Let's pause for a moment. What is it exactly that you're about to do. You're obviously tired. You've probably already put in a full-days work. Is this really the best use of your time??? I can promise you it won't be the most productive use of your time.
Pulling an all-nighter to fix some bugs is not a good idea. By doing so, you'll not only be exhausted for the next several days, you won't help solve the problems one bit. In fact, you could end up introducing new problems. Why is burning the midnight oil a bad idea? It separates you from the team.
Look back to a time where one of your teammates worked all night on a problem or project. Most likely, they fired off emails at all hours of the night updating the team on their progress. "Successfully pushed latest build to test environment. No issues. Attempting a restore to...." Great. Fantastic. So, why are they telling us this and why is it bad. There can be many reasons why people do this. More often than not, it's to simply inform the team of progress. But could it be also to let them know how dedicated you are? Or that your staying up all night until this is resolved? Maybe a little bit of insecurity can attribute to this. This can, however, put you into a sticky spot if something goes wrong that requires others to assist. Assuming you've fired off multiple emails, the recipients have most likely stopped checking their email/phones and attribute any notifications by you as status updates. So you now lose the ability to reach out to others if need be. A lesser form of 'The little boy who cried wolf'.
Now, fast forward to the next day. Assuming you fixed or resolved anything { remember, you just pulled an all-nighter after a full day of work to begin with, so that probably wasn't your most productive time }, it's 8am and you're tired. You may even be a little pissed. The day still goes on. There's still meetings, people are still working on their tasks for today. But it's not a normal work day for you. Chances are, you'll leave early... or not come in at all. Your team now has to carry on for the day without you. If anything comes up that requires your attention, you've now likely made yourself unavailable { you have to sleep } at a time when all team members and clients are actively engaged in the project.
So the next time a crisis comes up, don't pull an all-nighter. Formulate a plan and communicate it to the team. You're much more valuable to the team when you're there and well-rested.
Look back to a time where one of your teammates worked all night on a problem or project. Most likely, they fired off emails at all hours of the night updating the team on their progress. "Successfully pushed latest build to test environment. No issues. Attempting a restore to...." Great. Fantastic. So, why are they telling us this and why is it bad. There can be many reasons why people do this. More often than not, it's to simply inform the team of progress. But could it be also to let them know how dedicated you are? Or that your staying up all night until this is resolved? Maybe a little bit of insecurity can attribute to this. This can, however, put you into a sticky spot if something goes wrong that requires others to assist. Assuming you've fired off multiple emails, the recipients have most likely stopped checking their email/phones and attribute any notifications by you as status updates. So you now lose the ability to reach out to others if need be. A lesser form of 'The little boy who cried wolf'.
Now, fast forward to the next day. Assuming you fixed or resolved anything { remember, you just pulled an all-nighter after a full day of work to begin with, so that probably wasn't your most productive time }, it's 8am and you're tired. You may even be a little pissed. The day still goes on. There's still meetings, people are still working on their tasks for today. But it's not a normal work day for you. Chances are, you'll leave early... or not come in at all. Your team now has to carry on for the day without you. If anything comes up that requires your attention, you've now likely made yourself unavailable { you have to sleep } at a time when all team members and clients are actively engaged in the project.
So the next time a crisis comes up, don't pull an all-nighter. Formulate a plan and communicate it to the team. You're much more valuable to the team when you're there and well-rested.
Good blog although the beginning is hard to read cause of the white cloud. May look fine on your end but looking at it from a phone may be a different view. Never the less good points all the way around.
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