sewing like a software developer

There’s been so much rain in my area, some of my handier friends are threatening to build arks. I live in an apartment building, so the water would have to raise quite a bit for me to consider using my balcony as a boat launch.

And besides, I am handier with needle and thread than my circular saw.

To that end, i decided to make a mod-raincoat for summer weather. You may be asking what this has to do with project management, and the answer is quite a bit!

Be it an ark, a car, a piece of software or a rain coat, there’s an object in need of designing, and then the design must be broken down into segments. This is the art of transforming an amorphous idea, concept into a beautiful reality.

With the raincoat, I knew that I had wanted to make a rain slicker for quite some time. I had the general idea that it was red vinyl with black and red cherry cotton lining.

To accomplish my goal, I combined two common software techniques : Waterfall and Agile. To oversimplify things greatly, in Waterfall, everything is designed from the get go… from the top down. It’s a method that takes an autocratic approach, and there’s no room for inspiration or innovation from those actually implementing the design. In Agile, the design of the project/product organically arrives through a more collaborative approach, and the object is designed and implemented in short bursts.

I started with a familiar pattern — Simplicity 4403 — and laid out the pattern pieces.

After much cutting, pining, basting, and some trying things on, I realized exactly how humid our weather had been. There was no way that I could stand to wear a vinyl raincoat when it was so hot and sticky out. My Waterfall product requirements and instructions were not matching my understanding of the current reality.

I took an ice tea break, and thought about how I could make this pattern work. The things it had going for it included:

– fashionable collar, double breasted design

The things it had against

– there was way too much coat for the summer.

Sitting on my balcony, I experienced a pleasant afternoon breeze, and realized that the best way to save this coat was to cut off the arms. I thought I was crazy. A raincoat without arms? but really, what has been happening here is hot/humid/rain/humid/rain/hot/hot/humid.

In this case less was more.

Taking that as my mantra for the next phase of Agile-style, I removed the arms, and re-sewed the lining. That was better… more comfortable, but still not quite it. It needed more, “je ne sais quoi”. And then I realized that a curved hemline would provide a bit of French 60s modern that could just save this garment.

Well, I was right. The hem provided enough of an interesting line that combined with the sleeve-less-ness the overall look was more like a cape. It’s a bit like Little-Red-Riding Hood meets Paddington Bear, and I love it. It’s a one of a kind rain slicker that works exactly as I need it to given current weather conditions.

fire drills are necessary

Do you dread fire drills?  Scheduled or surprise, they generally fall into the category of  “I’m doing this because I know I have to, not because I want to”.  Whenever that dreaded, loud siren, and the accompanying strobes go off, I am always in the middle of something.

Over the years fire drills have become fun, ever since I started seeing them as a way to get to know my neighbors, co-workers, or other folks I share space with. I started seeing them as a way to remember where all the exits are and to network. I will always be in the middle of something,  so why not turn what could be an annoyance and disruption into an opportunity.

That’s exactly what the SouthWest Air Flight Attendant does in this (internet famous) youtube video:

Outside of turning annoyances into opportunity, it’s important to remember where all the exits are,  just in case the next time really is a fire or an emergency landing.

United Flight 1549, January 2009

Change Happens…

Change Happens.

Last week, I was driving on a major highway. It was one of the first nice days we’d seen in some time, and dusk was falling. It was a classic February Tease of the Spring yet to come to the NorthEast. You could see the grassy median thawing on the 6 lane behemoth of access into the city.

With no warning, the 2 cars in front of me stopped short, jerked to the right, and caused me to snap out of my audiophile reverie during my routine commute. What was happening was a chain reaction – and I was far enough away to witness the shock wave happening, and avoid it.

Change happens,that’s indisputable, it’s what we do in the face of change that is important… and how well prepared we are to handle the change when it occurs. In the case of my driving exploits, all the defensive driving classes paid off as well as years on the road. Having the a well built and German engineered vehicle doesn’t hurt either, along with proper planning, appropriate following distance, general driving skills and awareness, all combined provided the formula for avoiding a multi-car accident on a busy roadway at dusk.

This quick incident got me thinking about the catch phrase Change Management, which is really a misnomer. Change happens, and we react to it. As project managers, we are mitigating risks, understanding root cause, leveraging available resources, etc., and managing reaction to change.

Virginia Satir was a psychotherapist who among other things, talked about change. Her model was designed around the family, but it has gained popularity in corporate circles as well. The idea is that when change occurs, we move through an stages of acceptance and each stage of acceptance also correlates to how well we “perform”.

In the case of the video-game like traffic New Jersey often presents, all of the drivers were moving along at the status quo, and then something happened (a foreign element, in Satir nomenclature) and that corresponded with a drop in performance (cars slowing down and swerving) as the drivers, one by one needed to stop resisting the chaos the newly introduced foriegn element.

What was this foreign element that caused the traffic ? Via experience and backed up by queuing theory / traffic analysis we learn that these waves persist well past their originating point. And even in our projects, events that seem insignificant may indeed be the linchpin event that sends ripples throughout the rest of the time line. Sometimes we never get our curiosity satisfied as to determine the soliton, what caused the wave in the first place.

However, this time, curiosity was satisfied when I passed the originating point and saw that the root cause for the erratic traffic was a white plastic resin lawn chair quite calmly and jauntily landed on all four legs in the middle of the lane. I’ve seen a lot of things on the road, but a single lawn chair, waiting for an occupant during the evening rush has definitely topped my surreality meter.

