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These kinds of unplanned impacts are one reason why I think most jobs need to have a certain amount of "slack" built in so that the workers aren't only spending

These kinds of unplanned impacts are one reason why I think most jobs need to have a certain amount of "slack" built in so that the workers aren't only spending all their time working... Indeed. And this is a well understood concept. To the point that Tom DeMarco wrote an entire book about the importance of "slack" - over 20 years ago.[1] From the description: <DeMarco> reveals a counterintuitive principle that explains why efficiency efforts can slow a company down. That principle is the value of slack, the degree of freedom in a company that allows it to change. Implementing slack could be as simple as adding an assistant to a department and letting high-priced talent spend less time at the photocopier and more time making key decisions, or it could mean designing workloads that allow people room to think, innovate, and reinvent themselves. [1]: https://www.amazon.com/Slack-Getting-Burnout-Busywork-Efficiency/dp/0767907698 https://www.amazon.com/Slack-Getting-Burnout-Busywork-Effici...

Etheryte 2y ago
I don't recall what specific keyword they use, but this idea has been thoroughly explored in manufacturing businesses, probably for close to a century now. Having slack in the system allows you to adapt to unforeseen circumstances quickly and over longer periods of time, gives better results than trying to run everything at maximum output. If memory serves well, Andrew Grove dissects this idea and how it carries over to managing people in his book High Output Management from 1983.
- Handprint4469 2y ago
  Yup, see Theory of Constraints[1] [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_constraints https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_constraints
  - gobengo 2y ago
    This book is a good riff on "The Goal" but for software manufacturers https://itrevolution.com/product/the-phoenix-project/ https://itrevolution.com/product/the-phoenix-project/
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
chasd00 2y ago
I think this concept is where the linux distro Slackware came from too. Although Slackware has to be pushing 30 by now.
vishnugupta 2y ago
> Implementing slack could be as simple as adding an assistant to a department and letting high-priced talent spend less time at the photocopier and more time making key decisions, This specific example doesn’t seem like slack as such. The expectation here is that they will spend “more” time making key decisions. Whereas slack means they just have time to do whatever they please, getting bored, sleeping, reading HN, chatting with a neighborhood store owner, or whatever.

Etheryte 2y ago

I don't recall what specific keyword they use, but this idea has been thoroughly explored in manufacturing businesses, probably for close to a century now. Having slack in the system allows you to adapt to unforeseen circumstances quickly and over longer periods of time, gives better results than trying to run everything at maximum output. If memory serves well, Andrew Grove dissects this idea and how it carries over to managing people in his book High Output Management from 1983.

Handprint4469 2y ago
Yup, see Theory of Constraints[1] [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_constraints https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_constraints
- gobengo 2y ago
  This book is a good riff on "The Goal" but for software manufacturers https://itrevolution.com/product/the-phoenix-project/ https://itrevolution.com/product/the-phoenix-project/
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

chasd00 2y ago

I think this concept is where the linux distro Slackware came from too. Although Slackware has to be pushing 30 by now.

vishnugupta 2y ago

> Implementing slack could be as simple as adding an assistant to a department and letting high-priced talent spend less time at the photocopier and more time making key decisions, This specific example doesn’t seem like slack as such. The expectation here is that they will spend “more” time making key decisions. Whereas slack means they just have time to do whatever they please, getting bored, sleeping, reading HN, chatting with a neighborhood store owner, or whatever.