Re:Overtime is Morphine
by emiller829 on Tuesday July 16, 2013 @11:23AM
(#6052469)
The suggestion isn't to introduce the lockout after the fact. In fact, what you're describing would be the exact thing that would happen in the metaphor -- acute withdrawal symptoms. The suggestion is to institute the lockout before dependency has a chance to develop.
Re:Overtime is Morphine
by keithhanson on Tuesday July 16, 2013 @02:45PM
(#6053898)
Ah, well, I completely agree there :) Forgive me, but I didn't really catch the preventative portion of the essay. Looking back over it, I can certainly see your point above and we're more than likely "violently agreeing", heh.
Seems like we're both saying "an ounce of prevention..." here
Re:Overtime is Morphine
by emiller829 on Tuesday July 16, 2013 @02:59PM
(#6053994)
Yep, absolutely. Thanks for the follow-up!
A preventive measure by the C-level management will yield results: a person working overtime, must take a documented approval from the PM. The incentive bonus for the PM must be negatively linked to the number of overtime hours spent by the team members.
But what this is basically suggesting is "locking out" your employer. While I agree that is absolutely what should happen, doing this without the leadership AND the developer in agreement about why sounds like disaster.
I know it's likely impossible to capture all the work and discussion it takes to reshape a company's process in a blog post, but I feel like if I had a dependence on OT in my company (as the "patient"), and a lockout went into effect, I would be focusing on the lockout, not every other problem in the company that caused it (which as management, it's my job to figure those problems out). What is being suggested is basically arm twisting to get what you want :/
That never works when you cause more pain to the company than it's able to alleviate over time. They'll eventually get tired of the pain and move on to another drug unless you succeed in getting them to understand.
I feel like better advice is to tell developers that they need to discuss this with their direct reports, boss, whomever, and talk about the problem and WHY you'll actually make the company better gains at sustainable pace. And by all means, point out and suggest ways for your boss to improve things.
If after educating your "patient" the issue still persists, of course, twist away. But not everyone in this world needs these sorts of tactics to improve their workplace, and even in those workplaces, there are likely more successful ways to cure the pain, not just treat it.