The Honeybadger Principles
1
There will always be significant resistance to transformational change in customer organizations. Sometimes it is the very sponsors of the project. Beneficial change never happens by consensus. It needs champions willing to stand up for it and convince the higher ups and the organization. WebConsult will always pitch what it considers to be right, and never hold it back for political reasons. Customers can always decline to implement recommended change, but WebConsult will always present it.
Be Fearless. Always.
2
Always tell the unvarnished truth
In remote organizations, it is impossible to read the non-verbal cues accurately. it is essential to rigorously tell the truth. Small problems become big ones if left unchecked, and it is always preferable to know what is really going on early, to allow time to correct. Good management depends on accurate input.
Even if there is an impeding major disaster, having the courage to admit it means the solution can be found through teamwork. Much better than watching the train crash.
WebConsult is commited to always following this princliple.
3
Be willing to Make Mistakes
No one is perfect. Very often, Fear (see point 1) of making mistakes means that decisions are delayed and validated over and over with everyone, resulting in no-one being held responsible. Time is not our friend. Organizations must be nimble, making rapid decisions, and changing direction quickly when circumstances change. You cannot do this if you are unwilling to make mistakes along the way. Most mistakes can be corrected, and it is better to have done something rather than be paralyzed. You also learn far more from mistakes than from anything else.
4
Always keep a strategic perspective. An owner cares about positioning the company and its products for future growth, staying ahead of the competitors, and increasing margins. We should not do things that cost more money than we make, unless it is positioning the product for future growth that justifies the spend. Everything we do should be justifiable. If we want to spend money, understand the impact end to end.
Think like an Owner
5
Do not get Offended
Of course, remaining courteous and professional is essential. In a transformation environment, where stress levels are high and people may be uncertain about the future, inevitably someone will say something offensive.
The key is to genuinely not be offended, not just bottle it in.
Focus on the above four principles, and don't let progress be derailed. Defuse the situation, and remember honeybadgers have thick skin, whihc is essential in the transformation business.
6
Relentlessly re-examine your proposed processes, systems architecture, feature sets, test approaches, and everything else.
Are they as simple as possible, given the requirements?
Are there more than 5 people in a meeting?
Why? Are they all needed?
Can we have one meeting instead of two?
It is absolutely OK to do whatever we need to do to be effective, but we need to know why any complexity is there.
Simple is Good
