dishwasher PM
Call me crazy, but the dishwasher encapsulates many issues that program managers face in the software world. It's a good check to see if the job is a fit for you. For example:
* Do you have a "way" that you load the dishwasher?
* How do you manage it when your less process-oriented spouse loads it a different way?
Hint: rearranging dishes yourself so everything fits = bad, making him handwash the stuff that doesn't fit = good
* Say you're emptying the dishwasher and you're on silverware. You have a silverware sorter where there's a place for spoons, a fork-shaped place for forks, that sort of thing. You obediently put everything in its right place, but it occurs to you that this is taking forever with no real benefit. What do you do?
a) Cringe in horror at the very thought of throwing silverware in the drawer unsorted
b) Give the whole basket a big toss, and look around to see if you shocked anyone
c) Continue to sort the darn things, because that's how it has always been done.
Comments
Of course, there needs to be an option C for hubby: do a second load ;-)
Posted by: Jeremy C. Wright | April 27, 2004 01:42 PM
See, that's just the thing. Allowing a second load doubles the overall duration of the dishes task. Plus, there's no opportunity for punishment I mean learning. (har har) I suppose you'd have to consider it if you had something useful to rotate your "resource" to during the second cycle, but viewing the dishes as an isolated event it would not be in your advantage to start that second load.
Posted by: Elizabeth Grigg | April 27, 2004 09:52 PM