. On paper, the arrangement seemed sensible: the key was secure, and everyone knew where to find it. Its weakness became obvious one morning when the usual keyholder was delayed and the rest of the team stood outside the building. The spare could not solve the problem it was supposed to address.

Afterward, the team considered leaving a key with a neighboring business. That option offered access when their own office was locked, but it created another dependency: the neighbor had different opening hours. Rather than choosing immediately, they listed several situations, including an early arrival, a late meeting, and a public holiday. They checked which option would actually work in each situation.

They eventually arranged a separate, controlled access method and documented who could authorize its use. More importantly, they tested it when the main entrance was unavailable. The exercise distinguished having a backup from being able to use one. A useful fallback must remain reachable under the very conditions that make the normal route fail; otherwise, its reassuring presence is merely symbolic.