Many people admire and respect work that is executed perfectly from beginning to end. Middle managers often encourage the completion of reports, PowerPoint presentations, software, and more. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook has famously said that "Done is better than perfect," but in Japan, working perfectly is considered a virtue and is common in professional work. Is this true?
Individuals have different habits, styles, and capabilities. I have often felt frustrated when people strive for perfection, maturing their output until they perceive it as 100% complete. Unfortunately, this often leads to results that do not meet my expectations. Below are some of the main reasons why seeking perfection may not lead to satisfactory output:
Anti-Agile Style: Simply put, perfectionism is at odds with agile methodologies. This explains why agile development has become more popular in many situations lately.
Failure to Meet the Latest Requirements: When someone focuses on maturing the output to 100% according to their standards, the final result may not cover the latest requirements.
Delayed Route Redirection: Ongoing development without advice from colleagues and superiors can lead to isolation.
Exponential Increase in Time Required After 70% Completion: Depending on the volume of the agenda, achieving 70% might be done quickly (for example, in 2~4 hours). But brushing up to 90% could require double the time.
Late Risk Closure and Misalignment with Other Activities: The lack of transparency in progress can lead to missed risk identification and change management opportunities.
Selfish Craftsmanship: Most of the work done between 70% and 90% completion is only craftsmanship, sticking to style and template as per personal preference. (Note: If your boss is an obsolete micromanager, your output might be completely customized to their liking!)
In conclusion, my recommendation is to aim for 60~70% completion and deliver it within a couple of hours. This approach aligns more closely with modern development strategies and may lead to a more satisfying and timely result.
No comments:
Post a Comment