System One thinking (cf. Kahneman) is alive and thriving in it’s natural home: the hiring process.
Quickies
Quickie: The HR Front
When you have your HR people fronting your hiring efforts, you’ve already lost the war for talent.
Quickie: The Effect Of How The Work Works
There seems to be a vast ignorance amongst developers, other technical staff, and managers about the effect of “the system” (i.e. how the work works) on productivity. And on other dimensions of work, too (such as fun, employee engagement, quality, customer satisfaction,…).
I make this observation given the paltry attention given to how the work works in most organisations. Oh yes, many pay obsessive attention to processes – how the work should work. But never to how the work actually works, on the front line, at the gemba. It’s a bit like Argyris’ distinction between espoused theory (processes) and theory-in-action (the way the work is done).
There are folks (those in HR, Sales, Marketing, etc. stand out) that seem to never have realised that the way the work works is a thing.
Talking about the ins and out of the way the works works, let alone reifying it, marks one out as at least as wacko as those freaky systems thinkers.
Quickie: Clarity – Who Needs It?
How many managers seek and drive clarity? And how many need and revel in obfuscation?
Quickie: The Right Thing
When you understand what the right thing is, it’s incredibly hard to buckle down to doing the wrong thing.
Quickie: We’re Entirely Selfish But That’s OK
No human being has ever done anything for anybody else. Everything we do is to make life as wonderful as we can for our self. What makes life more wonderful than anything else is contributing to the well-being of other people. We talk about self-fullness. Doing things out of the natural joy that comes when our only motivation is to enrich lives and it’s free from any taint of fear of punishment if we don’t, hope for reward if we do—including hoping people will like you—guilt, shame, duty, obligation.
~ Marshall Rosenberg
Quickie: Quantification, Clarity and Relationships
Quantification enhances clarity of communication. Increased clarity of communication enhances interpersonal relationships. Are enhanced interpersonal relationships something you need?
Quickie: Obdurate Ignorance
It’s the obdurate, blythe ignorance of decision-makers and influencers that gets me.
In WW1 the phrase “Lions led by donkeys” was a popular criticism of the General Staffs.
In the software industry it’s more like “Donkeys led by donkeys”.
Quickie: Stop Hiring Managers
Stop hiring managers. They’re all dead wood now.
Quickie: Following
How often do people follow “leaders” and how often do they follow purpose (causes)?
Quickie: Aspirations
Honestly, I had hoped for more out of life.
Quickie: Indulgence or Satisfaction
Indulgence is getting what you want, satisfaction is getting what you need.
Quickie: Good Jobs, Great Jobs
A good job is one where some of your needs are met. A great job is one where all of your needs are met. A fabulous job is one where everyone’s needs are met.
Quickie: Exploring Nonviolence
Quickie: Unethical Obduracy
What looks like obduracy is most often the product of an unethical system, rather than any individual malfeasance.
Quickie: More Valuable Than Platinum
What’s more valuable than platinum? Antimatter, for one.
Hence the name “The Antimatter Principle”.
Golden Rule -> Platium Rule -> Antimatter Rule
More at:
Quickie: Bums On Seats
“Bums on seats” has long been far more important to the average manager and organisation than “engaged brains”.
Quickie: Indifferent To The Way The Work Works
There really are so very few people who give any kind of damn about how software gets developed and delivered (and needs met).
I’m one of the few. Are you?
Quickie: Exploitation Or Partnership?
Is the fundamental guiding principle of your organisation one of exploitation (of workers, suppliers, society, Gaia), or one of partnership?
Quickie: Working Smarter
The simple fact is that working smarter wins ZERO brownie points compared with working harder/longer hours.