Bikeshedding
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Bikeshedding
1–10 of 34 posts
Re: Bikeshedding
#2I am so glad to have learned the right word to describe this! I've tried to employ the "drunk looking for his keys under the streetlight" metaphor before but was met with confusion and blank faces. Maybe this is an easier to grasp phrase
Re: Bikeshedding
#3Does anyone know how to avoid this anti-pattern in group discussions?
I don't think starting from the more important issues is always the answer. Assuming that: * the time for discussion is finite * discussions and meetings expand to fill the time they have (meetings expand to fill the time they have)
It follows to me that in many situations it IS good to start with the easy stuff, like the bike shed, to get it out of the way, and then spend the longer period of time all the way to the end on the more significant subject.
But what can one do to prevent investing too much time on the bikeshed? Timeboxing? And what happens if your box is over but no decision is made?
Re: Bikeshedding
#4I am disappointed the Talk:bikeshedding page is empty.
Re: Bikeshedding
#5The email that started it all (at least in the software world): http://phk.freebsd.dk/sagas/bikeshed.html
Re: Bikeshedding
#6I am so glad to have learned the right word to describe this! I've tried to employ the "drunk looking for his keys under the streetlight" metaphor before but was met with confusion and blank faces. Maybe this is an easier to grasp phrase
We've used 're-arranging the furniture while there's a hole in the roof'
Re: Bikeshedding
#7I am so glad to have learned the right word to describe this! I've tried to employ the "drunk looking for his keys under the streetlight" metaphor before but was met with confusion and blank faces. Maybe this is an easier to grasp phrase
Maybe this is an easier to grasp phrase
Probably depends on the crowd. I mentioned this before during a local Python meetup (a few years ago) and I got the same reaction with your "streetlight" metaphor.
Re: Bikeshedding
#8Does anyone know how to avoid this anti-pattern in group discussions? I don't think starting from the more important issues is always the answer. Assuming that: * the time for discussion is finite * discussions and meetings expand to fill the time they have (meetings expand to fill the time they have) It follows to me that in many situations it IS good to start with the easy stuff, like the bike shed, to get it out o…
The only way I discovered is to not work with 'bikeshedding' types. Some people (typically people who contribute little else), have a propensity to do this when placed in leadership positions. They have to put their little mark on everything at the cost of everyone else's time. This I feel is the secret behind a lot of startups kicking incumbents ass in recent years, old school monolithic corporations are full of bikeshedding bullshitters.
Re: Bikeshedding
#9Does anyone know how to avoid this anti-pattern in group discussions? I don't think starting from the more important issues is always the answer. Assuming that: * the time for discussion is finite * discussions and meetings expand to fill the time they have (meetings expand to fill the time they have) It follows to me that in many situations it IS good to start with the easy stuff, like the bike shed, to get it out o…
Clearly defined goals (literally write them down on a whiteboard if you can) and a little time management? It's tough.
If you've got an hour-long meeting and 30 minutes in you're talking about the color of a button, reestablish the goal of the meeting — "hey, we're halfway through this meeting and we're still stuck on the button color — maybe we should make a decision now or move on"
I've found that a lot of bikeshedding ends up being uninformed opinions/bias. If there's no evidence one way or the other it always seems more efficient to just pick one path and do it. Flip a coin, do an A/B test.
Re: Bikeshedding
#10I am disappointed the Talk:bikeshedding page is empty.
It is important that we have a good discussion going on about this very important issue. I invite everyone to contribute to the talk page.
But first, should we use TAB or SPACEs in the talk page?