Second Order Consequences and Forcing Functions

Developer Tea

Todays episode delves into understanding and leveraging second and third-order consequences – the ripple effects that occur after an initial action – and introduces forcing functions, which are an inverted way of thinking about these consequences, designed to drive desired outcomes by first determining "what must be true" for them to occur. The episode also connects these concepts to the importance of effective goal setting, explaining how well-defined goals provide clarity, focus, and a strategic framework for decision-making and career advancement.

• Grasp Second and Third-Order Consequences: Learn to identify the downstream effects of initial actions. For instance, setting a target for test coverage (first action) might lead to people adding tests that don't genuinely test anything but merely inflate the metric (second-order consequence), potentially resulting in disillusionment with testing or continued incidents despite high coverage (third-order consequence). Conversely, giving someone ownership or autonomy (first action) can lead to them proactively filling out details and owning ambiguity (second-order consequence), which may result in higher quality work, freeing up managerial time, and setting the individual up for promotion (third-order consequence).
• Utilise Forcing Functions for Desired Outcomes: Understand forcing functions as an inverted approach to consequences, where you begin with a desired outcome and then identify the upstream requirements or desirable effects that must be true for that outcome to be achieved. This method helps to focus efforts on one to three key areas for improvement, rather than trying to enhance everything simultaneously.
• Implement Effective Forcing Functions: Discover how various elements can act as deliberate or accidental forcing functions:
  • A prioritised backlog acts as a forcing function for essential discussions, decision-making, gathering sufficient information for prioritisation, and ensuring knowledgeable individuals are involved in the process.
  • Presentations, demos, or all-hands meetings serve as powerful social forcing functions, as the desire to avoid the discomfort of not having progress to show incentivises action and preparation.
  • Sprint planning is a forcing function that necessitates a clear understanding of priorities and team capacity for the upcoming sprint.
  • Quality metrics or Service Level Agreements (SLAs), such as a P95 response time, act as forcing functions by requiring other system components to be correctly aligned to meet the target.
  • The choice of technology or tech stack can be a significant forcing function for hiring, unintentionally selecting for specific types of engineers (e.g., Java for enterprise experience, TypeScript for full-stack, functional languages for functional programming experience).
  • Workplace restrictions, like requiring night availability, can be accidental forcing functions, potentially selecting against individuals with community involvement, family commitments, or social lives.
  • Successful hiring and recruiting is a strong forcing function for many positive aspects of a company, indicating technical success, high retention, competitive salaries, and a high standard for talent across the organisation.
• Harness Goals for Clarity and Focus: Recognise that a well-positioned goal is paramount for finding clarity, perspective, and purpose in your career. Goals provide a framework to make decisions about what to do, ensuring your time is spent on what matters to you rather than just on tasks handed to you, thereby enabling personal career growth.
• Set Relevant and Directionally Correct Goals: Emphasise the relevance of your goals; even if they are specific, measurable, actionable, and time-bound (SMART), they are ineffective if they are not relevant to your desired career path. Aim for goals that are directionally correct, moving you generally towards a long-term outcome (e.g., leading a project if your long-term aspiration is to lead teams), rather than being paralysed by the pursuit of a "perfect" goal.
• Leverage Manager Feedback for Goal Setting: If you are unsure how to set goals, consider what your boss would look for in your performance in six months. Proactively engage your manager by initiating conversations about career growth and goal setting, framing it as an opportunity for mutual success and seeking their input on what constitutes a "home run" for your role.
• Set Sustainable and Challenging Goals: Avoid goals that are too abstract (lacking clear actions) or that significantly over- or underestimate your capacity, as both can lead to disengagement. Instead, strive for challenging but sustainable goals that require focus and making difficult choices (e.g., saying "no" to other things) but do not lead to burnout.
• Be Mindful of Your Choices: Deliberately choose your forcing functions and become aware of those you are accidentally opting into. Consistently consider the downstream effects (second and third-order consequences) of your actions today, and set goals that imply a desired future state rather than dictating the exact methods. Consistency in this mindful approach to goal setting and understanding consequences is key to long-term career success.

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