August 20, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item The Brainstorm Zone
August 21, 2008 at 2:45 am
Sounds to me like you are mixing up two different scenarios, both of which I use from time to time.
Firstly, getting a break - not having leisure facilities at my work, that usually consists of going for a brisk walk, and trying not to think about the problem.
The second one, when I don't have any colleagues at hand at all, is to describe the problem to my wife. She knows absolutely nothing about what I am doing, and this forces me to explain the problem in great detail, starting from the beginning etc., and generally speaking, I see the blindingly obvious answer long before I have finished explaining the problem.
August 21, 2008 at 2:47 am
I totally agree that sometimes the only solution is to "walk away" - I've had my share of coding frustrations when i've returned from the cklient frustrated, slept and - often on the journey back the following morning - had that "Eureka!" moment when the answer has come into my head totally unbidden. Was my subconscious working on it overnight? Who knows!
I guess it's another example of the phenomenon first mentioned to me by my tutor at university - "my best ideas come to me while i'm in the bath". Sometimes we just get too close to a problem.
@Grasshopper - yes, talking to one's wife is another one that works.
August 21, 2008 at 4:20 am
I play games in between to get a solution. This helps my mind to get 'rest' from a work. Then again when I attack the problem it gets solved automatically. My wife gets surprised. She tells me that I play games while work. She once told me my work quality will drop. I showed her my client feedback on the same work after a month.
Really playing some stupid games also help me. 🙂
August 21, 2008 at 5:02 am
I'd agree -- I seem to come up with some of my best ideas either on the weekend or in the evening when I'm away from work.
August 21, 2008 at 5:57 am
I totally agree that walking away from a stumped problem can help, especially if it involves doing something physical. I think a lot of it has to do with giving your system a boost. Just by walking, even if it not outside, you will increase your oxygen intake and stimulate your mind with other thoughts. Anyone who has worn and dropped a contact lens will eventually figure out that often, the best way to find it is from a different perspective than from which you lost it. Change your approach and use a different angle(down low with a flashlight) and you are more likely to find it. And too, asking someone else to look for it with you helps. Sometimes, I just ask one of my coworkers to listen to me as I explain my problem with an application. By explaining it to them, I often see it from a different perspective and come up with a solution. That, or they simply say "What were you thinking? Do it like this..." and we fix it together.
August 21, 2008 at 6:32 am
Preventing workers from spending time "not working" boils down to control. Humans are naturally averse to situations we can't control (risk averse). This is why many people are more afraid to fly than to drive, even though flying is statistically much safer. Managers often feel that play time lies outside their control (which it should, by design).
I don't think there is anything more productive, on a relative scale, than burying problems into the supercomputer which is your subconscious.
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August 21, 2008 at 6:46 am
You've got the right idea. Many times, if I'm stuck on a problem, I'll turn to the person in my section who understands what I'm working on the least. Then I describe the problem, what I've tried and the results. Usually during this process an epiphany hits and I answer my own question.
I then can thank the person for helping me find a solution. They find this amusing because other than saying "yes, I have a minute to spare for a question", they don't have to say anything else.
So trying to explain a difficult problem to somebody who is completely unfamiliar with it can reap some very good benefits.
August 21, 2008 at 6:59 am
Taking a walk and chatting with friends works fine for me. In fact, all of the best programmers in our shop are good because they seek occasional diversion from their work. I don't smoke, but several programmers do, and I have had some very informative conversations out on the smoke deck. Heck, even taking the time out to respond to a blog about this is a healthy diversion. 😉
August 21, 2008 at 7:01 am
This is probably a basic function of human nature. I've used the technique as long as I can remember. Step away from the problem and let the solution find you, but I usually give the desk a good beating with my head first, just to get it and my head ready for that ahah moment. Sometimes it takes me a day or two and sometimes I realize the problem can't be resolved, which is usually about the time I realize I didn't get enough information from the client.
August 21, 2008 at 7:08 am
My wife has definitely had her fair share of "technical briefings" as I work through issues. I have, on many occasions, dreamt the solution. As soon as I wake up, I make sure to write down the solution before it escapes me. I keep a pad and paper handy just for this purpose.
As with everyone else here, I tend to be able to solve problems better if I can get away. I have solved problems, subconsciously, while talking on the phone with someone about a completely different topic. My dad has also been a great resource. Even though he hails from the IBM mainframe world, he is able to present another way of looking at a problem I had never thought about.
I do believe the greatest detriment to an effective employee is keeping them tied to a desk "working" until a problem is solved. Been there, done that, and ended up with a lousy but workable solution that I ended up fixing down the road.
August 21, 2008 at 7:08 am
I call the technique you mentioned a "brain stretch". Sometimes it involves talking with a co-worker about a topic outside work, sometimes it involves going home and letting the brain chew on the problem overnight, and sometimes you just need a few minutes to look out the window and/or check news topics on the web.
The basic premise is to let the concentration part of the brain (i.e. the frontal lobe) loosen up, cool down (literally), and refocus. This is definitely a technique that I've developed over the years, as it is counter-intuitive for a young, high-energy, up-and-coming developer/analyst.
It's nice to know I'm not alone is seeing the value of an occassional mental walk in the park.
J Pratt
August 21, 2008 at 7:14 am
jpratt (8/21/2008)
This is definitely a technique that I've developed over the years, as it is counter-intuitive for a young, high-energy, up-and-coming developer/analyst.
Hmm... If I don't have the same high-energy and need the occasional break, does that mean I'm getting old? 😛
August 21, 2008 at 7:20 am
"Not enough information from the client" - don't get me started! That's a subject for another thread if ever I saw one...(especially once you realise that the client didn't know what they wanted, but didn't know that they didn't know, if you get my drift...)
August 21, 2008 at 7:21 am
jim.powers (8/21/2008)
Hmm... If I don't have the same high-energy and need the occasional break, does that mean I'm getting old? 😛
Yes 🙂 Which is what has happened to me over the last 15 years (I am now weeks away from 40). Thus we appreciate the value of the occassional break. I wonder, though, if in 10 more years we will need a siesta to get the same results?
J Pratt
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