Meta-Thinking (Redux.)
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A few quotes I often recite:
Business call this "root-cause" analysis. Customer reports a bug. How did this get out? Did test cover this? Did dev consider this? Is this bug a corner-case, or indicative of a class of undiscovered bugs? Etc.
The problem with this expanding of scope is twofold -- at some point, the answer is "I/we can't fix this -- the root cause is inherent in the system." On a personal level, for example: I can't fly. Or, there are only 24 hours in a day. On a business level, we can't dig that deep into the software code without running a huge risk .
The second potential problem is "paralysis by analysis:" I/we spend so much time navel-gazing that other higher-priority stuff slips. This can be on a personal level, where I mis-apply my efforts better spent elsewhere. It is directly applicable to business as well.
Up-scaling my scope for this blog, it's not just me trying to document how I think, but opening it for discussion on if it is reasonable, a survey of how many other people do this.
In short, do I think too much?
I try to find benefit in all that life teaches me.Change is essential to growth; growth is essential to life.
The day I stop learning is the day I start dying
- Sometimes it's concrete lessons, such as how do perform a specific task.
- Sometimes it's life lessons, such as that my fear of that specific task is more shadow than substance.
- Sometimes it's meta-lessons, such as that I must control unsubstantiated fears, for they limit me in ways I cannot perceive at first, but by the time I can perceive it, it has ossified and becomes its own obstacle.
- Sometimes it's introspection-fodder, such as why I react with fear to some new tasks, and excitement to others.
- Sometimes it's charges to action, such as how to change my gut reaction to embracing the change and its potential, away from fear and inertia-to-stay-at-rest.
- And sometimes it's navel-gazing: "How?"
Business call this "root-cause" analysis. Customer reports a bug. How did this get out? Did test cover this? Did dev consider this? Is this bug a corner-case, or indicative of a class of undiscovered bugs? Etc.
The problem with this expanding of scope is twofold -- at some point, the answer is "I/we can't fix this -- the root cause is inherent in the system." On a personal level, for example: I can't fly. Or, there are only 24 hours in a day. On a business level, we can't dig that deep into the software code without running a huge risk .
The second potential problem is "paralysis by analysis:" I/we spend so much time navel-gazing that other higher-priority stuff slips. This can be on a personal level, where I mis-apply my efforts better spent elsewhere. It is directly applicable to business as well.
Up-scaling my scope for this blog, it's not just me trying to document how I think, but opening it for discussion on if it is reasonable, a survey of how many other people do this.
In short, do I think too much?
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