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Beyond Best Practices

Beyond Best Practices

Daniel Terhorst-North

November 24, 2008
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  1. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Motivations for

    Best Practices Ensure consistency Support learning Limit (potential) damage Commoditise resources – mobility, flexibility Enforce control Manage risk
  2. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 With apologies

    to George Lucas Fear leads to Risk Risk leads to Process Process leads to Hate …and suffering and meetings
  3. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 What causes

    fear? Rational fear comes from knowledge Irrational fear comes from ignorance Most fear is irrational… …so we can learn our way out of it
  4. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 The Dreyfus

    model Novice Advanced beginner Competent Proficient Expert
  5. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Interlude “Why

    is everyone else so stupid while I am so smart?” confused confusing?” It’s not my fault!
  6. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 The Dreyfus

    model… and practices Novice… needs practices! Advanced beginner… uses practices Competent… defines practices – uh oh Proficient… falls back on practices Expert… subverts practices
  7. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 “Best Practices”

    Absolute prescriptions of behaviour …to stifle the creative environment …to frustrate your best people That has to suck
  8. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Where are

    best practices useful? Protecting people from themselves Getting people through the advanced beginner stage And that’s all - unless…
  9. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Beyond “Best

    Practices” Context Descriptive rather than prescriptive Pros and Cons That sounds like a pattern
  10. © 2008 Dan North, ThoughtWorks Better Software 2008 Summary “Risk

    averse” == scared, and that’s ok Skilled people operate from instinct …and instinct is based on context So beyond Best Practices you need neither “best” nor “practices”