What is the developer’s golden goose?
Sustainable productivity only comes with balance
Don’t be like the impatient farmer! Hey developers, you could be killing your golden goose.
In Aesop’s fable of the golden goose the wealthy farmer becomes impatient and kills the goose that lays the golden eggs.
Could we developers be doing the same thing?
Proper Balance
Finding balance in technology can be difficult. We develop skills during our education. Then we begin to work.
Technology changes quickly so we must continue learning. How do we find the proper balance?
P/PC Balance
In 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey discussed the P/PC Balance.
Effectiveness lies in the balance — what I call the P/PC Balance. P stands for the production of desired results, the golden eggs. PC stands for production capability, the ability or asset that produces the golden eggs.
We need to learn new skills and techniques while we are productive in our work.
Burnout
Developers can jump into the industry and push hard. We want to get a better job. Learn new skills.
Just like an engine that revs too high, we can burn out. Create space to allow our mind and body to recoup.
Asset
In Greg McKeown’s book Essentialism he talks about “protecting the asset”. He discusses an entrepreneur who pushes hard. He cuts short his sleep. Working long hours.
This man’s body begins to shut down. He has numerous health issues. Finally, he realizes he must rest.
Sleep
We try to tough it out. Work late into the night. Our work suffers. It begins to look like gibberish.
Sleep is the best meditation. -Dalai Lama
A good night’s rest helps us work at our best. Neglect even an hour or two and you will begin to notice it.
Boundaries
When you feel the pressure you may put in longer hours. This may help you in the short run. Over the long term, this is detrimental.
In Free To Focus Michael Hyatt outlines how we need to create boundaries in our day.
For instance, he wants to be done every day at 6 PM. He blocks off his calendar. Michael even has his office lights dim at 5:45 to signal him to wrap it up.
Learning
I find it helpful to schedule time for learning each day. What are some things you need to learn? Put it on the calendar.
I am in the process of learning AWS. I am currently studying for the Solutions Architect Associate exam. Every day I do some reading and studying.
Sustainable pace
Extreme Programming or XP calls out a sustainable pace. We need to work in a manner we can avoid burnout. There should be a lot of overtime.
Other agile methodologies agree. The team should be able to work consistently. This helps deliver predictably as well.
In closing, developers need to find the right cadence. Like a marathon runner who fine-tunes their pace. Starting out too fast can cause a disaster.