To Get to the Root, Ask Why

Are you seeing the same type of problem over and over in your support department?  Wish you could stop putting out spot fires and get to the source? In my office, we recently had an interesting discussion on The 5 Whys as a root problem identifier.   This method of problem solving was introduced by Sakichi Toyoda, and was later used at Toyota Motor Corporation.

Why five?  Generally speaking, three levels of why will identify the problem to a level where a fix can be applied.  Going two more levels of why gets to the root.

For example, a customer calls in complaining the server is hung and no one can access the system.

1.       Why? – The CPU is pegged at 100 percent

2.       Why? – An import process is taking up all resources

3.       Why? – There is an infinite loop in the code

At the third why, you have enough information to have a developer fix the defect, and send the customer a patch.  But that doesn’t really address the root problem of all of these symptoms, so let’s go two levels deeper.

4.       Why? – The developer wasn’t properly trained on how to run unit tests on the code

5.       Why? – The development manager didn’t feel the training was necessary

We can now see that this “technical” problem was really a human process problem.  Now that we know the true root, we can move to correct the process and avoid similar problems in the future.

Had success with this model at your company?  Join the conversation in the comments below.

Don’t Be Denied Unemployment

As layoffs mount, more employers are protesting unemployment claims filed by ex-employees, according to The Washington Post. That’s because employers typically fund the state’s unemployment pool and each company’s rate is determined by its history.

After their unemployment benefits are denied, some workers are surprised to learn they weren’t really “laid off .” Instead they were reported as terminated for cause, like tardiness or poor performance. While workers have a chance to protest a denied claim, the process takes time and effort.

If the worse happens to you, make sure you’re prepared to validate your claim for unemployment benefits.

• Keep performance records: Maintain a duplicate file at home, because if you are laid off and escorted from the building, you may not be able to go through your desk to retrieve your personal files. Keep a copy of your performance reviews and any letters or e-mails of commendation you receive. If you receive a warning, and correct your behavior, ask your boss for written proof of your improvement. If you only receive verbal confirmation, document when the conversation occurred and keep the note in your folder. Also, consider sending an e-mail to your boss confirming the conversation, which puts the onus back on him to respond, if he disagrees with your assertion.
• Ask why: If you are let go, ask for the official reason. The person letting you go may call it a layoff and put a different termination reason in your file, which might impact your ability to collect unemployment.
• Severance language: If you’re given a package and asked to sign an agreement, look carefully at the language to see if it might prohibit you from collecting unemployment. If necessary, insert a phrase stating the company will not protest your unemployment claim and make sure it is initialed by a company representative, then keep a copy. When in doubt, ask a lawyer to review the document.
• Take notes: Some situations are sticky, like when you’re being pressured to resign, or when working conditions are poor or your pay has been cut while workloads increase. You have the best chance of collecting if you can prove your assertion. Be sure and document the chain of events, noting each date, time and who was involved, in case you need the information in order to collect.

Save Money, Stand Out

Being the IT Manager in a small company usually means you’re part of the “purchasing department.” Especially with today’s tight budgets, that means you have to be an effective negotiator. If there’s one thing I learned from the hard-nosed, sailor-mouthed prepared foods buyer during my stint at Whole Foods Market, it’s to never ever ever pay sticker price.

When buying a server, switch or even a piece of software, always ask for a deal. You’ll be surprised at how often you can save your company 20 percent on your purchases. Most recently, by agreeing to be a case study for a supplier, I was able to get 40 percent off of the base price for several licenses of a third-party development tool.

Here’s another way to get a great deal: At the end of every quarter, companies are under pressure to post the biggest sales numbers that they can. As a result, sales managers will go pretty far to get revenue that will be recognized in the current period. During March, June, September and December, you’ve got them over a barrel. So during those months ask for steep – but reasonable – discounts. And if March or December is the end of a company’s fiscal year, you may do even better, because those sales folks are under even more pressure to put good numbers on the books .

Obsolete Hardware? Maybe Not

A good tool should last a long time. That’s the very sensible philosophy of Roger L. Kay, who writes in Business Week about his beloved old notebook.

In January, for the tenth year in a row, I took my little Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) Jornada notebook to a trade show in Las Vegas. As I fired up and snapped shut this highly reliable machine during a cascade of meetings, I was again struck by its practicality. Although dated by any definition, the old Jornada remains—year after year—exactly the right tool for the job at hand: taking notes in appointments scheduled one after another all day in venues scattered throughout the city.

Kay riffs on the importance of durability and low power demand as just two examples of why a gadget like the Jornada can and should continue to run for years beyond the date of its “planned obsolescence.”

This device could easily remain in service for another decade. However, like the automobile industry before it, the computer business has gotten its customers on a cycle of planned obsolescence, which suits suppliers’ requirement to continue to develop and sell technology whether we need it or not….Yes, they’ve got more features. But they don’t always become more reliable.

