Comments on: A sort of opposite of Parkinson’s Law http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/10/19/a-sort-of-opposite-to-parkinsons-law/ The blog of John D. Cook Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:42:11 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: John http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/10/19/a-sort-of-opposite-to-parkinsons-law/comment-page-1/#comment-63540 John Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:47:46 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3449#comment-63540 Jan: There's a similar saying here: "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast." I don't think it is too widely known. I believe it comes from military special forces. Jan: There’s a similar saying here: “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.” I don’t think it is too widely known. I believe it comes from military special forces.

]]> By: Jan Marthedal Rasmussen http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/10/19/a-sort-of-opposite-to-parkinsons-law/comment-page-1/#comment-63534 Jan Marthedal Rasmussen Tue, 01 Feb 2011 09:52:43 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3449#comment-63534 I recognize this from myself. I tend to be more productive when I am relaxed and have plenty of time available. The story about Conway is also told in Thomas M. Thompson's "From error correcting codes through sphere packings to simple groups". In Denmark we have a saying that goes something like "The ultimate laziness is doing it correctly the first time" (or something along those lines). When you are in a hurry, you tend to cut corners and make mistakes that you have to repair later on. I recognize this from myself. I tend to be more productive when I am relaxed and have plenty of time available.

The story about Conway is also told in Thomas M. Thompson’s “From error correcting codes through sphere packings to simple groups”.

In Denmark we have a saying that goes something like “The ultimate laziness is doing it correctly the first time” (or something along those lines). When you are in a hurry, you tend to cut corners and make mistakes that you have to repair later on.

]]> By: Daniel Lemire http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/10/19/a-sort-of-opposite-to-parkinsons-law/comment-page-1/#comment-63439 Daniel Lemire Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:54:17 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3449#comment-63439 While I do not consider myself to be highly productive, some people have marvelled at my (modest) productivity. Invariably, they are surprised when I tell them that I work fewer hours than they do. While I do not consider myself to be highly productive, some people have marvelled at my (modest) productivity. Invariably, they are surprised when I tell them that I work fewer hours than they do.

]]> By: vlorbik http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/10/19/a-sort-of-opposite-to-parkinsons-law/comment-page-1/#comment-26296 vlorbik Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:26:07 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3449#comment-26296 outstanding post! shorter cook's law: haste makes waste. meanwhile: hurry makes worry. i noticed that years ago but have never typed it out till now. outstanding post!
shorter cook’s law: haste makes waste.
meanwhile: hurry makes worry.
i noticed that years ago
but have never typed it out till now.

]]> By: Wedge http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2009/10/19/a-sort-of-opposite-to-parkinsons-law/comment-page-1/#comment-26222 Wedge Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:48:34 +0000 http://www.johndcook.com/blog/?p=3449#comment-26222 The surest way to go slow, in software development, is to cut corners while trying to go fast. There are countless examples of this style of infinite defect development resulting in massive schedule slippage and uncertainty. It's not entirely surprising that having the mental breathing room of knowing that you have more than enough resources available to get things done "the right way" can lead to efficiencies which result in getting done faster. The fascinating aspect is that such efficiencies may occasionally be on the scale of orders of magnitude rather than incremental differences. Perhaps more than occasionally. It'd be great to see more research on this. The surest way to go slow, in software development, is to cut corners while trying to go fast. There are countless examples of this style of infinite defect development resulting in massive schedule slippage and uncertainty. It’s not entirely surprising that having the mental breathing room of knowing that you have more than enough resources available to get things done “the right way” can lead to efficiencies which result in getting done faster.

The fascinating aspect is that such efficiencies may occasionally be on the scale of orders of magnitude rather than incremental differences. Perhaps more than occasionally.

It’d be great to see more research on this.

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