'1500?'
The potentially conspiratorial message via IM is actually more of a project meeting request. A quick check with the current work and the open topics on the to-do list, a recount of the small change, a glance at the clock at the lower right corner of the screen - an almost imperceptible smile and a deep breath.
'1500.'
We call it 'Projekt Braune Bohne', which would turn into utter nonsense if I would try to translate it literally. That is why I took the liberty to pick the more loose translation for the project name, so from now on I will refer to it as project 'Roasted Bean'.
Let me present to you project 'Roasted Bean' in more detail. First of all: it isn't exactly a project. Yes, I have to admit that we made it up - for the fun of it and to make it at least sound somewhat important. Truth be told, project 'Roasted Bean' has become more of an (almost) confirmed habit or maybe a ritual than a project. But it is a funny, geeky name and that is why we stick with it.
Another detail: there is no agenda. This may sound quite confusing, which is absolutely understandable. At least it is because I haven‘t told you about the very nature of our project meetings. While there are lists and agendas all day long there is no room for anything like that when attending those meetings I am talking about.
In simple terms: project 'Roasted Bean' is a break. But it isn‘t just another break. It is more about making sure that the participants make it safe and sound through the last hours of the working day. And there are some interesting reasons why this break is well-deserved. Sadly there is no way to leave the place to have the meeting in a cafe just like creative people. We have a cup of coffee anyway. And we talk. As a matter of fact that is one of the most important reason why we are keeping project 'Roasted Bean': it is a kind of strategic work break for us.
Those who take part in the project meetings are more often than not members of different groups (of the same department). So one goal is to discuss problems and exchange ideas at a far less official level. Maybe it is because of this inofficial nature of the meeting that it is very likely to get some serious results. Yet the better part of this break is dedicated to subjects that are all but work-related.
Thinking of the brain as some kind of muscle, project 'Roasted Bean' is mainly dedicated to easing its tension. Aware of the fact that we are walking the thin line between procrastination and being creative we talk about things we find more relaxing or more thrilling than those that we just left for a couple of minutes on our desks in the offices - just to get rid of the knots in our brains. And most of the time we succeed in doing so.
Of course there are some colleagues who simply don‘t get the idea of project 'Roasted Bean'. Some of them seem to be able to work for up to four hours, have their one hour lunch break, and return to work for up to four hours again before leaving the office. They find it quite suspicious that some co-workers dare to devide the morning and the afternoon at their desk in half. And spending time with fellow workers others than those from the lunch posse or from the same group of the departement - that appears to be some sort of blasphemy to them.
Please, don‘t get me wrong: just because I myself find it hard to spend more than about three hours sort of focused on one particular subject without at least leaving my desk and walk around for a minute, there is nothing wrong with people who are able to do otherwise. Far from it. They have their own special way of working and dealing with their needs to get their work done. In the end it is about becoming and staying creative and productive.
Which is exactly the point: everyone has an individual way of working, and everyone has found or has to find an individual way of relaxation and recreation while at work. The only limiting aspects are the rules which are given by the employer. In case they leave the liberty to the employees to do what they found works best for them, it is up to them to act wisely - because the few that abuse this freedom and bend the rules might be the ones who make the rest suffer one day.
It doesn‘t have to turn out the bad way. And because there is nothing wrong with it where I work we will keep project 'Roasted Bean' alive as long as possible. It is such a great project, and I am happy to be a part of it, just like my colleagues.
What does your project 'Roasted Bean' look like? Tell me about it!
And - have a break.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Find Config.sys And Set Buffers To 99
Sometimes meeting friends who bring their friends can be quite challenging. Starting with some kind of smalltalk it doesn‘t take too long until the Q&A games reach the what-do-you-do-for-a-living point. And while there are some jobs and occupations that simply receive the ah-interesting reply before the crowd just moves on to the next topic (or victim), there are some professions that almost instantly make all fun vanish and ruin the rest of the evening. At least for the poor blighter who‘s métier(s) have been unveiled.
Suddenly people want to know more. But sadly the conversations are not about the person that is surrounded almost instantly. All those present start to ask questions they expect this professional to answer. Without even trying to keep a low profile or at least asking for allowance to do so they go ahead. What they want are high-quality answers. For free.
It doesn‘t matter what they do for a living or how they have been raised. After the first question has been shot, more and more overcome their inhibitions and leave aside their good manners. Who cares why this specialist came here! Entertainment or just having a good time with friends? Never! A source of knowledge and experience that comes at no charge, that is what he or she just has become in their eyes and minds.
