Latest Posts - Page 84 of 192

July 8, 2020July 5, 2020 A Positive Point-Of-View

The Benefits Of Planning

As annoying things go, planning is not at the top of the list. However, developers tend to feel they are most productive when they are writing code. Therefore, planning can be frustrating. It almost forces us to be patient and define an approach before getting to work. Nevertheless, there are many benefits of planning, and it is an easy topic for finding the bright side. Look Before You Leap Many wise words point to the benefits of planning. We may feel better in the short-term by stepping into implementation, but that can easily be overwhelmed by pain due to improper planning. We all work better when we have time to think through an approach. That is why things like panic... Read more

July 6, 2020July 4, 2020 A Positive Point-Of-View

The Positives From Meetings

Almost all Developers prefer to skip most meetings. These are not activities we tend to look forward to with joy. However, we can get positives from meetings. Not all of these activities are created the same. Nevertheless, an appropriate agenda and dedication to focus during this time can be very fruitful. An Agenda Is Critical There are many ways a meeting can go “off the rails.” That may be why we so often find meetings to be annoying, or at least time we cannot get back. We need focus if we want to receive positives from meetings. While we can have many goals for a meeting, maintaining focus is a common trait for success. This requirement is no different from... Read more

July 3, 2020June 27, 2020 A Positive Point-Of-View

The Positives of Grunt Work

Grunt work is often a significant portion of our job that makes it feel like “work.” It is not the fun part of our day. However, there are pros and cons to this well-known task. What is Grunt Work? Let’s start with a definition. Investopedia provides an excellent example. Grunt work is an expression used to describe thankless and menial work. Grunt work can also refer to jobs that lack glamour and prestige or are boring and repetitive. I think the keywords of “thankless” and “boring” are enough to provide the negatives for this type of work. However, we have a bright side we can focus on as well. A Refreshing Grunt I think about Tim Allen’s trademark grunting sound as part of this... Read more

July 1, 2020June 26, 2020 A Positive Point-Of-View

The Upsides of Niche Requests – Not All Outliers Are Bad

Outliers and niche requests can often push us over the line from a simple solution to a complex one. We commonly can get that eighty percent of the cases addressed in our initial code. However, an outlier gets into the far more difficult final twenty percent mentioned in the Pareto principle. These “new” requirements or missed details can cause headaches and missed deadlines. However, they have a bright side as well. A Stronger Solution First and foremost, the more cases our solution is tested against (and it supports), the stronger it is. In an extreme example, consider a calculator that only adds single-digit numbers. That is not very useful. It needs to handle a broader range of numbers and include... Read more

June 29, 2020June 26, 2020 A Positive Point-Of-View

The Bright Side of Office Politics

Office politics are one of the most frustrating things in the business world. There are people that live for this challenge. However, they are often seen as detrimental to productivity. We even have some arguments that this as something that needs to be removed from typical work experiences. The Value Of Different Voices One of the essential attributes of office politics is that an organization has multiple opinions on a topic. There are examples we can look at that are purely self-serving. However, let’s refer to that as scheming rather than office politics. Therefore, I do not include people trying solely to protect their job or extend their fiefdom as part of this discussion. We can all agree that people... Read more

June 26, 2020June 20, 2020 A Positive Point-Of-View

Upsides of Cellphones – Yes, There Are Some

Cellphones have become a constant in many of our lives. They are the first thing we reach for in the morning and the last thing we put away at night. This situation has led to plenty of complaints and worries about these devices. However, there are upsides of cellphones we can focus on to keep that positive outlook. Cheaper Long Distance The ability to talk to people outside of your area code used to cost extra. This feature could be costly. The standard cell phone plans quickly dropped long-distance charges. While many things have opened our ability to work remotely, that may be one of the most impactful ones. Think about those zoom meetings if people had to pay long-distance charges in... Read more