Work Performance and the Milit6

Saw this interesting post that took off when some manager tried telling an employee that people who rig parachutes had to give 100% or people would die, and it sparked a discussion on what exactly the work requirements are for riggers. 

I read it mostly because I remember having a lot of riggers in my class at Airborne school, and I already knew that they had to be prepared to jump with any of the parachutes they rig. 

The additional points about how they are required to take breaks (as it is known the quality degrades after a certain amount of time), about not wanting them rigging parachutes if they're sick or otherwise compromised, and of course that there's quality control in place so that you're not dependent on one person always getting it perfect are... 

Actually pretty basic common sense. 

And yet ... 

Things that are fairly obvious in a job where people die if you get it wrong, are somehow not understood or accepted by business leaders today. 

Maybe it's the lack of true leadership experience? 

I don't really know the cause, but I am sometimes actually grateful for the things I learned about leadership from my time in the army. 

Somewhat related, I was talking to someone about that a few weeks ago and remembered a few other points I feel are often forgotten. 

Namely that, as a leader, the first question for when my people fail at something is 'did I set them up for success?'

Did I give them the training they needed? Were my expectations clear? Did they h6the resources to do the job? If it required coordination with another team or department, were there issues I needed to resolve? 

Sure, people are diverse and you might have some slackers or troublemakers, but in my experience over 90% of any issues can be resolved if you make sure you set them up for success. 

And if you did all that and they still aren't cutting it? You have the documentation you need to say they're a poor performer. (For that specific job, at least. People have different talents and some are not suited for the task at hand. It doesn't mean they're lazy or a bad employee, they're just not in the right spot).

I heard a famous coach say something similar, and I wish I remembered who it was and where.

Anyways, thinking of that reminded me of yet another issue with the 'whale' fallacy that seems to have grown big in tech.

Which is that really, if you think 10% of your people are 'whales' who do 90% of the work, then you need to figure out what you are doing that's blocking the other 90%.

Because there's nothing innately special about your 'whales'. 

On Tech

This post is... More vehement than I would be, with examples not quite in my area of expertise, but captures a sentiment I feel. 

Actually, it reminds me of an old basketball movie - Hoosiers. 

Which was naturally a rather popular thing to show a bunch of high schoolers in Indiana. Anyways, the coach that took that small Indiana team to state champions made a big deal about focusing on the basics. 

Sure, it looks cool when you can do a fancy slam dunk and hang from the hoop. 

But how's your ability to pass the ball? To dribble? How well do you and your team mates know the plays? 

Can you trust that if defense is blocking you and you call a play, that you can pass the ball to the right person and that they'll be there, ready for it? 

Teamwork is not magic. 

All my military experience just emphasizes this, so let me say it again. 

Teamwork is not magic. 

It's practice, and working with each other and practice and trusting each other and practice.

Anyways, I'm so very glad I switched to tech after having a career elsewhere, because I would hate to have been thrown into this sort of environment without knowing that it's actually pretty awful, and not 'just the way things are.'

Not that it's been that bad for me personally, but then again (because of prior experience) I'm pretty decent at figuring things out despite it all.

I've actually been doing pretty well at fixing some problems lately, one almost by accident. 

That doesn't change the basic point. Because talent and decision making are teachable and traits that any decent organization would develop in their people. It's practically the heart of creating a leadership pipeline. 

And there are plenty of people who can be smart and talented if given the right support. (The more of which, the better, because no organization should rely on just a few geniuses.)

The Internet Today

https://defcon.social/@HcInfosec/112812721463188213

Pundits and Average Citizens

Never have I felt more of a divide between the pundits and media and the average citizen. 

Basically... In a normal presidential election year my social media fills up with memes and articles advocating for one candidate or another. 

Not this year. 

Honestly it feels like everyone has already made up their mind, and we're just waiting for the chance to vote. 

Even Biden's debate stumble, and even more with Trump's attempted assassination... 

There's just a minor bump in political posts, mostly affirming what has already been decided, and that's it. 

Which is why it's kind of surreal to see media hyping themselves into a frenzy. 

Let's just hurry up and get to November already. 

On the Golden Rule

The idea behind the golden rule appears in a lot of religions, not just Matthew 7:12 in the Bible. 

A refresher for those who don't want to bother looking that up -

"In everything, do to others what you would want them to do to you. This is what is written in the Law and in the Prophets."

I suppose it's in some ways related to the MAD deterrence policy. 

Basically, it helps limit escalation by telling people 'treat others the way you want to be treated', or some variation thereof. 

It's not just some moral requirement compelled from on high. 

It's actually quite practical - because whatever awful thing you do, is all too easily done to you as well. 

It's also why 'but they started it!' is such a shit argument. I mean, first of all assuming they actually did (and that you're not assuming they cheated or fill-in-the-blank as a way of salving your ego), retaliated is a) likely not to be proportional unless you're especially careful to make sure it's 'an eye for an eye' and thus escalates things further and b) is probably not going to make them think 'wow, we fucked up. Let's back off.'

You really ought to consider what's more important to you - revenge and making them hurt, or finding a solution that let's everyone live peacefully. Assuming the latter is possible. It's not always. 

Anyways, the point of all this rambling is because of that assassination attempt. 

More specifically, it's because Trump has acted as though everyone should do what he says - or else.

There has been a constant threat of violence from his supporters if things don't go his way.

And the reason that has been so concerning,the reason it's proof he's a terrible choice and should never get near the levers of power,is because if one side starts,the other will follow suit, and that's how we got the Sunni and Shia murdering each other like crazy in Iraq.

There are some real fucking morons (I'm absolutely cussing in my blog today) who somehow think this is a great idea.

Probably because they a) assume they will win and b) assume nobody they care about will get hurt or die in that inevitable descent into violence they're trying to kick off.

This is why they're fucking morons.

This is the lesson that the Hunger Games was all about.

Like, maybe the system is so terrible that an actual revolution is the only way (and currently we're not at Hunger Games levels, but let's not digress) but any such thing,  no matter how justified, will be ugly and violent and people like Prim will die.

You'd better understand that when you decide escalating into violence is necessary, and it should be for better reasons than 'I don't like woke people.' or 'but, taxes!' or 'I know nothing of Europe's religious wars or why we have freedom of religion and would like to impose my religious views on everyone, and don't care that that often leads to the ugliest amount of death and dying as people disagree on what God actually wants'

Thought Provoking

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/14/fracture-lines/#disassembly-manual

I've Honestly Been Wondering This...

Though about more than just tech bros

https://www.honest-broker.com/p/how-did-silicon-valley-turn-into

You'd think if they're as smart as all that that they'd know how to check their assumptions, evaluate evidence, etc. 

Not give us the constant foolishness that's pretty much dragging us all into hell.