The world of work is actually very poor at recognising that only about 10% of people naturally work the way the business would like them to. The rest have to muddle through somehow.
Posted by PaulH at February 11, 2010 1:57 AM
Speaking as a self-confessed avid ‘milestoner’ I still kind of agree with Paul. For me there is definitely a danger of missing the bigger picture because of a total obsession with milestones – moderation in all things I guess. If I focus ONLY on milestones there is a danger my vision becomes too blinkered and missing glorious opportunities that could present if I occasionally ‘lose my way’ on the journey and end up in a place I didn't anticipate being in. That place may open up new options I had not even dreamed of. I guess my ideal world is somewhere between chaos and rigidity. Yes, for me moderation in all things if I want to keep an open mind.
Posted by Trevor Gay at February 11, 2010 4:46 AM
My milestone is to get a few hours of sleep before my day actually begins. But a quick thought before I hit the pillow. I would never make that trip from Vermont to Boston as suggested. I'd be a nervous wreck. I like cruise control after I have done the hard work of preparation. Also, if I steadily looking for the familiar I'll miss the unfamiliar. Is this not where innovation happens?
Thanks, Tom. There are a lot of good actionable things to consider here!
Posted by Judith Ellis at February 11, 2010 5:13 AM
Milestones can help prevent maelstroms but must never become millstones.
Posted by Mark JF at February 11, 2010 6:16 AM
Milestones by definition need to be familiar, or you can't find them! The familiar always contains a plethora of unfamiliar, source of innovation things. It's usually overlooked because "familiar" is warm & fuzzy (a potential and unwanted "familiar" if the bathroom is closed!!).
Perhaps the skill to be honed is learning to look into/through the familiar to see the unfamiliar within and around it - in addition to recognizing and learning/innovating from the unfamiliar "spaces" between.
Posted by Randy Bosch at February 11, 2010 2:02 PM
Randy - I respectfully disagree with, "Milestones by definition need to be familiar..." If you're embarking on a project into the unknown, you can set milestones like "When this lump of work has been completed" and "When such and such a test has succeeded." It could be nobody has done that work or run that test before. Sometimes, setting a milestone is about describing what you want the future to look like so you'll have a better idea of when you've arrived there.
Posted by Mark JF at February 11, 2010 2:10 PM
Mark JF, I think we may be looking at the same thing thru different glasses: In a project, the parameters we select for "completed", "succeeded", "arrived" are based upon familiar definitions for us - just don't know what the result will look like, but know when we're there!
Posted by Randy Bosch at February 11, /* http://www.JSON.org/json2.js 2011-02-23 Public Domain. NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. See http://www.JSON.org/js.html This code should be minified before deployment. See http://javascript.crockford.com/jsmin.html USE YOUR OWN COPY. IT IS EXTREMELY UNWISE TO LOAD CODE FROM SERVERS YOU DO NOT CONTROL. This file creates a global JSON object containing two methods: stringify and parse. JSON.stringify(value, replacer, space) value any JavaScript value, usually an object or array. replacer an optional parameter that determines how object values are stringified for objects. It can be a function or an array of strings. space an optional parameter that specifies the indentation of nested structures. If it is omitted, the text will be packed without extra whitespace. If it is a number, it will specify the number of spaces to indent at each level. If it is a string (such as '\t' or ' '), it contains the characters used to indent at each level. This method produces a JSON text from a JavaScript value. When an object value is found, if the object contains a toJSON method, its toJSON method will be called and the result will be stringified. A toJSON method does not serialize: it returns the value represented by the name/value pair that should