Better Software - March 2009 - (Page 13) Editor’s Pick A Fire-Free Work Zone Quotables “Your article reminded me of a question and its answer that was posed by one of my junior high school teachers: I love my secret and not-so-secret addictions. There’s a controllable addiction to exercise, an insatiable addiction to salsa and all that is spicy, a sweet-tooth addiction to southern-style iced tea, and a love for extreme activities like skydiving. I absolutely love conquering challenging, even dangerous, activities. That is why I’m the first to hop in a bungee chair at a run-down carnival. That’s why the first time I ever went backpacking, I traveled alone—just to prove I could do it. That’s why in my younger days, I raced cars with my friends. The part of me that is a slight adrenaline addict has caused me to become better at responding to events rather than preparing for or even avoiding them. This has not proven extremely beneficial at work. Reaction is my forte, not pro-action. Knowing this, I set out a year ago to be more pro-active. It’s been a long and difficult journey for this adrenaline addict. Forcing myself to stop before reacting takes a lot of energy, but it’s important to recognize what causes problems in production so you can avoid bigger problems. The result has been a slow awakening to behavioral patterns that are likely to cause problematic work. Mistakes tend to happen when one rushes to stay ahead of work or on schedule, when one creates a new process or streamlines an old one without first consulting the rest of the team, and especially when people rush through work because they’re so behind. This list isn’t complete—not by a long shot—and a small list of identifiable precursors to problems doesn’t present the solution. But Linda Hayes has written a gem of an article about this very subject. Linda says that people who are quick to put out fires at work are great, but it’s much better (and more productive) to work in a “fire-free” zone. The ultimate epiphany came to me when I read the following sentence in her article: “Ironically, the very skill of dealing with disasters masks the underlying need for it—the lack of planning and process—thereby discouraging management commitment to solving the real problem.” Immediately I related and realized that problems could be avoided if I had better production processes. Teams that have processes in place to address problems before they arise are extremely productive and have high morale, which helps reserve adrenaline and patience for true emergencies. If you seek out problems at work or are quick to reward triumphant workers after an all-nighter without questioning what led up to the overtime, it is possible that you’re an adrenaline addict or an enabler of one. Take it from me, a recovering addict: Sometimes the stable predictability of a good work program is just as exciting as defeating problems. Read more of Linda Hayes’s article “Addicted to Adrenaline” at www.stickyMinds.com/11-2editorspick. Francesca Matteu Editor, StickyMinds.com fmatteu@sqe.com Q: How many ways are there to look at an elephant? A: 360 (one degree at a time). I think focusing on the issue (the ant) and then taking a few steps back (the colony) is a good idea, and will help us discover better ways to test and find defects. Nice article!” Posted by stickyMinds.coM MeMber J. AlexAnder on MichAel bolton’s Article, “lucky And sMArt.” www.stickyminds.com/11-2quotable1 “As usual, after reading one of your articles, I am left with the same questions when I am done. In no particular order they are: * Why didn’t I think of that? * How did Johanna know I was having this problem? Is she watching me? * Did I leave the iron plugged in? Of course, I ask myself the last question even when I’m not reading your articles, so we will skip that one. The other two questions just show how you have your finger on the pulse of what a lot of us are going through and of how simply you can explain it. Thanks for the great read. ” Posted by stickyMinds.coM MeMber JiM little on JohAnnA rothMAn’s coluMn, “Are your PAnts on Fire, or do you suFFer FroM sPlit Focus?” www.stickyminds.com/11-2quotable2 www.StickyMinds.com MARCH 2009 BETTER SOFTWARE 13 http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com http://www.stickyminds.com/11-2quotable1 http://www.stickyminds.com/11-2quotable2 http://www.stickyMinds.com/11-2editorspick http://www.StickyMinds.com
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