Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

If “big” is in the description, it is in all the descriptions. That hurts.

Here is a process for writing a big document:

• The BIG draft
• The BIG review
• The BIG rewrite

Uh, this usually means a BIG waste of resources. The BIG draft means the writer works and works and works. Finally, finished. The BIG review means half-a-dozen people read and comment on the draft. The BIG rewrite is the writer trying to understand that BIG list of comments made during the BIG review.

Another BIG thing is the BIG collapse in the energy and excitement of the writer. That BIG draft took energy and heart and all those good things that good people pour into work. Someone called this “the tyranny of the first draft.” (I wish I could recall who coined that phrase.) All those comments from the BIG review crush the writer.

How about this process:

• small write
• small review
• small lessons
• repeat

Someone once called this “in-process review” or something like that.

The writer says, “Here is what I’m thinking. What do you think?”

The reviewers say, “I see the point. How about adjusting it this way?”

Work a little. Learn a little. Repeat. I think that is what agile development, DevOps, etc. attempt. We can do better.