Nice post here by Hass Chapman on hunter-gatherers, play & software development. I can definitely relate to the way of working outlined. While we were hunter-gatherers, we did take to agriculture eventually.
That move is not natural for me, though. I’m more of a rancher than a farmer. The challenge for me, therefore, is how to accommodate other styles of work.
To highlight potential role mismatches, I fall back on models like the “finders, grinders, minders” consulting model David Maister popularized. Consulting comes to mind because I’ve often heard customers say: “I’d like the folks who built it to be the ones who support it.” That sounds plausible in theory, but that usually involves taking a “grinder” and making him/her a “minder”. Which rarely works unless that person is explicitly looking to change his/her lifestyle.
Filed under: PMO | Tagged: Hass Chapman, Vocation, work-life balance, workmanship | Leave a comment »