Work Hack

About this document

This is the document to define the guideline of usual works with higher performance. If you want to work professionally, let’s follow this guideline. This may be updated depending on the result whether the members can follow them or not.

If your colleague (even Kakeya) shows “bad practice”, let’s share “good practice” each other.

Take notes

Reason:

To prevent to ask/search/investigate the same things many times. The human brain has the structure to forget the past so it’s impossible to remember all things perfectly.

Example:

• Input cases … presentations, seminars, training, meetings, questions, self-learning, googling
• How to take notes … write in the notebook, create a doc file then save or share, make the minutes of meetings and share, add on Knowledge Base, post blogs
• Bad practice … try to remember all by the brain and forget, ask the same questions many times, google the same things many times. => Just a waste of time.

Respond fast and accurate

Reason:

To let the other members move sooner based on your response and to prevent reminders. Also, in order to share the discussion result again, we should discuss in the publish channel and should avoid using private chat.

Example:

• When someone asked to investigate something and even if you might take a while, you should response first “Let me check” or “Let me check and reply again after 1 hour”. Unless you response, a person who asked you can’t understand you recognize its request or not and need to remind.
• If you are asked 2 questions for example, you should give 2 answers.

Make suggestions instead of excuses

Reason:

To advance the discussion or problem solving forward. Unless you find the way you can, nothing can go forward.

Example: In case the deadline is hard to meet

• Bad example … “I can’t finish my task until *** because I have to do many things…”
• Good practice … “I can meet the deadline if I can exclude task A and B, or can finish all tasks if you can change the deadline into ***. Which do you prefer?”

Example: In case you find the technical problem

• Bad example … “I didn’t find the solution for the problem A.” => This is bad because the person who is said so (mainly managers or PO) can’t judge if it’s really not possible or not and why.
• Good practice … “Problem A itself is not possible to resolve because this is because of the spec of the external tool.” => This is a little better than above because the person who is said so can delete one option.
• Best practice … “Problem A itself is not possible to resolve perfectly because of the spec of the external tool A but can fulfill almost same expectation using the external tool B. Or even if we still use tool A, we can realise most of features but only feature A and B is not possible.” => If you can suggest some options, it should be much easier and faster to judge and the most efficient for the business. Your output is not for you but for the business.

Understand what you’re doing

Reason:

To prevent the missing tasks or too much quality.

Example:

• Clarify the goal of each task.
• Always confirm that a task is done and should not close alone.

Separate and clarify tasks

Reason:

For better time management and more exact estimation. Also, you can share with your leader or manager your progress and result. If you are going to the wrong way, they can adjust what you need to do.

Example:

• If you are not sure the exact estimation for a ticket, you can separate it into smaller tasks.
• If you can’t answer the clear and concrete conditions to get it done, you should ask them to your leader or manager.
• If you don’t know the deadline of a ticket, you should ask them to your leader or manager.
• If you finish a small task to write the program, you can make a PR.

Don’t disturb others when having a break

Reason:

If we make noise, the other colleagues may not be able to concentrate on working. Can you imagine an always noisy professional business person? We should not decrease the productivity of the others and should always think of the others.

Example:

• If you want to discuss something, you should use a meeting room or leave the desks.
• If the others are noisy at the office, you should notice each other.
• If you feel your efficiency is low, you can take a break but should have time-box.
• When you have a break, you can enjoy conversation with others but don’t be loud. Or choose the place.