Witnessing such an act of human misbehaviour and rudeness is quite embarrassing. It makes me feel sick as well as sad for the one who falls victim to the audacity of the spongers. When trapped, there is only so much one can do without appearing to affront for no reason. And it is even harder when I find myself constrained to deal with it if it is me who is in the limelight.
Generally speaking I neither have a problem with sharing my humble knowledge and experience with people who ask me, nor helping them when they are in trouble and simply need some assistance. You may call it a question of honour, you may call it professional behaviour, you may even call it geeky: when someone asks me politely there must be very good reasons for not accepting the challenge. Long story short, under normal conditions people can count on me.
Yet those sudden Q&A sessions can really be a chore, especially when out with some friends to do and talk everything but work. It was some weeks ago when I met one of them and we had a nice afternoon chat, that we - for what reason ever - brought up this subject. With head shaking in disbelief he told me about his latest encounter of that special kind. And he revealed to me how he managed to escape the situation even though he had found himself trapped in some sort of tight spot.
He had been forced into a conversation about tweaking PCs to optimize them for gaming performance. While his interlocutors seemed to spend a lot of time on research on that matter my friend told them that he isn‘t exactly interested in PC gaming at all and pointed out that he might just not be a great help there. But that left the other guys unimpressed and they kept pushing him deeper into this conversation, forcing him to help them figure out some answers.
As they appeared to be very proud of their immense background knowledge they already had and which they were eager to show as if they were trying to compete with my friend, he couldn‘t help and made up a new strategy that he hoped would help him to get out of this conversation. ‘Well, I can see you‘ve already checked more options than I would‘ve ever been able to come up with. But I can think of another thing you could try. Find Config.sys and set buffers to 99.‘
The conversation died almost instantly. Obviously he found something to make his audience ponder about. They had to admit that they had never ever heard about that tweak and because of that it would sure be worth a try. Without even thanking him or apologizing for having him kept away from all the others for almost an hour they turned away. At least my friend was able to spend the rest of the evening the way it was supposed to be spent.
Ever since this evening, when he finds himself forced into some work-related talk he didn‘t ask for he simply waits for the moment to feel right and brings up this phrase. Find Config.sys and set buffers to 99. He is aware of the fact that it isn‘t exactly nice to offer people an advice of this kind but he keeps thinking of it as a means of self-defence. And after spending some moments reflecting on this I tend to agree. In a way.
I may have to mention that his advice will not have gotten his inquisitors very far. But following the suggestions will not have done them any harm either. They may have found themselves just waisting some time, trying to find the file in question and trying to modify it in the suggested way. One may call it their nemesis, at least it was some kind of poetic justice. Well, that is what we made of it. And talking about it made us smile.
How about you?
Suddenly people want to know more. But sadly the conversations are not about the person that is surrounded almost instantly. All those present start to ask questions they expect this professional to answer. Without even trying to keep a low profile or at least asking for allowance to do so they go ahead. What they want are high-quality answers. For free.
It doesn‘t matter what they do for a living or how they have been raised. After the first question has been shot, more and more overcome their inhibitions and leave aside their good manners. Who cares why this specialist came here! Entertainment or just having a good time with friends? Never! A source of knowledge and experience that comes at no charge, that is what he or she just has become in their eyes and minds.
Witnessing such an act of human misbehaviour and rudeness is quite embarrassing. It makes me feel sick as well as sad for the one who falls victim to the audacity of the spongers. When trapped, there is only so much one can do without appearing to affront for no reason. And it is even harder when I find myself constrained to deal with it if it is me who is in the limelight.
Generally speaking I neither have a problem with sharing my humble knowledge and experience with people who ask me, nor helping them when they are in trouble and simply need some assistance. You may call it a question of honour, you may call it professional behaviour, you may even call it geeky: when someone asks me politely there must be very good reasons for not accepting the challenge. Long story short, under normal conditions people can count on me.
Yet those sudden Q&A sessions can really be a chore, especially when out with some friends to do and talk everything but work. It was some weeks ago when I met one of them and we had a nice afternoon chat, that we - for what reason ever - brought up this subject. With head shaking in disbelief he told me about his latest encounter of that special kind. And he revealed to me how he managed to escape the situation even though he had found himself trapped in some sort of tight spot.
He had been forced into a conversation about tweaking PCs to optimize them for gaming performance. While his interlocutors seemed to spend a lot of time on research on that matter my friend told them that he isn‘t exactly interested in PC gaming at all and pointed out that he might just not be a great help there. But that left the other guys unimpressed and they kept pushing him deeper into this conversation, forcing him to help them figure out some answers.
