this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2024
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We cant use the same performance metrics used in other industries on IT. I could be struggling with a coding problem for hours but it doesn't mean im not working.
The amount of times I've logged off work with a coding problem only to stew on it for 4 hrs including when I'm laying in bed. I'm not billing work for any minute of that nor would I be able to if I tried. Game is fucking rigged in favour of the employer.
Similar problem for me as a lawyer. I can have a case that keeps me up at night stewing and trying to think of a solution, but I feel it would be ethically irresponsible to bill them for 5 hours when I’m not “technically” working on their case.
I realize I'm very privileged. If I'm working on an issue for a whole day or a half day, everything I do during that day is part of the solution and will be billed to the customer (and I'll be paid for by my employer too). If that includes taking a nap, so be it. Results are what matter, as it should be. If someone ever starts saying I'm taking too long to do something I may consider changing my ways.
Just because I’m not sitting at a keyboard doesn’t mean my brain isn’t working on the problem. I’ve had epiphanies taking a shit before. I’m a systems architect so not really a code monkey but I solved a DNS/networking issue the other day doing dishes. No idea why it hit me then but then again I have ADHD and my brain is fucking weird.
Eh, it's pretty common for your subconscious to process things in the background. If I'm stuck on a problem at the end of the day, I leave early and I'll have solved it 9/10 times by the time I get to work the next day. I don't have ADHD AFAIK (never tested nor felt the need to be), so I'm pretty sure it's a common experience for creative jobs.
If you worked for me (or any other of about 20 PO's at my company), you'd be comfortable telling me that you were struggling. You'd explain the challenge and your estimate to completion, and I'd either reshuffle our priority list so that you could park the task and pick another one, or find someone for a pair programming session with you. That's the common practice, and nobody should care whether you're yellow on Teams or use a mouse jiggler, as long as you communicate your work and challenges.
Then you would make it take longer.