Returning to the change process model by Satir, our status quo of evening driving was impacted by the decidedly foreign element of a lawn chair, causing a bit of chaos, accompanied by a drop in performance(the second phase). As a whole traffic mass, we adjusted to the new element, integrating the lawn chair into the traffic flow and regaining competent performance, (the third phase) creating a acceptance  new status quo. Ms. Satir posited that the fourth stage of a new Status Quo was operating at and above the performance level of where the group was previous to the introduction of a foreign element.

For us, the lawn chair was not something we expected. It was a change we couldn’t manage. It happened, regardless of our skills and experience as drivers.

Instead, we all managed our reaction to the change. and that the reaction to change is associated with a drop in ability, but over time, an increased skill is achieved.

Change Happens, and It’s good for you, Even if it’s a lawn chair.

Bagel Shop Re-Engineering

I went to get a bagel and coffee this morning.

They’ve Changed The Bagel Place. Again.

I know that retail establishments often reconfigure their front of house (and back of house) operations in hopes of establishing greater efficiency. Especially chain/franchises. Someone far removed from the actual situation at hand sees a floor plan, and an audit report of sales per hour and decides that it could be done better.

I believe that what was grossly overlooked in this case was the fact that this establishment is a morning and weekend place. That means that most of the people going in are half awake needing a vital infusion of caffeine and starch before even uttering a full sentence. I know this, of course, based on the very large sample size of one. Because on those rare days that I crave coffee, nothing and no one else in this world matters before that cup of sugar, half and half and brown caffeinated water.

I walked in today, and realize that the coolers are gone, replaced by chip bins, and the newspapers are in a different spot, and thank goodness the bagels are in the same location – but they have changed the order of display – which makes my brain work harder.

This makes initiating the order, the first part in the process a little harder, as I must ascertain if they have my favorite flavor (everything) and if not what my second choice will be (it varies). Thankfully, providence is somewhat on my side, and the everythings are in stock fresh from the back of house. IT was either that or blueberry so I’m feeling kinda lucky.

Now, Though the location of the bagels hasn’t changed, the way in which I get one from behind the glass and into my hands has completely altered. The Process Flow and Plan that is put in place is certainly created by someone who has never ordered a bagel and coffee on less than 4 hours of sleep. To initiate the project of getting my bagel, I now must queue up and talk to one person behind a console, who types it in. Then it gets printed out at some other magical bagel delivery station and placed in a First in First Out queue. While the behind the scenes magic is happening I pay for the bagel at another console. Before, I would just make eye contact , point, grunt, mumble, and voila, bagel, cream cheese, coffee, heaven. This was a simple plan.

The execution of this plan was generally carried out by one person – they’d take my order, make it, then take my money, then I’d take my items smile, and leave. Now, because they’ve changed it up, there are at least 3, if not 4 – 5 people involved in the same project of getting my bagel. What’s worse is as a customer, it’s not clear what to do after I’ve asked for what I’ve wanted, especially if it is a To-go order. I can’t stand between the two consoles, because there is a line of folks waiting to pay. I shouldn’t sit down (because it is around the corner and out of view of the bagel making counter.

Now, I have lost control over my bagel project. One could argue that I never really had control, just awareness, but I argue that awareness is a form of control. My bagel getting process which used to involve walking up to the counter, ordering, watching, paying, taking, leaving, has disappeared into the abyss of efficiency.

I can no longer watch my food being made as it is passed like a basketball down the court – along with 3 or 4 other similar looking basketballs. In the past I could stand there and observe, (stare) at the person making me food and make sure they didn’t pick their nose into it. Now I must hope for the best because some head office bean counter decided that it was better this way. They probably already had their morning fix.

I go to this chain for two main reasons — it’s about a 3 minute roll out the door, and there’s an acquaintance who works there. For some reason there’s a force field around his email address so this is the only way to make a connection.  Today he reports that my prior attempt to add him to the social email group I’ve formed has been unsuccessful. Granted, the last time we had this stilted conversation it was before the blessed Caffeine has hit my system, so it’s probably me.

I digress.

We were talking about the local Happy Hour, and I corrected him that it’s next week (as opposed to yesterday) and he said he’d be there.

In the midst of this congenial conversation I  realize I am still without bagel.  The coffee is slowly warming up the slow moving brain which realizes that I can close this deal right here right now. It’s an awful thing to do, as I am sure that everybody else huddling in line is also desperate for their bagel in light of the new “process improvements”,  but since I know this guy, I’m going to see if he can help in the quest for breakfast. I don’t know him well, but we know each other well enough that we are both standing here having a conversation.

I look at this mass of people, like me, who have now fixed their coffee and are waiting in front of the chips by the front door (really awful people flow design to have folks blocking entrance/egress while they wait for something they’ve already paid for) and I look at the Bagel Acquaintance  and say “I wonder what happened to my bagel anyway?” – he says, “what was it ?” on the ready, i respond “everything toasted, cream cheese…”

Less than a minute later I have closed the deal and am out the door. I catch a bit of a rumble that he’s taken a bagel out of queue and I’ve jumped the line. I’m not sure how guilty i feel for understanding how the system was working, and finding an unconventional way to improve the process to achieve my simple goal of breakfast.

Despite lack of sleep, coffee and a change up in the expected, I was able to leverage available resources to get what i wanted, on budget and in less time.  I’ll definitely be back there next weekend.