Whack-a-mole as a problem solving strategy
Never go to work with “this should be an easy day” as the plan du jour. The higher powers that control our destiny have a rapid response team working on that sort of philosophy. In for a quiet day, out exhausted.
When the phone is already ringing, and you’re early to your desk, it should be a signal that this might be a longer than usual day. I only deal with real emergencies is not supposed to be the motto, but sometimes… a principal is there with a laptop computer containing the whole shebang for the school yearbook. Of course, the machine no longer boots. And today is the last day of school.
The wireless network decides to become intermittent, on a day when there are some serious deadlines. The strategy where we won’t wire the second floor – they have that wifi stuff now. The strategy where no spares are kept around in case the access point develops hiccups.
Those other laptops that have to be returned to a school on the last day of exams – will they be ready soon? Only if people stop phoning with other emergencies. What about the graphic files that have to be resized? You mean I have to save my edits? Nobody told me…
It’s office party time, so some people will have to leave a little early to get there. No problem; I work best alone. Did you have a chance to print the pages I emailed to you after closing time yesterday? (Yes, before you arrived this morning; we cover all contingencies here). Is that your stomach gurgling? Eating wasn’t on the revised schedule for today.
But, if you play whack-a-mole long enough, the board quiets down, and those who are diligent can head home to do more interesting things. I will…
Meanwhile, the city schools are in their final hours. Somebody took the time to clear out their locker, and then attach their faithful Dudley to one of the hanger straps on my city bus. One way of signalling closure.
