Chapter 13. It’s probably not a technical problem
I learned this from Jerry Weinberg, somewhere. The most difficult problems aren’t technical problems. Typically, when you step back and get an objective look at the problem you’re facing, chances are the real issue isn’t a technical one; it’s probably an irrational, subconscious soul-fart bubbling around inside somewhere, masked as a technical problem. It’s not that this person doesn’t understand how the wobbulator is supposed to work, it’s that this person doesn’t understand and there’s a stigma or expectation that they should, and, therefore, the fear of being kicked out of the tribe is lurking somewhere beneath the surface.
Roy’s analysis
Truer words have rarely been spoken. I’m a big fan of Jerry Weinberg myself, and I quote him in the book a couple of times!
Here’s an attempt to “translate” Bill’s note into this book’s terms. This situation definitely falls into the “influence forces” discussion. If you’re trying to understand why a person doesn’t seem to get something and do it right, no matter how many times you’ve explained it, step back and look at the six influence forces.
Regarding personal ability and motivation, the person might want to do this task, but might not know how to accomplish it. But at the peer level (social motivation and ability), it might be that they react badly when a specific type of question is asked at the group level.
Helping people understand the way they feel about insufficiency might be the first step toward helping them overcome the fear of admitting that they don’t know something.
Exercises
- Observe your team, and watch the interactions between people during the day.
- How do some people react to specific questions or notifications from other people when it’s done face to face?
- Do you notice obvious cases where people should’ve said something but didn’t?
- Why does that happen?
- Can you use the influence forces table in chapter 9 to start finding out?
BILL WALTERS has been working in software and testing for a long time. He’s attended the Jerry Weinberg Problem Solving Leadership workshop and read a number of his books and articles and can, therefore, be labeled a biased disciple.