I recently pointed out to a (rather drunk) friend that successful processes are easier to follow than not follow.  He remarked that I could usefully spend a career on the direct consequences of that statement.  It occurred to me that, rather than give up code forever, I might usefully note down some of my thoughts on the subject.  A note: I've been both a chief and an indian in various organizations, and have moved between the two roles more than once.  This has given me a certain perspective on processes, both why they are important, and why they are a...

I've been trying to stick together a few notes about what I've learnt about process design and implementation over the years.  The "short notes" just keep getting longer and longer.  However, this story is worth repeating and should illustrates one rule that everyone should know by now is: never link a metric to cash.  It seems like the most sensible thing in the world to give out bonuses on the basis of deliverables.  It's not, it will damage your department and your firm.  If you're lucky, you'll know how.  If you're unlucky, you'll never find out. Let me give an...