As they appeared to be very proud of their immense background knowledge they already had and which they were eager to show as if they were trying to compete with my friend, he couldn‘t help and made up a new strategy that he hoped would help him to get out of this conversation. ‘Well, I can see you‘ve already checked more options than I would‘ve ever been able to come up with. But I can think of another thing you could try. Find Config.sys and set buffers to 99.‘
The conversation died almost instantly. Obviously he found something to make his audience ponder about. They had to admit that they had never ever heard about that tweak and because of that it would sure be worth a try. Without even thanking him or apologizing for having him kept away from all the others for almost an hour they turned away. At least my friend was able to spend the rest of the evening the way it was supposed to be spent.
Ever since this evening, when he finds himself forced into some work-related talk he didn‘t ask for he simply waits for the moment to feel right and brings up this phrase. Find Config.sys and set buffers to 99. He is aware of the fact that it isn‘t exactly nice to offer people an advice of this kind but he keeps thinking of it as a means of self-defence. And after spending some moments reflecting on this I tend to agree. In a way.
I may have to mention that his advice will not have gotten his inquisitors very far. But following the suggestions will not have done them any harm either. They may have found themselves just waisting some time, trying to find the file in question and trying to modify it in the suggested way. One may call it their nemesis, at least it was some kind of poetic justice. Well, that is what we made of it. And talking about it made us smile.
How about you?
Monday, July 5, 2010
Welcome To The Shark Pool, Part 2
For those who spent the last couple of years in a place far, far away from here (or maybe just underneath a stone): Welcome to The Information Age!
Oh yes, it is true: information is everywhere. It cannot be avoided, it reaches us almost everywhere, almost every time. Some people started moaning because of the sheer mass of information already over a decade ago. Yet the amount of it we have to deal (or put up) with keeps increasing on a daily, no, on an hourly basis. And along with the increasing amount, it becomes harder and harder to select the few precious bits, the rare lines of real value from this immense pile of information.
While this is or may be true for many of us and for big portions of our lives, there is a growing field where information is kept as secret as possible. No, I am not pointing to governments or their related institutions, even though this claim can be easily verified. (Which is saddening but a different story.) I am not talking about companies or people developing new ideas or products either. But we are getting closer.
I am talking about the endless, unexplored fields of daily work of any kind, where people like you and me rely on information, the flow of information amongst and within departments, teams and individuals. And it is pretty obvious that information is not only precious because of its pure value - information has become a kind of weapon in our daily work life.
While some companies and all or at least most of their employees are proud of having developed a corporate culture of dealing with information the right way, of sharing it and making it available to everyone (well, everyone working there and possibly needing information to make an even better job), there are companies that don't seem to care about it at all. The latter have very poor (if any) standards on sharing news and information and it doesn't take anybody by surprise that those places' work climate isn't exactly good or even acceptable - if there is anything like it at all.
People working for those companies have to spend an incredible amount of time to look for and bring together all those tiny bits of information they need to get their work done. But this isn't because there is no information at all or because it would be extremely difficult to share. No, in most cases information isn't at all or only partially shared because of self-serving deliberations.
It can be found quite often that employees keep information and knowledge to themselves to appear more valuable - and less replaceable. Even though this kind of (mis-)behavior makes it very hard for co-workers and subordinates to accomplish anything at all - what makes it even worse is that this way of acting is tolerated or even backed by supervisors and managers. And in some cases those disciplinarians achieve their own goals in a similar way.
When hearing about it, lots of people start shaking their heads in disbelief as there is a simple question leaving them confused: why? What are the reasons that make people act like this? Why do people accept to come up with second-best results if cooperation and sharing of information could help creating top quality products? How can it be that companies allow personal small-mindedness to get into their way of offering best services possible?
Maybe we can still find the use of mis- or non-information within companies because people are afraid. Fear has been and still is a powerful motivation. Even when told otherwise, there is a deep-rooted fear: the fear of being respected less, the fear of being considered less valuable or even redundant. And as it isn't exactly far-fetched that people can lose their jobs quite easily these days all of the behaviour discussed above may be a means of self-preservation.
While this may be true for some employees, others tend to use information as a weapon to make sure their image of superiority stays preserved. They simply need their co-workers to help them reach their own goals - and they don't care about the goals of the others at all. But as soon as this behavior becomes obvious, what is the reaction one could expect? Of course, it all ends like a game of ping-pong, keeping everyone busy (well, yes, most of the time employed too) - but delivering only average results. If any.
