I Love This

Technologists like to make systems better. We look at a system, see how things work and we’re drawn to “problems”: errors, inefficiencies, potential for confusion, etc, etc.

On a team, though, when we find a better way, we should often steer clear of “This is better.” Instead, consider: “I love this.”

“Check this out, this will make x, y, and z easier and lets me not even worry about p, q and r. I’m loving it. What do you think?”

Even if you have objective reasons to point to for why a thing is better, it’s not as if subjectivity just goes away, bowing in the face of objectivity. We like to think this should happen. It doesn’t.

Show me a thing that you think is better than my thing and I’m likely to get defensive. Show me a thing you’re excited about and maybe I can get excited, too.