Popular Ceremonies

by Dwayne Phillips

Sometimes we hold popular ceremonies without thought. Doing just about anything without thought can be fraught with peril.

There are many popular ceremonies among those of use who build systems. One of those is the daily standup meeting. I could go on with a long list of these.

Are we using these activities wisely or simply because a wise person once advocated them? Oh, that. Hmm. Well, I think someone told us we had to do this to fulfill something or other. So they must be good, right?

There is a point to repeating an action that at first doesn’t seem worth the resources. After a while, we learn why we were eating broccoli or brushing our teeth. It comes to us eventually.

There is also a point where repeating a popular ceremony is just a show. “Look, we do this and that. We must be good (in one way or another).”

Actions without thought are fraught with peril. Let’s think. Let’s ask someone who has seen the benefit of ceremonies to advise us. We can do better.