Problem:
How to leverage
ComingUpToSpeed.
Context:
You're in a new situation, and are "coming up to speed."
There's not a lot written down yet.
Others will follow the same or similar paths as the
project staffs up or evolves.
Forces:
- You want to be up to speed and productive, and want to avoid anything that slows this process down.
- The organization needs productive people.
- The project needs to get more "stuff" written down.
Solution:
Adopt the mindset that you're responsible for training
your (possibly fictional) replacement. (If it feels
safer, suppose a new team member instead.)
Arrange to gather and record information that will
help your replacement come up to speed.
This mindset will drive you to seek a deeper understanding
of issues. (And pushing issues on behalf of a third party
may feel somehow safer.)
Resulting Context:
You'll achieve a greater understanding of the
problem at hand than you otherwise would have,
and you've cleared the path for those who'll follow.
If you're promoted and actually end up with a replacement, it's probably a win-win.
At worst, you'll have refined your skills at problem
definition and refinement,
and will have helped the project
get things written down.
--
DaveSmith (3/8/96)