Although it can be quite an entertaining mental exercise, thinking in terms of subjective view points has the extreme potential of causing unnecessary confusion. One party of a productivity team may contend that a definition of an important task is exactly what it is – while another party may go on to explain how the task is different to him (according to his background and beliefs) and as a result, may be entirely something else to others. When we’re trying to accomplish a goal, this type of foolishness and personal “re-defining” of important tasks can’t be tolerated especially in environments that depend on deadlines. Constantly re-defining what has been generally accepted by the masses is simply a waste of time – nothing can be accomplished if we’re stuck in a stage of defining things instead of acting on them. Let a fact be a fact and work to transform those facts into something meaningful and task-fulfilling.
In certain circumstances, subjective view points can become nothing but absurd in the sense that when they are improperly used, they can and will depart from what everyone expects. If these subjective view points are accepted and executed in a manner that reflects their implied meaning, they carry the danger of being perceived as “stupid” or they end up having no real meaning at all. That’s why it’s important that you use key concepts in a manner that they were intended to mean and that won’t contradict you or themselves.
Once you’ve committed to eliminating subjective view points from your project, you must also commit to eliminating them so that your present and future efforts remain consistent. Consistency is just as important as clarity and when implemented on a regular basis, as it instills trust from everyone involved. Often, our success depends upon the trust of others and enables us to stay focused on tasks that are most important. The danger in not remaining committed to eliminating subjective view points and not being consistent about it – is that you run the risk of appearing unprofessional, uncaring, or completely inept to perform a job.
This is not to suggest however, that subjective view points don’t have a place in life – it merely points out how they can delay productivity for those of us who must deal with fact-based tasks. Leave subjective view points for the poets and the artists. Your reputation after all, just may depend upon the successful and meaningful representation of key concepts – not their creative applications.
Nicole Miller is a developer and member of the Association of Shareware Professionals.
