8th
Xtreme Religion
Some time ago I called myself an information theologist.
I spend a lot of time thinking about what motivates people to do work. In the BlueOxen days we discussed that collaboration required SharedLanguage that led to SharedUnderstandings that led to SharedGoals which result in stuff happening.
This all remains true but I think there’s a step at the end which deserves more attention. When presented with the opportunity to do something, why do we actually do it? What is the process that drives us to choose between “yeah” and “meh”?
I think it’s belief. Faith. Allegiance to something that orients the moral compass. For some that’s just as simple as “it’s my job and I’ve got a work ethic, let’s get on with it” but for most that’s not really enough. There’s usually something more like “my paycheck feeds my kids” or “if we make this thing we are making the world a better place”.
In the abstract world of developers, things get a bit fuzzy (because many of the “normal” motivations don’t seem to apply) and I reckon that developers come up with methodologies to provide themselves with the structure, no, dogma with which to motivate themselves.
All methodology things like XP, Agile, scrum and even waterfall are is religions. A moral compass. A basket of constraints. A third party authority to get you off the hook and moving.
Similarly, all the standard religions are is methodologies: Ways of structuring your daily and otherwise life so it is functional, palatable and in motion.
