RE: Work harder, not smarter

[Andrew Plato <intrepid_es -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

--- Steve Hudson <steve -at- wright -dot- com -dot- au> wrote:
> > Somebody wrote something to me today that I've heard thousands of
> times,
> but it really hit me today seeing as how we're debating doc plans.
> 
> I guess the flipside to your rant is that I can't stand people who are
> arrogant enough to think that there is no room for improvement. Its hard
> to
> improve what you cannot (or refuse to) define. Let alone most of us are
> employed by someone else who regularly wants some sort of report stating
> what has been done, what is being done, and what will be done.
> 
> Plus the simplest way to improve Quality is to consistantly apply a
> process.

Again - sounds great. Reality is often somewhere in the chaos. I don't
think any of us would support a "don't improve" work ethic. My point is
that by applying oneself to their work (working hard) you will get better
and you will figure out how to improve the process. When you can produce
quality work, you will by definition have a quality process - since it is
the outcome that ultimately matters. 


> The cats end up "infinitely more efficient" purely because, on their own
> back, they investigate a variety of processes for catching mice, add a
> relative weighting to the methodology based on the outcome and repeat.
> Sooner or later their process stablises and they achieve consistant
> results.

Bingo. 

> Now, what we are doing can't be 'remembered' / 'documented' by our
> instincts - as is the case in your analogy. Thus we need to write it
> down.
> Additionally, if its written down another set of impartial eyes can be
> run over it.

Ahhh, transferrance. Sounds nice. You write it down and teach the next
generation...who screws it up and designs a new process. 

Again - these things must be internalized. Writing them down to pass on
your brilliance to others might feel swell. But the people who come next
must be able, willing, and capable of adopting said processes and
internalizing them - not merely regurgitating what they have been ordered
to to. Following directions makes you a good drone, not a good employee.
Part of "improving the process" is to challenge its fundamental
assumptions. 

Andrew Plato 

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