An Exercise in Futility

When the control loop keeps running but the work goes nowhere

Futile work has a way of looking heroic.

Everyone turns to one person: What happened? Who's waiting on what? What do we do next? The company's memory lives in his head. The disaster recovery plan: "Call him. He knows."

The hero gets a bonus, but the work still goes nowhere.

In "An Exercise in Futility" I argue for one uncomfortable principle:

"Work without a control loop and a state structure isn't worth doing."

Hand unfinished work off to another executor. How many verbal recollections will have to be dug up?

That employee's vacation is an architectural event.

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