Posted by Mike on February 12, 2009
I just read a great article by Paul Graham called Holding a Program in One’s Head. In it, Graham, explores the value of programmers having large blocks of uninterrupted time to code. This seems like a simple way to improve the quality of code and the productivity of your developers.
He lists eight points that help programmers and makes the following observations:
- It’s striking how often programmers manage to hit all eight points by accident.
- Even more striking are the number of officially sanctioned projects that manage to do all eight things wrong.
It looks like there is plenty of room for managers (and programmers) to improve!
Posted by Mike on June 29, 2008
Book Review: Why Work S***s and How To Fix It
by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson
I eagerly awaited my copy of this book. Like many others, I want to have control of all my life. I don’t see any reason why a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) can’t work at my work.
I will state up front that I have the hardest time with some of the language in the book, including the title. I just don’t use these words in my life and have a difficult, if not impossible time, saying them. Sure, I used to cuss back in my junior high days, but there was a point when I gave up that kind of talk. I won’t speculate why this kind of language was used, but it is my opinion that it will hurt adoption of ROWE in many organizations.
That being said, I am working in my organization to implement and promote the concepts of ROWE. I have challenged my own assumptions about work and how to measure it. Certainly, results are what are really important. I am able to telework one day a week. This has taken some pressure off my life. However, I would like complete control over when and how I do my work. I see the need in my team and colleagues, too. They are all trying to juggle life, work, and expectations. It would be much better if they could decide how and when to do their work, as long as they produce results. Results – it’s what every manager should want from their organization.
Cali and Jody do a great job of taking the reader through the changes at Best Buy. They also discuss the benefits of ROWE to both the employer and employee. The discussion of sludge is especially good. Any team will benefit from removing sludge. It is also good to hear about how ROWE has impacted people through the Voices from a ROWE sections after each chapter.
Finally, the total focus on results is the key to everything. Yes, a lot of what goes on in the workplace is looking busy. It always amazes me how little of the traditional workday is productive and how little of the communication is truly effective. In a ROWE individuals have control over their time and are measured by results. They now become focused on the important, communicate better, and are more productive.
I recommend, what I refer to as “The Introduction to ROWE Book” with the caution I stated above about the language. The book is packed with great ideas which should prompt valuable discussions. I hope that many workplaces will transform themselves into Results Only Work Environments. If they don’t, the world may just go there anyway.
Posted by Mike on March 18, 2008
I’ve been reading Getting Things Done
by David Allen. In it, he presents a concept of asking yourself, “What’s the next action?” when you have a project or task to move forward. What if we applied this to our work? On your assigned tasks, ask this question. On any issue you raise, ask yourself this question. It only takes about 10 seconds and it is really powerful to know what the next physical action you need to take for the work that is in front of you.
Some of the power lies in the knowledge that you have a next action ready to go when you are looking for something to do. Perhaps you have a 10 minute gap of time. Scan your next actions. Is there a quick and easy one in there that you can knock off? What if you are looking at a block of time in your afternoon? Is there a next action that fits that time-slot and your energy level?
Now that you’ve read this, “What’s the next action?”
Posted by Mike on March 5, 2008
The more I think about it and experience it, setup time is something to minimize. Any complicated task requires setup time to get you into the task. Any time that is interrupted, you have to go through some level of setup again.
One key to getting work done is to arrange blocks of uninterrupted time. This allows you to complete setup and focus on productive work.
This brings up several questions:
- Why don’t we block out time to get work done?
- What criteria do you use to decide when to have a meeting and who to invite? Does respecting work time play into it?
- Can’t we say no to a meeting in order to get work done?
Multi-tasking works against productivity too. You may look busy, but you probably aren’t accomplishing much.