Stress + Rest = Growth

Teams often try to use December to do those nagging things they just don’t have time for during the year. It’s not a bad strategy. In South Africa schools are closed, Joburg traffic is non-existent and offices are quieter.

That’s exactly why this year I’m telling all my engineers they’re not allowed to come to work for 5 weeks. I’ve thought about all the things we’ve not had time for over the last 18 months and realized the most important area we’ve fallen behind in is REST.

It’s all based on a simple principle:

Stress + Rest = Growth

My division worked 13 weekends for dress rehearsals leading up to the JSE stock exchange replacing their derivatives engine. They’ve been involved in multiple business continuity tests which can only happen on weekends.

Upgrades. Hardware migrations. Data center moves. Night after night. Weekend after weekend. It all adds up and spells S T R E S S. I can even kind of measure it by looking at the buildup of time in lieu balances.

So if we want to start 2020 having GROWN through 2019 instead of BURNING OUT, then we absolutely have to REST.

My team leaders have created a “skeleton crew” roster for the Dec/Jan freeze period so that everyone else can work on some critical projects: Playing with their children, reading a book and going fishing.