Take the time to make it right
— We deliver premium results only. We do this slowly so we can learn to do this at speed. What we deliver is a representation of us. We don’t make concessions. We make it work the way it should work.
What can be said of an employee that delivers ‘shit’ to meet deadlines? What if this ‘shit’ gets in the way of meeting future deadlines?
Athletic Developers take the time to make it right.
If time is a constraint, we will align on what can be done without compromising quality or value. If neither can be assured, we will not do it.
Professional athletes spend a lot of time training on how to perfect a move. A lot of effort goes into taking small steps/actions so they are done just right. This may send teams off to a seemingly slow start but sets it up for rapid acceleration.
For the Dutch:
With Athletic Development, we demonstrate that: taking your time to do small steps right, in small but frequent increments, will not only result in more speed, but also better experiences. As Athletic Developers we have a mantra that whatever we create should NOT slow us down.
The ‘just get it done’ mindset generally results in ‘just get shit done’.
Rushing, will slow you down. Taking your time, will speed you up!
With extensive tracks, Athletic Developers can adopt the Boy Scout Rule:
For time spent developing something new, equal time is spent improving something existing. Always leave the campground cleaner then how you found it.
We don’t estimate or track time.
— Our estimations are not deadlines. It is done, when it is done. We don’t track time, we earn trust.
The subject of estimation is controversial; there a #NoEstimates movement that demonstrates how not applying estimates improves the chances of on-time delivery.
Some of the issues involved with estimations are:
- People generally suck at estimating.
- People generally suck at trusting estimations.
- They are generally treated as deadlines.
- They are generally treated as timeboxes.
- Time > Quality.
Estimates are, however, important to the decision-making process:
- Will it be worth the effort?
- Will it be ready in time for … ?
- Will there also be time for… ?
“Fixed fortifications are a monument to the stupidity of man” — George S. Patton
Athletic Developers will only provide historical information of past performance.
— “How can a team plan its work if time isn’t a unit for estimation?”
The answer to this question is simple, but controversial. The team makes a ‘gut’ call: “Is this goal challenging enough and reasonably achievable this Sprint?”
An Athletic Team must have the courage to take on challenging goals. That means that failure is always an option. Athletic teams don’t strive for reliability, they strive for excellence.
Progress is discovery: whilst progress is made, more is learned. New insights and learnings are instantly shared and processed; this includes newly discovered complexities. The team then instantly adjusts accordingly. This requires discipline.
Athletic Developers, under no circumstance, lower quality, or postpone the appliance of quality standards.
Time-tracking kills motivation!
In my 15 years of professional experience, I’ve only experienced time-tracking as a sure way to demotivate employees.
Not a single developer I have interacted with, considers this an effective practice that helps their work. I’ve witnessed developers quit their jobs because they felt they were being “treated as 19th-century factory workers”.
The notion that it should be applied to boost transparency or build trust actually only demonstrates there is a lack of it. It’s a cosmetic layer (a facade).
Athletic Developers earn trust through the way they collaborate, and by delivering qualitative results.
This stance is instantly expressed through the phrase:
“We take the time to make it right!”
Next up: “We make a stand!”.