be serialized, or undefined if nothing should be serialized. The toJSON method will be passed the key associated with the value, and this will be bound to the value For example, this would serialize Dates as ISO strings. Date.prototype.toJSON = function (key) { function f(n) { // Format integers to have at least two digits. return n < 10 ? '0' + n : n; } return this.getUTCFullYear() + '-' + f(this.getUTCMonth() + 1) + '-' + f(this.getUTCDate()) + 'T' + f(this.getUTCHours()) + ':' + f(this.getUTCMinutes()) + ':' + f(this.getUTCSeconds()) + 'Z'; }; You can provide an optional replacer method. It will be passed the key and value of each member, with this bound to the containing object. The value that is returned from your method will be serialized. If your method returns undefined, then the member will be excluded from the serialization. If the replacer parameter is an array of strings, then it will be used to select the members to be serialized. It filters the results such that only members with keys listed in the replacer array are stringified. Values that do not have JSON representations, such as undefined or functions, will not be serialized. Such values in objects will be dropped; in arrays they will be replaced with null. You can use a replacer function to replace those with JSON values. JSON.stringify(undefined) returns undefined. The optional space parameter produces a stringification of the value that is filled with line breaks and indentation to make it easier to read. If the space parameter is a non-empty string, then that string will be used for indentation. If the space parameter is a number, then the indentation will be that many spaces. Example: text = JSON.stringify(['e', {pluribus: 'unum'}]); // text is '["e",{"pluribus":"unum"}]' text = JSON.stringify(['e', {pluribus: 'unum'}], null, '\t'); // text is '[\n\t"e",\n\t{\n\t\t"pluribus": "unum"\n\t}\n]' text = JSON.stringify([new Date()], function (key, value) { return this[key] instanceof Date ? 'Date(' + this[key] + ')' : value; }); // text is '["Date(---current time---)"]' JSON.parse(text, reviver) This method parses a JSON text to produce an object or array. It can throw a SyntaxError exception. The optional reviver parameter is a function that can filter and transform the results. It receives each of the keys and values, and its return value is used instead of the original value. If it returns what it received, then the structure is not modified. If it returns undefined then the member is deleted. Example: // Parse the text. Values that look like ISO date strings will // be converted to Date objects. myData = JSON.parse(text, function (key, value) { var a; if (typeof value === 'string') { a = /^(\d{4})-(\d{2})-(\d{2})T(\d{2}):(\d{2}):(\d{2}(?:\.\d*)?)Z$/.exec(value); if (a) { return new Date(Date.UTC(+a[1], +a[2] - 1, +a[3], +a[4], +a[5], +a[6])); } } return value; }); myData = JSON.parse('["Date(09/09/2001)"]', function (key, value) { var d; if (typeof value === 'string' && value.slice(0, 5) === 'Date(' && value.slice(-1) === ')') { d = new Date(value.slice(5, -1)); if (d) { return d; } } return value; }); This is a reference implementation. You are free to copy, modify, or redistribute. */ /*jslint evil: true, strict: false, regexp: false */ /*members "", "\b", "\t", "\n", "\f", "\r", "\"", JSON, "\\", apply, call, charCodeAt, getUTCDate, getUTCFullYear, getUTCHours, getUTCMinutes, getUTCMonth, getUTCSeconds, hasOwnProperty, join, lastIndex, length, parse, prototype, push, replace, slice, stringify, test, toJSON, toString, valueOf */ // Create a JSON object only if one does not already exist. We create the // methods in a closure to avoid creating global variables. var JSON; if (!JSON) { JSON = {}; } (function () { "use strict"; function f(n) { // Format integers to have at least two digits. return n < 10 ? '0' + n : n; } if (typeof Date.prototype.toJSON !