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Beyond Best Practices
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Daniel Terhorst-North
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November 24, 2008
Business
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44
Beyond Best Practices
Daniel Terhorst-North
PRO
November 24, 2008
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Transcript
Beyond Best Practices Revisiting the idea or “How come everyone
else is so stupid when I am so smart?”
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Motivations for
Best Practices Ensure consistency Support learning Limit (potential) damage Commoditise resources – mobility, flexibility Enforce control Manage risk
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 With apologies
to George Lucas Fear leads to Risk Risk leads to Process Process leads to Hate …and suffering and meetings
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 What causes
fear? Rational fear comes from knowledge Irrational fear comes from ignorance Most fear is irrational… …so we can learn our way out of it
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 The Dreyfus
model Novice Advanced beginner Competent Proficient Expert
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Interlude “Why
is everyone else so stupid while I am so smart?” confused confusing?” It’s not my fault!
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 “Practices” Things
we do Behaviours Prescriptive
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 The Dreyfus
model… and practices Novice… needs practices! Advanced beginner… uses practices Competent… defines practices – uh oh Proficient… falls back on practices Expert… subverts practices
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 “Best” Absolute
qualifier Context-independent Unambiguous
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 “Best Practices”
Absolute prescriptions of behaviour …to stifle the creative environment …to frustrate your best people That has to suck
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 So we’re
done, right? Not quite…
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Where are
best practices useful? Protecting people from themselves Getting people through the advanced beginner stage And that’s all - unless…
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Beyond “Best
Practices” Context Descriptive rather than prescriptive Pros and Cons That sounds like a pattern
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Summary “Risk
averse” == scared, and that’s ok Skilled people operate from instinct …and instinct is based on context So beyond Best Practices you need neither “best” nor “practices”
© 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Thank you
Any questions? dan.north@thoughtworks.com