Kay describes his Jornada as “good enough,” an important principle that’s often forgotten in the marketing-driven rush to upgrade everything from DVD players to mainframes. In lean times, you’ll be an IT hero if you can make do with what you have and make it last beyond its scheduled replacement date. As things stand today, that replacement date may shifting anyway.

For even more antique tech enlightenment and inspiration, enjoy Business Week’s entertaining slide show of “Tech That’s Still Ticking,” examples of how clever IT experts are keeping some very old gadgetry alive and kicking.

Improve Productivity? Grab An Office

Workspace is power. Even in open-plan offices, the typical senior management team is nowhere to be found, having colonized a conference room or three. In workplaces that do assign offices, every aspect carries meaning: Corner office or office with no windows? Having a view, or facing the restroom? Oak-paneled desk, or beige metal?

Everyone knows that surroundings matter, but that’s perhaps most of all true for programmers. Given the number of variables (no pun intended) they have to juggle in their head, (lack of) interruptions matter.

From a management perspective, getting more productivity out of “programming talent” is no secret. “The #1 guideline for programmer productivity is to hire good ones – they deliver 3 times more than bad ones (the very best are 20 times more productive than the worst),” says usability expert Jakob Nielsen. “The #2 guideline is to give each programmer a private office and minimize distractions and interruptions.”

Assuming companies are working with the programmers they currently have, the biggest bang for their buck, then, is simple: Give programmers a door, and let them shut it.

Good Morning, Neo

But how many companies really give their programmers an office, as opposed to just assigning them to a windowless space in some Matrix-style cube farm? And while we’re on the subject, are there any companies these days that actually spend time designing work areas that give their programmers space to think and work?

In fact, some companies do spend time and money to create workspaces designed for programmers, as witnessed by “A Software Designer Knows His Office Space, Too,” about the new office of Fog Creek Software. (Warning: For anyone working in a sterile, hotel-like environment, the images of a custom-designed workspace with views of the Hudson, excellent lighting, glass whiteboards, fully adjustable desks with digital height readouts, an open-for-all-to-use marble shower, and plenty of doors  may be heartbreaking.)

“Programmers need to hold a lot of things in their heads, so our goal was to minimize distractions and allow them to concentrate,” Joel Spolsky, the chief executive officer and founding partner of Fog Creek Software, tells the New York Times. (And by the way, he’s hiring, and looking for interns.)

Spolsky, who frequently writes about software development and managing software teams on his eponymous Joel on Software blog, frames the question of workplace architecture thusly:

Is there a nice atrium lobby with live palm trees and a fountain, or does it feel like a government dental clinic in a slum, with dying corn plants and old copies of Newsweek?

The question is far from academic. “Building great office space for software developers serves two purposes: increased productivity, and increased recruiting pull,” he says.

Yet, in a down economy, will workspace – already an under-considered topic – be the last thing getting a fresh look? Perhaps. So consider yourself lucky, should you find or be wooed by a software firm that prioritizes giving all programmers a room of one’s own.

And if you’ve survived at a company that’s downsized, consider the upside: Maybe now you can colonize an office with a door.

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Dial Up the Right Smartphone

Picking the right smartphone can be a challenge, and the task of picking the right smartphone for an entire organization is exponentially harder. What’s the right feature set, the right network, the right security for you and your colleagues? With 40 million smartphones being shipped globally each quarter, it’s quite the project to keep up.

So as 2009 begins, let’s review and predict. CIO.com’s Al Sacco presents a slideshow of the eight best smartphones of 2008. “Each and every one is worth a look,” he says. If you need to make a purchasing decision in the next couple of months, you’ll likely choose from among this bunch.

But wait, there’s more. CIO.com also presents a preview of the ten hottest upcoming smartphones for 2009.

You can look forward to smart phones that sport razor-sharp displays, lightning-fast processing speeds, and built-in videoconferencing capabilities, as well as phones with cameras that have the potential to put your point-and-shoot to shame.

Some of these models are months away, and some may ultimately be too cool for us Americans, but they’re very much worth looking at as you try to stay on top of what is one of the IT industry’s fastest changing markets.

Time for Tech Workers to Get a Suit

Like it or not, how you dress for a job interview can give you an edge – or not.  I sympathize with IT workers who may struggle with this. Most techies spend the bulk of their time behind a computer, and don’t view spiffy attire as relevant to their jobs. After all, it was the tech world that made it okay to be informal in the office (IBM excluded).

But IT workers should put some thought into what they wear to a job interview, particularly in this competitive market. In fact, CIO Magazine’s Meridith Levinson says many CIOs suggest tech workers wear a suit to a job interview.

Research by Robert Half Technology found more 35 percent of CIOs felt that way, while 26 percent view khakis and a collared shirt as appropriate. Twenty four percent view tailored separates as suitable, while 9 percent say jeans and a polo shirt are, er, suitable.