“Great meal. What pots did you use?“
Imagine you ask the above question to your mom and I am sure you will probably get some serious lessons from your mom straight-away. It is rather simple – the most important factor behind a great meal is the chef (i.e. your mom) but not the tool she use. And what about you ask the following question to a photographer ?
“Great photo. What camera did you use?“
And this ?
“Great web site. What database / web server / programming language / design tool did you use?“
You know, we have to remember our role – it is not the tool that develops the web site and web application, but it is us. We can develop / operate / monitor a good web site no matter what tools we use, we can also develop / operate / monitor a poor web site with the same set of tools. So if next time you were asked that question, answer the asking person that you and your colleagues did the great web site, not the tools.
But if I asked you “Poor web site / application, what tool did you use?”, I would expect answer like “I will check and resolve the problem, as soon as possible?”.
You know, it makes no sense to pass the ball around and waste our time in passing the ball. We have to own the skill, knowledge and problems. We have to solve the problems by finding out the root cause, as soon as possible, but not leaving it to another person in another day.
Mind you, as in my previous newsletter, if we did not cure our Achilles’ Heels, some one in the market will replace us – you and me – in no time. So, if you found a problem, solve it. If you have a good idea, share it. If you have a colleague need your help, extend your hand to help. If you have to work late to do all that, work late to deliver that – it is your job.
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In the old days, if something was dented or had a gash in it, or even if it had a hole in it, they used to fill the damaged area with wax, and then they would cover the wax over with a coat of paint and sell the item as though it were undamaged. In Latin, “Without Wax” is “Sin – Cere”.
Oh now you see, next time you end your letter / email with the word “sincerely”, it means “without wax” and it means “there is no cover-up and from the bottom of my heart”.
So … my sincere thanks (i.e. without wax) to those who worked very hard.
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“Be a professional in all that you do.“
M.Y. Lessons Learnt 