IT Firefighting Scorecard

IT Firefighting Scorecard

THE IT FIREFIGHTING SCORECARD

7 Signs Your Role Is Structurally Broken
Welcome to the Firefighting Scorecard.

Instructions: Score yourself on each statement. Be honest as no one sees this but you.

For each statement, score:

0: This doesn't apply to me
1: This happens sometimes
2: This is my daily reality
Full Name*

First NameLast Name
Email Address*
example@example.com
Question 1: You're the default escalation point, even for things outside your remit.*

This doesn't apply to meThis happens sometimesThis is my daily reality
Question 2: Your team can't operate without you for more than a day.*

This doesn't apply to meThis happens sometimesThis is my daily reality
Question 3: Senior leadership only contacts you when something goes wrong.*

This doesn't apply to meThis happens sometimesThis is my daily reality
Question 4: You're blamed for outcomes you don't control.*

This doesn't apply to meThis happens sometimesThis is my daily reality
Question 5: Your accountability has grown but your authority hasn't.*

This doesn't apply to meThis happens sometimesThis is my daily reality
Question 6: You've tried delegating, upskilling, better processes and nothing sticks.*

This doesn't apply to meThis happens sometimesThis is my daily reality
Question 7: You can't remember the last time you left work on time without checking your phone.*

This doesn't apply to meThis happens sometimesThis is my daily reality
Your Total Score
SCORING

0-4: Early Warning Signs

You're probably still in a manageable phase, but the cracks are forming. The structural issues are there but they just haven't fully tightened around you yet. Now is the best time to fix this.

5-9: The Trap Is Set

This is where most IT leaders sit. You're working harder than you should, absorbing problems that shouldn't reach you, and starting to feel like you can't step away. The system is leaning on you. It hasn't broken you yet but it's heading that way.

10-14: You Are The System

The role has consumed you. Your team depends on you for everything. Leadership sees you as the fixer, not the strategist. You're firefighting daily and you can't see a way out because every solution you've tried treats this as a personal problem. It's not. It's structural and it's fixable.
WHAT THIS MEANS

If you scored 5 or above, the firefighting you're experiencing isn't a workload problem and it isn't a skills gap. It's a role-design problem.

Your accountability expanded. Your authority didn't. And no amount of working harder, delegating better, or building new processes will fix a structural failure.
Should be Empty: