Don't Nuke It!

I was in the military - the United States Navy, to be precise. I went to Nuclear Propulsion "A" school where I learned many things; one was to always try your best because you can fall flat on your face when you don't. But that is a lesson for another time. Today I want to talk to you about a phrase that is used a lot in naval nuclear power circles. That phrase is, "Don't Nuke it!" 

If it isn't self explanatory enough, I will clarify. "Nuking it" was a phrase used when someone (typically one with a decent amount of intelligence) tried to deliver an over complicated solution to a decently simple problem. It wasn't a question of destroying something with an insane amount of energy, it is more a question of someone taking their highly educated mind and over-engineering a solution that is a bit over the top. It is the difference between this:

and this:

This article may fall a bit on the opposite side of the spectrum from my last blog entry where I told you how infinitely important it is to plan. The question remains, then; can you over plan? The answer is an emphatic, yes! Planning is an awesome tool of wondrous potential power. You can achieve great things by thinking about them, and planning them in detail. But you can over plan and over think; you too can 'nuke it'!

Over engineering a solution is equally as likely to occur as over planning. Whether due to ego, a drive to impress a superior or other team members, or for those individuals who just naturally can't help themselves; this is a trap we can all fall into at times. So the following list are some of the ways I try to avoid this particular pitfall. No, not thinking at all, is not the solution.

1. Set a time limit. Thinking and planning are great. I highly recommend them. However if you never get out of the planning phase all you will ever produce is a really good plan with nothing else to show for it. Set some bounds on how long your planning period is going to be. These limits should be realistic, and flexible - but you need to adhere to them. You can and should revisit later to update the plan, so don't feel bad about moving on to the delivery stages. Taking action on a well laid plan is satisfying and is the actual stage where the results are manifest. So don't let your planning hold you back from doing great things.

2. Get a fresh perspective. A timely sanity check can save your life, so go ask someone to put eyes on the details that you have laid out so far. Not only will you get a new view on any holes in your logic - you're also going to get a good indication of whether or not your are ready to move on. This is a good teamwork practice in itself, even if it can require a bit of humility (but remember, ego is one of the reasons we got caught nuking it in the first place). Don't only ask what is missing in this informal peer review, ask what you can take out and you are going to wind up with well rounded results in the end. However, remember good work ethic; schedule a time to meet with the reviewer. Pouncing someone in the middle of their own project can be an annoyance, there are especially some who get annoyed by this practice (Adrian, I'm talking to you). Now that someone else has brought you back to reality, you can get on to the fun of taking action.

3. Focus on the basics. In sports, in engineering, in science - going back to the basics when you come to a difficult hurdle is going to recenter you and keep your own perspective grounded. We all know the acronym K.I.S.S. stands for Keep It Simple Stupid (at least I hope we do). Keeping it simple is a mantra for, well, simplifying your life/work. If a design just won't come together, go back to the origins and try again. If a solution is eluding you, take break and look at the problem with fresh eyes. There is a reason that simple is an art form, and you need to recognize when you are trying to reinvent the wheel. Look for solutions that are already in existence. Google what you are thinking about, someone else has likely been working on a solution already (also a way to gain a different  perspective). Learn to cut your losses and begin again; which brings me to my next thought.

4. Learn to recognize the warning signs. Some of this is experience, some of this is logic. Experts agree though, “Over-planning comes from anxiety. It's a way of dealing with worry and can give people a false sense of control,” explains Bryant-Davis. “It can go too far when a person loses flexibility, when they have set goals that are unrealistic or too rigid" (http://www.businessinsider.com/these-are-the-signs-that-youre-overplanning-your-life-2013-9). When you start going over the top in your planning or your solutions start looking like you have been spending too much time hanging out with Wile E. Coyote, you have a problem. And admitting you have a problem is the first step in any recovery process. 

Much has been written about over-thinking, but I just want you to think about over-thinking, but don't think about it too much. I had a big plan on how best to deliver this public service announcement to you, but it seemed a bit ironic - so I just started writing. I didn't want to nuke it, after all.