The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5)

Fire/motion

Maybe some people will be interested in a basic military discussion of fire/motion I stumbled across, p.27:
http://prodevweb.prodev.usna.edu/SeaNav/NS40x/NS404/fmfm1.pdf

No idea if this trivia is ontopic, so feel free to delete. (I'm no fan of this Ender's Game madness, but I guess I'd better start learning about it in order to vote competently..)

I did like this part though on p.45: "We must realize that errors by junior leaders stemming from overboldness are a necessary part of learning. We should deal with such errors leniently; there must be no 'zero defects' mentality." p. 44 also has Smart & Gets Things Done, though I only point it out because it reminds me of something on this site.

More at: http://d-n-i.net/richards/suggested_readings.htm

Tayssir John Gabbour
Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Re: Warfighting

You should probably mention the name of the document you're linking to. I read this book a couple of years back (in paper form, got it at B&N).

I vaguely remember it as being a good handbook, and is probably worth the short amount of time it would tak to read it, though I think the parts on America fighting geurilla warfare rather than contrition warfare probably arent of interest to anyone outside of military enthusiasts... Of which there are probably a lot more lately due to the various wars we're very publicly engaged in.

If I were managing people, certainly the sections on leadership would be of interest to me.

I'm surprised he didnt mention von Clausewitz.

Regarding the reading list:

From the research I've done, Cleary does look like the way to go for any of the ancient translation stuff.

I see my favorite "Source of Power" is on the list. The OODA (Google it, I just did) model does remind me of the one from Sources of Power, RDP.*

Also it's interesting to see the Toyota Production Systems on the list, and I wonder how the "zero defect mentality" compares to Six Sigma, which I've heard a lot of hype about, but never bothered to learn about.

In essence, the model states that experience counts, and the best way to train people is to give them experience through simulation, or by storytelling. Multiple linear regression / bayesian based decision making is slow & takes a lot of resources, but someone with experience will immediately be able to assess the situation and take action.

If you're interested in decision making I'd also recommend Simple Heusirstics That Make Us Smart by Gigerenzer et. al. Though, I only read 1/4 of the book because it was a series of essays and each essay reintroduced the main topic as if I were a new audience, and I got bored of it after a while.

====
* OODA = "Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action"
RDP = "Recognition Primed Decision Making"

www.MarkTAW.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2004

> I'm surprised he didnt mention von Clausewitz.
>
> Regarding the reading list:

Should be

> Regarding the reading list:
>
> I'm surprised he didnt mention von Clausewitz.

www.MarkTAW.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2004

So much for inserting a paragraph and not re-reading the whole thing to make sure it fits.

"I essence, the model states that experience counts"

Is referring to the Recognition Primed Decision Making model from Sources of Power.

www.MarkTAW.com
Tuesday, March 30, 2004

You're freaking me out, dude. This stuff is like reading a faux Emanuel Goldstein diatribe from 1984.

Can't everything just be "nice"...

Bored Bystander
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

"Can't everything just be "nice"... "

Not so long as we're talking about six billion human beings. Human nature indicates that there will be conflict. On a grand enough scale, that becomes warfare.

Neville Chamberlain thought everyone could just be "nice"...

Philo

Philo
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

>Also it's interesting to see the Toyota >Production Systems on the list, and I wonder >how the "zero defect mentality" compares to >Six Sigma, which I've heard a lot of hype about, >but never bothered to learn about.

When I was a junior officer in the military about 10 years ago "TQL" or Total Quality Leadership which is based on the Japanese Total Quality Management ideals was a big thing. I remember something about Toyota like that being on the reading list. I am not a Six Sigma expert but there seems to be similarities.

Bill Rushmore
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

It's a shame you think that.

Actually what I was talking about, while it has military implications, is strictly in the realm of decision making. It just so happens that more than anyone else, the military is interested in decision making. Business doesn't seem to care - in business there's a certain cavalier attitude that I make great decisions, and I'm all that matters. Academia has a passing interest in it.

This is probably due to the fact that in the military you send people to accomplish tasks, and cannot be there to guide them if things go terribly wrong, and decisions tend to be life & death ones.

I really don't see what's 1984 about learning that the decision making models you learned in B-School are all hopelessly flawed for 90% of the decisions you're going to make, or learning that the military has "learn from your mistakes" attitude towards training.

Maybe one day I'll open up a B-School Boot Camp and deprogram... err... retrain B-School graduates for the real world. "Define the problem. Brainstorm solutions. Weigh the pros and cons." BAH! I say BAH! That kind of thing might look good when presenting to your boss that you really did weigh all the alternatives (i.e. he doesn't trust your judgement), but that kind of thing really only comes in to play when you have no domain expertise.

www.MarkTAW.com
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

---"Neville Chamberlain thought everyone could just be "nice"..."-----

Godwin's law states that those who invoke the H word indirectly should be coated in salad cream, and fed to a load of murderous mutant lettuce slugs.

Stephen Jones
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

I was making a frivolous statement, Mark. No offense meant.

Bored Bystander
Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Double Plus Good. No Offense Taken.

www.MarkTAW.com
Wednesday, March 31, 2004