When I was young we used to play a game called Twister. Twister consisted of a mat having four lines of dots. Each line had a different color, Red, Blue, Yellow or Green. It also had a spinner. Someone would spin and call out what action the players had to do on the mat, “Right hand on Red; Left Foot on Green”. Eventually, the players on the mat became quite entangled, and sometimes, there were not enough dots of the correct color available. If you were not able to make the required move, or touched the floor with anything other than your hands or feet, you were eliminated from that round of the game.
Sometimes working in IT can seem like a game of Twister. The pace can be wild, and the available resources are often limited. Chaos ensues. And someone keeps spinning the needle and calling out new actions to take that seem impossible to accomplish.
We can work like fiends to get the job done. We put in extra hours with lots of effort. We succeed one more time, and what happens next. Well, there’s no reward for completing the last task. Instead the needle has come up with another task…and you can do it. You always have. You’re dedicated to the company, and want to see it succeed.
Do we have to play the game? How about changing the game to something else? Perhaps we change the rules? We know that chaos is a reality in a thriving business. We need to act in a timely manner, and it often is quite inconvenient. However, your time is a limited resource you are investing in your company. If you don’t use it wisely, the company suffers. You do a disservice to all those around you when you don’t protect yourself.
Well, I know this is a big topic, having spoken with many individuals along these lines. Some people have ideas about what we can do. Have you found anything that works for you? If so, please leave a comment with your tips for the rest of us mere mortals.
Cheers,
Ben