Taking Responsibility
I’ve been reading the excellent Getting Things Done, and Ready for Anything by David Allen. They have provided great inspiration for an application I’m working on to manage my time better.
One chapter in the Ready for Anything book titled, “Whenever two or more are responsible for something, usually nobody is”, reminded me why I’m able to finish these sites a quickly as I do. Yes I am a pretty fast coder, and yes I do work with great people, but that isn’t the real reason. Getting a client to make a decision (and sticking to it) is often the reason that projects take such a long time to complete. When client makes a decision, and later (usually much later) when they change their mind, is often why projects are delayed and bug filled.
Meeting after meeting about features, and design, which usually lead nowhere, kill time and energy for the project. As Robert Copeland said “To get something done, a committee should consist of no more than three men, two of whom are absent.” Although his quote needs a little gender assistance, it holds true even today.
This is a call out to anyone responsible for a web project, please make a decision, and stick with it. To developers, who hopefully are now using Agile techniques, please allow the client as much time as possible to make the decision. Not all things need to be decided at the start of the project. Make the client aware of what needs to be decided, and give them the time and space to make that decision.
Being the client and developer for the Every 5 Week project websites, puts me in an unusual position. A position that allows me to take responsibility for the decisions that need to be made, and make them when needed, which helps me meet my every 5 week deadline.
