Two types of people you often find on software projects are samurai and rice pickers.
Samurai are the ones who:
- say what needs to be said
- call BS when they see it
- laugh in the face of unrealistic schedules and expectations
- tackle all the hard, complex, thorny stuff no one else wants to wade into
- are technically excellent at their craft
- take pride in their work
- and are comfortable in their own skins
They are usually the people you see project managers and companies fist fighting over to get onto their projects.
Every project/team needs a couple samurai.
Then there are the rice pickers.
If samurai are the pioneers, rice pickers are the settlers.
Rice pickers are the people who:
- like to collect a pay cheque, keep their heads down, and quietly go home at the end of the day.
- aren’t necessarily lazy, they would just rather be told what to do and not have to think for themselves.
- have opinions but aren’t big on taking the initiative
- generally they just like to be left alone and are quite happy sitting in the maze nibbling their cheese
- they also form the bulk of our workforce
Now, I’m not saying everyone can or should be a samurai.
The world needs rice pickers and people to keep the lights on.
But if you find you aren’t getting the opportunities, promotions, or things you feel entitled too, take a look in the mirror and honestly ask yourself:
And are you a samurai, or a rice picker?
Thanks to Jason Calacanis for acting as the inspiration behind this post.
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Aug 20, 2010 @ 14:03:13
Aug 21, 2010 @ 21:45:13
Thought experiment: Poof! I just gave you the magic power to transform anyone you wish from a rice picker into a samurai. You can use this power on as many or as few people as you want to. Even on yourself, if you like.
So… who are you going to transform? (If anyone.)
Yourself? Well, sure. Why wouldn’t you want to be a samurai? Sounds like a lot more interesting than being a rice picker. More lucrative too, in the long run. You wave your wand and poof! You’re a samurai.
How about everyone on your team? Sure would be nice to be on a team of samurai, wouldn’t it? Besides, since becoming a samurai, your standards have gone up: you won’t settle for prodding along a bunch of rice pickers anymore. You want to be on a kick-butt team. Make them all samurai, why not? Poof!
What about your company, though? Your team is churning out awesome code now, but the rest of the company is collecting their paychecks, keeping their heads down… wasting their lives and wasting your time! If only you could had some way of getting them to take responsibility for working on their problems to the best of their ability, instead of blaming others or justifying themselves or feeling ashamed or dragging their feet… oh, wait: you do. Poof! Poof! Poof!
Dang, well what about that bored lady at the drivers’ license office, the one that screwed up your application? What if she took pride in her work? Sure would make your life better if she did. Make her life better too. Poof!
And what about that truck driver that scraped your car in the parking lot? Wouldn’t it be better if he had had the courage and integrity to at least leave a note? Poof!
And what about that literal rice picker out in the fields: you’re not going to let him settle for “good enough”, are you? Poor guy: he works incredibly hard, he’s got a lot of unused talent, and he’d love to do better in a sort of abstract way, but he just doesn’t know how to take the initiative to improve his current situation. You’re just going to leave him stuck there, are you? Are you?
Who exactly will you refuse to transform?
(For extra credit, how does your answer reflect on how you view others?)
Aug 23, 2010 @ 22:05:17
Wow! Thanks for the response Dan.
If I am reading your question right, you are asking if I believe we should all aspire to be samurai, or that anyone who is not is in someway deficient (and needs to be transformed).
I am sorry if this post left you with that impression. That’s not what meant to say and that’s not what I intended. I wouldn’t change anyone (who am I to say or pass judgment).
This post is really for those folks who feel they’ve somehow been slighted, passed over, and aren’t getting what they feel they are entitled too, and are looking to blame others.
It’s not about samurai being good or bad.
It’s about understanding that you have a choice.
You can blame others for your lot in life (which won’t change anything).
Or you can take a step right now and make a difference—like you did leaving a comment on this blog.
You made a choice and expressed yourself (where many others wouldn’t have).
I don’t know whether that makes you a samurai or a rice picker.
I am just glad you did.
Thanks again for sharing – JR
Aug 24, 2010 @ 02:06:14
I think you would enjoy reading about Christopher Avery’s Responsibility Process Model. You’ll make a strong connection between his thinking and your post:
http://www.christopheravery.com/pdf/citj0604avery.pdf
Check it out!
Aug 24, 2010 @ 15:23:01
Love this Dan. Thanks for sharing.
Who’s to blame for losing my keys!
Oh ya. It’s me.
Cheers – JR