Clustered overrides mean the parent's assumption is wrong…

When This Fires

• When you notice the same override applied to multiple items in the same category
• During hierarchy audits when exception lists are growing
• In code when multiple subclasses override the same method from a parent class
• In organizational design when multiple teams operate differently from their division's stated practices

Common Failure Mode

Adding one more override: "This is just another exception." Each individual override seems reasonable. But the pattern of repeated overrides signals that the rule is wrong for this population, not that each exception is unique.

The Protocol

When multiple children override the same property: (1) Count: what percentage of children override this property? (2) If >33% → the property doesn't belong at the parent level. (3) Restructure: either remove the property from the parent (it's not a shared trait), split the children into two groups (those who inherit and those who don't), or change the parent's default to match the majority. (4) The goal: a hierarchy where inheritance works correctly, not one where inheritance is systematically overridden.