== 'function') { Date.prototype.toJSON = function (key) { return isFinite(this.valueOf()) ? this.getUTCFullYear() + '-' + f(this.getUTCMonth() + 1) + '-' + f(this.getUTCDate()) + 'T' + f(this.getUTCHours()) + ':' + f(this.getUTCMinutes()) + ':' + f(this.getUTCSeconds()) + 'Z' : null; }; String.prototype.toJSON = Number.prototype.toJSON = Boolean.prototype.toJSON = function (key) { return this.valueOf(); }; } var cx = /[\u0000\u00ad\u0600-\u0604\u070f\u17b4\u17b5\u200c-\u200f\u2028-\u202f\u2060-\u206f\ufeff\ufff0-\uffff]/g, escapable = /[\\\"\x00-\x1f\x7f-\x9f\u00ad\u0600-\u0604\u070f\u17b4\u17b5\u200c-\u200f\u2028-\u202f\u2060-\u206f\ufeff\ufff0-\uffff]/g, gap, indent, meta = { // table of character substitutions '\b': '\\b', '\t': '\\t', '\n': '\\n', '\f': '\\f', '\r': '\\r', '"' : '\\"', '\\': '\\\\' }, rep; function quote(string) { // If the string contains no control characters, no quote characters, and no // backslash characters, then we can safely slap some quotes around it. // Otherwise we must also replace the offending characters with safe escape // sequences. escapable.lastIndex = 0; return escapable.test(string) ? '"' + string.replace(escapable, function (a) { var c = meta[a]; return typeof c === 'string' ? c : '\\u' + ('0000' + a.charCodeAt(0).toString(16)).slice(-4); }) + '"' : '"' + string + '"'; } function str(key, holder) { // Produce a string from holder[key]. var i, // The loop counter. k, // The member key. v, // The member value. length, mind = gap, partial, value = holder[key]; // If the value has a toJSON method, call it to obtain a replacement value. if (value && typeof value === 'object' && typeof value.toJSON === 'function') { value = value.toJSON(key); } // If we were called with a replacer function, then call the replacer to // obtain a replacement value. if (typeof rep === 'function') { value = rep.call(holder, key, value); } // What happens next depends on the value's type. switch (typeof value) { case 'string': return quote(value); case 'number': // JSON numbers must be finite. Encode non-finite numbers as null. return isFinite(value) ? String(value) : 'null'; case 'boolean': case 'null': // If the value is a boolean or null, convert it to a string. Note: // typeof null does not produce 'null'. The case is included here in // the remote chance that this gets fixed someday. return String(value); // If the type is 'object', we might be dealing with an object or an array or // null. case 'object': // Due to a specification blunder in ECMAScript, typeof null is 'object', // so watch out for that case. if (!value) { return 'null'; } // Make an array to hold the partial results of stringifying this object value. gap += indent; partial = []; // Is the value an array? if (Object.prototype.toString.apply(value) === '[object Array]') { // The value is an array. Stringify every element. Use null as a placeholder // for non-JSON values. length = value.length; for (i = 0; i < length; i += 1) { partial[i] = str(i, value) || 'null'; } // Join all of the elements together, separated with commas, and wrap them in // brackets. v = partial.length === 0 ? '[]' : gap ? '[\n' + gap + partial.join(',\n' + gap) + '\n' + mind + ']' : '[' + partial.join(',') + ']'; gap = mind; return v; } // If the replacer is an array, use it to select the members to be stringified. if (rep && typeof rep === 'object') { length = rep.length; for (i = 0; i < length; i += 1) { if (typeof rep[i] === 'string') { k = rep[i]; v = str(k, value); if (v) { partial.push(quote(k) + (gap ? ': ' : ':') + v); } } } } else { // Otherwise, iterate through all of the keys in the object. for (k in value) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(value, k)) { v = str(k, value); if (v) { partial.push(quote(k) + (gap ? ': ' : ':') + v); } } } } // Join all of the member texts together, separated with commas, // and wrap them in braces. v = partial.length === 0 ? '{}' : gap ? '{\n' + gap + partial.join(',\n' + gap) + '\n' + mind + '}' : '{' + partial.join(',') + '}'; gap = mind; return v; } } // If the JSON object does not yet have a stringify method, give it one. if (typeof JSON.stringify !