The JOB is NEVER DONE!

Recently I was working on a framework called PresentationPRO – A very simple web based presentation framework in flex.
No, don’t get me wrong, development is not my core function, neither my hobby – just call it my passion!
I love to keep my hands dirty with some technology or the other, as and when I get some spare time. And don’t worry, I also often, have to turn back to “the real techno gurus” for help.
It is almost 3 months I am working on it, and I recollect that during this 3 months I might have declared at least 5 to 6 times that “PresentationPRO is complete – The Job is DONE.”
 

Interestingly, I realize that we seem to have developed this habit of showing immense hurry to declare our job/task as complete or DONE!

AH! that said, by no stretch of imagination that we (most of us) show the same eagerness in actually working towards it.
Culturally, India is blessed with so many festivals (at least 3 to 4 days in a month) that we can switch our minds instantly to the celebration mode. I almost think, this habit as some kind of syndrome.

Here are some of the classic cases where I have heard we say “Job/Task is DONE”

• When one partially understands the requirement (what needs to be delivered).
• When one completes 3 rounds of design reviews/discussion – and not to forget we hear “DONE” after every round.
• When one completes (majority of) the POC (proof of concept)
• When one completes just the prototype (we have to deliver sometimes UI mockup – model as we say)
• When one thinks the task is working at his/her place (machine I mean)
• When one claims that the few bugs found by quality team have been fixed  – Can be a endless loop. The only difference, at this stage is, we start referring as “Now it is DONE”.
• When one claims that the few bugs found on the field have been fixed  – The only difference, at this stage is, we start referring as “Now it is REALLY DONE!” 

None of the above, by any means, is exaggeration.
If we introspect minutely, then we would probably realize, that we indeed have a tendency to declare something as “DONE” - the moment we start feeling the light when, in reality, we are some where in the middle of the tunnel.
I believe, that is the time to actually buckle up and act aggressively rather than dropping the guard with sigh of relief.

Many times things appear so very near, giving a belief that we are almost DONE.

We drop our weapons to get slightly relaxed, that is the time when suddenly, everything gets UNDONE.
Now we see FIRE everywhere - Things that appeared so near are now OUT OF SIGHT.
The struggle begins, when everything seemed ALRIGHT.
I wonder why; why it is only me
Only to realize – “The Last Step”, if had been taken could have done the trick!

I work very hard throughout the weekdays.

It is for that one DREAM which I seek
But, most of the times, Saturday, I invariably need, to TIDY my leftovers of the week.
I get frustrated, I get angry – to see another weekend ditching me.
I wonder why; why it is only me
Only to realize – “The Last Step”, if had been taken could have saved my agony!

After that nice little fact/philosophy the question still remains -

So when can we claim that the “Job is DONE”?

Technically (Practically) from a business (accounting) perspective –
We can claim “Job as DONE” when we receive payment from the client.
We can claim “Job as WELL DONE” when we receive payment from the client + get some more work.
We can claim “Job as VERY WELL DONE” when we receive payment from the client + get some more work + client is willing to act as a  reference to get us more clients.

AH! You might think that this is too much, and sometimes at junior level we do not have the visibility about the same.

We have also heard (know) that it takes a LONG time for good news to spread but bad news catches fire like virus!

So let us just stick to our level – from execution standpoint, when can we claim that the “Job/Task is DONE”?
Strictly from execution perspective we could technically consider “Job/Task is DONE” only when it is accepted by the client, and eventually rolled out in the field.
Until then, I believe that we should continue to buckle up and act aggressively rather than dropping the guard with sigh of relief.

The story is, by no means, over as yet - Coming back to my saga of completing PresentationPRO!
There have been several friday evenings, where I had devised a list of finite activities, and believed that – Once these set of activities are completed – I am DONE!
I work all night (most of the night) and I do end up completing most of the items …so I sleep with peace.
The next day, when I wake up and start pondering over the list I had prepared, to feel PROUD that most of the items have been dealt with – SURPRISINGLY that is when a NEW list is born, which seems to be even bigger than the earlier one, AND my saga continues – The TASK seems to be endless!
 

Is that really a very BAD news AND are we suggesting that we should never celebrate?

Not at all – I am extremely proud to say that our entire web site is powered by the same framework - Though my job is NOT DONE as yet.
And I believe, that is the FUN of the GAME, that it does not END.

Eventually what we celebrate and what we MUST celebrate are tiny milestones – not the end!

Who would believe, the way Indian cricket team is performing today (Jan 2012), that they were the World Champions 2011!!!

So let us celebrate every milestone and add that as a feather in our cap, ONLY to buckle up again for our next challenge!