At what kind of work are you becoming more perfectionist, and at what kind are you becoming less perfectionist?
Girish and Binod would like to be more perfectionist in strategic planning and system architecture where precision is critical for reliability, scalability security and long-term success. Girish is okay to be less perfectionist in initial brainstorming sessions and prototyping phases where the focus is on generating innovative ideas rather than flawless execution.
Binod emphasizes that IT professionals must prioritize rigorous testing, code reviews, and adherence to best practices to deliver superior software products. Additionally, in areas such as cybersecurity and data privacy, perfectionism is essential for mitigating risks and protecting sensitive information from threats. Conversely, in agile development methodologies and rapid prototyping environments, there may be a shift towards embracing imperfection as part of the iterative process. IT professionals may prioritize speed, flexibility, and responsiveness over absolute perfection, focusing on delivering incremental value to users and incorporating feedback iteratively. By striking a balance between perfectionism and pragmatism, professionals can adapt to diverse project requirements and deliver successful outcomes in dynamic environments, says Binod.
Anupreet points to segments of work where you really want to be perfect, for instance – working with executives on one end and with customers on the other end. While the deliverables make their way from ideation to delivery, there are places where we embrace progress over perfection.
IT as a field has long embraced agile methodology, which means maturing deliverables through iterations. On the innovation side, we show progress over perfection, but when it comes to the security of our customers’ data, we do not compromise and ensure that there is the highest level of precision involved, avers Anupreet. Rohit agrees, and points out to improvements in documentation, quality testing, and team collaboration getting better. The downside is increasingly dependence on ‘cut-paste’ methodologies from AI bots and less original work.
Vamsi is am increasingly sticky about getting the architectural foundation right. Be it the right cloud to host the application, or the right design pattern/tech stack to code or the right levels of observability to incorporate an ‘Always On’ philosophy to critical infrastructure.
Customer serviceability is another area where perfectionism matters. However, Vamsi is quite flexible regarding burndown rates or sprint velocity, as that allows one to fail fast and catch up over the project lifecycle.
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