FAST BIKES, FAST-TRACK PROJECTS
Let's Be Careful Out There is a sequel to Choosing Your Armor. The idea came to me while I was on a motorcycle trip to the infamous Deal's Gap "Dragon," a stretch of road on the NC/TN border that claims over 300 curves in 11 miles. While Choosing Your Armor looked at protective processes, tools, etc., in the context of a soldier's armor, this new piece addresses the big difference between the battlefield and the project: in the project world, most of the time you're not getting shot at; your "armor" is there to protect you from disasters that probably won't occur. This means that project work lacks the sense of urgency that goes with combat, and as a result we encounter the problem of persuading people to "armor-up" anyway. This is the problem we also face in persuading motorcycle riders to put on their protective gear (helmets, leathers, etc.), when it's fairly unlikely they'll actually crash and need the stuff.
UNCOMPENSATED ENDORSEMENT: The "coverall riding suit" described in the "Protection Is Just a Bonus" section (and shown in the photo of me riding conservatively at Deals Gap) is an Aerostich Roadcrafter. I've had one for ten years, and while I've never crash-tested it, I've just about worn it out in about 80,000 miles of travel. You can find out more about this suit (and lots of other cool bike stuff) at the Aerostich web site.
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW
I've been thinking about going "Beyond Armor." Savvy bikers have learned that while helmets, leathers, etc., can do a lot to reduce the pain and suffering of a crash, there are softer skills that help you to not crash in the first place. Similar skills exist in the project universe. What are they? And how do you tell whether they're working?