I think that whenever we watch a video, we see it through lenses colored with our own experiences. I loved this one because I’ve got somewhat of an ornery nature.
In my experience, a well-designed plan that is executed skillfully has a much higher degree of success than one that is done without collaboration and strategic planning. Each player has a job to do, and the other members depend on them do it at the right time. It’s also much more fun because we can celebrate the win with our team members, and someone doesn’t get eaten alive.
When we moved into our new offices, I thought it would be a great idea to put a 55-inch monitor in each of the software engineer’s office. We also bought expensive (at the time) technology that enabled anyone to cast their screen to any or all the other software developers’ screens. Every developer had 3 monitors, the large one on the wall and two on their desks. My childish hope was that the developers would collaborate with each other. It wasn’t that easy. At least in my experience, software developers are like artists. Imagine a skilled painter who is commissioned to paint a sunset behind a beautiful girl. They are proud of their work and know what they are doing. Someone walks by and says, “that is a beautiful sunset, but it needs a flock of birds flying across the sun.” Another person comes by and says, “that is a beautiful girl, but in today’s diversity, she should be Chinese.” Another comes by and says she should be American Indian. Another says she should be older. Another says the sun should be lower in the horizon and have more color. The artist will either tear up the canvas or move somewhere where no one can see what they are doing. In the meantime, the project is delayed, and it is not pretty.
Craftsmen of any type – plumbers, electricians, chefs, and even drain cleaners have skill sets that enable them to do their jobs well. I’m not talking about trainees, at this time, just good solid, proven craftsmen and women who know what they are doing and have proven themselves. Usually, the best thing to do is let them do their jobs. They may not do it the way that you would do it, but the object is to do the project. The important thing is that before the project is started, a strategic plan is in place with any additional requirements.
They may have the required skill sets, tools, or parts, but there could be hazards that need to be realized. This is especially true when it comes to compliance and safety regulations. In the craftsman’s mind, he can do the job better by himself or herself. The problem is that if there is no strategic plan and collaboration, the job won’t get done in a timely manner or someone could get hurt. Ultimately the owner of the company is the one responsible. The owner or CEO could even go to jail if the project is not carried out strategically.