Refactored 058: "Meeting Complexity"

Wherein the guys leave a pair of shoes in the vent for John McClain on Christmas Eve.

published Feb 22, 2022
Show Notes

Refactored #058: “Meeting Complexity”

On this episode of Refactored…

  • The guys play Zoom Bingo: “I’m sorry, can you repeat that?
  • Parkinson’s Law enters the chat because “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
  • Frank makes a case for keeping meetings really tight. Tight in which dimensions? Glad you asked:
    • Number of functional areas represented by attendees
    • Number of topics for discussion
    • Number of total participants
  • The guys invent the Flaming Cat Index (or FCI), which is the product of multiplying the numbers of participants, topics, and departments for a given meeting.
  • Frank flexes with a timely admission that his default meeting duration setting is 30 minutes.
  • The guys agree on nomenclature for team member personas:
    1. Little Jimmy — the new entry-level developer
    2. Big James — seasoned professional; lead/architect/etc.
    3. Aldrich Blankenship — WASPy mustachioed executive with an underbite
  • Q: How transparent should you be about discipline and terminations? A: As much as possible, and no more.
  • The (unofficial) pick of the week is the Trifecta of Christmas Glory: Die Hard, Home Alone, and Christmas Vacation.
  • … and much more!

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