Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!voder!pyramid!athertn!hemlock!mcgregor From: mcgregor@hemlock.Atherton.COM (Scott McGregor) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: Personal growth and software engineering! Message-ID: <34953@athertn.Atherton.COM> Date: 4 Apr 91 04:47:53 GMT References: Sender: news@athertn.Atherton.COM Reply-To: mcgregor@hemlock.Atherton.COM (Scott McGregor) Organization: Atherton Technology -- Sunnyvale, CA Lines: 40 In article , jgautier@vangogh.ads.com (Jorge Gautier) writes: > Changing the way they do things > is a very scary thought to many people. Don't ask me why, I've never > understood it. I think there are two very good psychological bases for this fear. First, experience conveys advantage. We see that in "the learning curve" or "experience curve" effect; those who have done it the most times can often do it again (the same way) fastest. When you offer someone experienced to change, you offer the opportunity to start over BEHIND the people they used to be in front of. In organizations with a meritocracy (e.g. ranking between individuals leads to commesurate benefits) this means a short term loss in ranking and commensurate benefits. Long term thing might be different but the short term affect is enough to introduce hesitancy and a desire to "time" the transition to a convenient time, hence resistance to change. The second reason is that whenever there is change, there is the possibility that not only will you lose experience, but quite possibly competancy. For example, I am partially red-green color blind. If a change were to make to my job that required considerable facility in color recognition, I might no longer be qualified. That's a clear physical limitation. But there are also mental limitations. I have some facility with mathematics, but there are still areas of mathematics which despite considerable effort on my part have overwhelmed me. Again, a change that required that sort of mathematical facility could undermine my success, or even competency for my job. Sure, I could probably find another one in a different area, but I have a lot of psychological investment in what I have enjoyed doing well in the past. People often comment on how "young people" are so much more open to change than their elders. The above two factors go a long way to explain why. When you are at the bottom of the experience curve, starting over on a different one, seems to matter relatively little. Moreover, with so little background invested in one area, going into a different area costs less psychically. Scott McGregor Atherton Technology