A quick note that this editorial loses a bit if you don't watch the podcast, so I'd highly recommend one of those to get the full effect 🙂
Awhile back we ran a guest editorial from Tim Mitchell about "The Zone," which provoked some great responses. It talked about the way we can focus so intently, so completely that we zone out, are intensely productive and even lose track of time. It's a feeling that I hope most people, especially developers can achieve and it's something I've really enjoyed during long runs or bike rides as well.
However there are lots of times when we don't want to concentrate so intently, or it's not beneficial. I'm sure most of you have run across a problem or series of problems and you are not sure how to solve them. You struggle to come up with a good solution, and it's like the next line in a song you can't remember; it's just out of the grasp of your mind.
So what do you do? I know lots of developers, a younger version of myself included, would just start coding. Try some different solutions and see if you could come up with one that works. That's not necessarily a bad solution, but it might not be the best way to tackle a tough problem. After all, with that approach you're trying things out and whichever one works first is likely the one you'll choose, whether or not it's the best solution.
I don't think that is the best approach and as I get older and struggle with problems, I've found that getting away and doing something else actually improves my solutions. My mind knows there's a problem and I'll keep thinking about it, but that distracted, half-thinking approach, the unconsciously brainstorming approach, lets me twist the problem, think about it a different way, and come up with solutions that I am forced to examine in my mind. Without anything on the screen in front of me, I somehow am freed from the bond of committing something to paper, or as we often do today, to bits.
When I'm writing, this is the approach I'll take when I'm stuck. Often a little manual labor out in the yard helps me think about things in a new way. As I think back to a few of the DBA jobs I've had, I realized that some of the most productive and creative solutions I, and the people I worked with, built came about during games of ping pong, darts, or some other distraction. Often one of us would stand up, need a break, and ask if anyone wanted to walk outside and throw a football around or play a game. We'd spend 10 or 15 minutes chatting, inevitably working our way back to work, and often getting an inspiration from the back and forth, give and take, with another person.
This backwoods architecture has served me well in End to End Training as well. Andy Warren and I will chat about ideas, debate and discuss the merits, in between and around catching up on other topics. It's a collaborative effort that may or may not be focused, but it always lets us learn something from the constant interaction.
Many people have dismissed the idea of game tables at work, or unfocused collaboration time as a perk designed to attract younger people and keep them at work. I'd argue that it's a great way to get people to interact and inspire creativity, especially when it's away from the computer. To me, it's used the same way that many people in the previous generation used golf: a way of getting business done.
Steve Jones
The Voice of the DBA Podcasts
The podcast feeds are now available at sqlservercentral.podshow.com to get better bandwidth and maybe a little more exposure :). Comments are definitely appreciated and wanted, and you can get feeds from there.
or now on iTunes!
- Windows Media Podcast - MB WMV
- iPod Video Podcast - MB MP4
- MP3 Audio Podcast - 5.8MB
Today's podcast features music by Everyday Jones. No relation, but I stumbled on to them and really like the music. Support this great duo at www.everydayjones.com.
I really appreciate and value feedback on the podcasts. Let us know what you like, don't like, or even send in ideas for the show. If you'd like to comment, post something here. The boss will be sure to read it.