It would be naive to think this could be overcome easily. When finding yourself in a situation similar to the one described above there are three options how you can deal with it. First, you can try to accept it. Well, you can try. Good luck. But I doubt it would turn you into a happy camper. Second, you can try to bring on a change. While the first option only challenges you to stay mentally sane (and to stay who you are), this one requires additional efforts, strength and stamina. Last but not least, you can simply leave the situation. Even though it may turn out not to be that simple at all because of all the dependencies you have to take into account, well, it is an option.
So if you find yourself spending more than the better part of your working day hunting for informations that you think (or already found) should not be that hard to find in your company's pool of knowledge, experience and expertise you may find yourself swimming in a shark pool. And while you become aware of the dorsal fins around you, this may be the perfect time to give leaving that pool a second thought.
Just don't wait too long, something is already closing in on you...
Oh yes, it is true: information is everywhere. It cannot be avoided, it reaches us almost everywhere, almost every time. Some people started moaning because of the sheer mass of information already over a decade ago. Yet the amount of it we have to deal (or put up) with keeps increasing on a daily, no, on an hourly basis. And along with the increasing amount, it becomes harder and harder to select the few precious bits, the rare lines of real value from this immense pile of information.
While this is or may be true for many of us and for big portions of our lives, there is a growing field where information is kept as secret as possible. No, I am not pointing to governments or their related institutions, even though this claim can be easily verified. (Which is saddening but a different story.) I am not talking about companies or people developing new ideas or products either. But we are getting closer.
I am talking about the endless, unexplored fields of daily work of any kind, where people like you and me rely on information, the flow of information amongst and within departments, teams and individuals. And it is pretty obvious that information is not only precious because of its pure value - information has become a kind of weapon in our daily work life.
While some companies and all or at least most of their employees are proud of having developed a corporate culture of dealing with information the right way, of sharing it and making it available to everyone (well, everyone working there and possibly needing information to make an even better job), there are companies that don't seem to care about it at all. The latter have very poor (if any) standards on sharing news and information and it doesn't take anybody by surprise that those places' work climate isn't exactly good or even acceptable - if there is anything like it at all.
People working for those companies have to spend an incredible amount of time to look for and bring together all those tiny bits of information they need to get their work done. But this isn't because there is no information at all or because it would be extremely difficult to share. No, in most cases information isn't at all or only partially shared because of self-serving deliberations.
It can be found quite often that employees keep information and knowledge to themselves to appear more valuable - and less replaceable. Even though this kind of (mis-)behavior makes it very hard for co-workers and subordinates to accomplish anything at all - what makes it even worse is that this way of acting is tolerated or even backed by supervisors and managers. And in some cases those disciplinarians achieve their own goals in a similar way.
When hearing about it, lots of people start shaking their heads in disbelief as there is a simple question leaving them confused: why? What are the reasons that make people act like this? Why do people accept to come up with second-best results if cooperation and sharing of information could help creating top quality products? How can it be that companies allow personal small-mindedness to get into their way of offering best services possible?
Maybe we can still find the use of mis- or non-information within companies because people are afraid. Fear has been and still is a powerful motivation. Even when told otherwise, there is a deep-rooted fear: the fear of being respected less, the fear of being considered less valuable or even redundant. And as it isn't exactly far-fetched that people can lose their jobs quite easily these days all of the behaviour discussed above may be a means of self-preservation.
While this may be true for some employees, others tend to use information as a weapon to make sure their image of superiority stays preserved. They simply need their co-workers to help them reach their own goals - and they don't care about the goals of the others at all. But as soon as this behavior becomes obvious, what is the reaction one could expect? Of course, it all ends like a game of ping-pong, keeping everyone busy (well, yes, most of the time employed too) - but delivering only average results. If any.
It would be naive to think this could be overcome easily. When finding yourself in a situation similar to the one described above there are three options how you can deal with it. First, you can try to accept it. Well, you can try. Good luck. But I doubt it would turn you into a happy camper. Second, you can try to bring on a change. While the first option only challenges you to stay mentally sane (and to stay who you are), this one requires additional efforts, strength and stamina. Last but not least, you can simply leave the situation. Even though it may turn out not to be that simple at all because of all the dependencies you have to take into account, well, it is an option.
So if you find yourself spending more than the better part of your working day hunting for informations that you think (or already found) should not be that hard to find in your company's pool of knowledge, experience and expertise you may find yourself swimming in a shark pool. And while you become aware of the dorsal fins around you, this may be the perfect time to give leaving that pool a second thought.
Just don't wait too long, something is already closing in on you...
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