Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

When faced with a situation on a system-building project, we can find an approach that will work. We can also find many other approaches. Do we choose the better approach or one we personally like?

Several years ago, a professional soccer player spent a few afternoons helping to coach one of my son’s soccer teams. He emphasized moving the ball from player to player. The ultimate goal was to pass the ball to a position where we could score. If that were not happening, moving the ball about the field kept the other team moving which made them uncomfortable and often led to them being disorganized.

One thing he told the kids over and over was, “Make the easiest pass.”

The easiest pass kept the ball moving safely. We maintained control of the ball and control of the game.

This “easiest pass” concept  led to two and  a half questions:

1. What is the easiest pass to make?
2. What pass did I make?

If the answers to questions 1. and 2. are not the same we come to the next half question, why aren’t they? If I am not making the easiest pass, why am I making the pass that I make? What appeals to me about the more difficult pass?

Now let’s move from kid’s soccer to adult projects:

Given a situation on any day of a project and given that I know the direction I want to go,

1. What is the easiest thing to do that moves me in the right direction?
2. What do I do?

If the answers to questions 1. and 2. are not the same, why aren’t they? I mean, if I know what I want to accomplish, why wouldn’t I choose the easiest path to that accomplishment?

For example, I want to organize a group of people so that we are all working to preserve the integrity of the system we are building. Let’s all move in the same direction instead of every which way. One of the easier things to do is write and follow a configuration management plan.

“Yuck, who wants to do that? Write and follow a plan? Let’s just stay in touch and watch out for any loose cannons running around the halls messing things up.”

So here we are. We know the easier thing, but we do something else instead. There can be many reasons why we go away from the easier thing, and some of those reasons are good. Most reasons for contrary behavior, however, are not constructive. We avoid the easier thing simply because we don’t like it. We find a justification for doing what we like instead of doing what makes more sense.

This is part of the human condition. Given a choice, we usually select what we like, what fits our personality, instead of what has a better chance of working. Ooops, that word just came into the essay – working. If I am doing a hobby project at home, I do what I like. It is a hobby; it is my own time, and I am free to do what I like. If, however, I am at work, being paid by someone, and have my job and the jobs of other people on the line, I should do what makes more sense. The answers to questions 1. and 2. had better match.