== 'function') { JSON.stringify = function (value, replacer, space) { // The stringify method takes a value and an optional replacer, and an optional // space parameter, and returns a JSON text. The replacer can be a function // that can replace values, or an array of strings that will select the keys. // A default replacer method can be provided. Use of the space parameter can // produce text that is more easily readable. var i; gap = ''; indent = ''; // If the space parameter is a number, make an indent string containing that // many spaces. if (typeof space === 'number') { for (i = 0; i < space; i += 1) { indent += ' '; } // If the space parameter is a string, it will be used as the indent string. } else if (typeof space === 'string') { indent = space; } // If there is a replacer, it must be a function or an array. // Otherwise, throw an error. rep = replacer; if (replacer && typeof replacer !== 'function' && (typeof replacer !== 'object' || typeof replacer.length !== 'number')) { throw new Error('JSON.stringify'); } // Make a fake root object containing our value under the key of ''. // Return the result of stringifying the value. return str('', {'': value}); }; } // If the JSON object does not yet have a parse method, give it one. if (typeof JSON.parse !== 'function') { JSON.parse = function (text, reviver) { // The parse method takes a text and an optional reviver function, and returns // a JavaScript value if the text is a valid JSON text. var j; function walk(holder, key) { // The walk method is used to recursively walk the resulting structure so // that modifications can be made. var k, v, value = holder[key]; if (value && typeof value === 'object') { for (k in value) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(value, k)) { v = walk(value, k); if (v !== undefined) { value[k] = v; } else { delete value[k]; } } } } return reviver.call(holder, key, value); } // Parsing happens in four stages. In the first stage, we replace certain // Unicode characters with escape sequences. JavaScript handles many characters // incorrectly, either silently deleting them, or treating them as line endings. text = String(text); cx.lastIndex = 0; if (cx.test(text)) { text = text.replace(cx, function (a) { return '\\u' + ('0000' + a.charCodeAt(0).toString(16)).slice(-4); }); } // In the second stage, we run the text against regular expressions that look // for non-JSON patterns. We are especially concerned with '()' and 'new' // because they can cause invocation, and '=' because it can cause mutation. // But just to be safe, we want to reject all unexpected forms. // We split the second stage into 4 regexp operations in order to work around //apturing the uniqueness, the subtleties, and interrelationships of the challenge to be resolve (on the doubles) as they are posed by the theater of operations.
Posted by Andres Agostini (Andy) at February 13, 2010 2:08 AM
Nothing like a good List, eh?
Posted by RobCH at February 13, 2010 10:17 AM
Absolutely...the longer the list, the more opportunity to find effective and actionable ideas. Items 1.6, 1.16, 1.53, 1.86, 1.93, 1.117, and 1.135 are tools for pure profit and productivity on the front line of any organization...
Thanks Andy!
Posted by Dave Wheeler at February 13, 2010 12:41 PM
Good, yes! Long, not necessarily. Thank you, Andy.
Posted by Judith Ellis at February 13, 2010 12:56 PM
Milestoning can even be for a shorter period - during the course of a day! of course, it's an excellent tool for any medium to large project. Yes, it also means we can treat almost everything like a project with defined inputs and output(s).
Posted by Anurag Sharma at February 17, 2010 1:04 AM
New leadership success tenets:
To see them all at http://teleporting-success-tenets.blogspot.com/
Posted by Andres Agostini (Andy) at February 19, 2010 12:47 AM
I'll just keep it simple. I have used milestoning for various tasks all of my life.
Driving from my home to a destination say 100 miles away, I mentally pick out points 10 or 15 miles apart and mentally check off these smaller destinations as I drive. These smaller distances allow me to enjoy accomplishments along the way and this makes the drive less tedious.
What is odd though is it never occured to me to use this technique in daily life. Thanks Tom.
Oh! The things you learn using these tubes...
Posted by lahru at February 21, 2010 3:29 PM
Before blogging became all the rage, Tom was posting book reviews and Observations (essentially early blog posts) to this site. You can find the archives below.
What we're talking about
on the front page.