Ignite talk from Cloudstack Collab Conference EU 2013 held in Amsterdam. C. Northcote Parkinson is quickly becoming widely quoted for ideas like "Bike Shedding". Let's talk quickly about Parkinson's Law and Parkinson's Law of Triviality and why Bureaucracies are so slow.

1. The Velocity of Bureaucracy
Michael Ducy
Opscode
@mfdii

2. The Velocity of Bureaucracy
Michael Ducy
Opscode
@mfdii

3. The Hypothesis:
Orgs are really slow to do shit

4. Why?
Natura abhorret vacuum
-Aristotle

5. Parkinson’s Law:
"work expands so as to fill the time
available for its completion"

6. Also known as:
We tend to be lazy
procrastinating fuckers.

7. In a reduced timeline we
tend to be more productive.
(or it appears that way)

8. Also:
The Law of Multiplication of Work

9. Person “A” becomes too busy.
Has 3 choices: Resign, Split the
Work With B, or hire C and D

10. And then of course:
C and D need help and repeat
the behavior of A. Now you
have an org of 7

12. A
C
D
E
G
F
H

13. “An incoming document may well
come before each of them in turn.
Official E decides that it falls within
the province of F, who places a
draft reply before C, who amends it
drastically before consulting D,
who asks G to deal with it.”

14. But G goes on leave at this point,
handing the file over to H, who
drafts a minute, which is signed by
D and returned to C, who revises
his draft accordingly and lays the
new version before A.

15. But that would never happen?
Would it?

16. Add to this:
Parkinson’s Law of Triviality
(Also known as Bike Shedding)

17. Let’s build a Nuclear Reactor for
$100 Million = OK!
Let’s build a Bike Shed for $350 =
Well, should it have a steel roof or
shingles?

18. A, C, D, E, F, G, H all debate the
trivial details, because that is the
domain of what they can
understand or comprehend.

19. Small orgs are more flexible,
nimble, agile, and faster

20. Empower your people and
GTFO of the way

21. Else we are all fucked