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Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment

talk 20 connections

Anita Jaszewska's wroclove.rb 2022 talk applying the Kübler-Ross five stages of grief and the organizational change curve to developers facing constant business change. Core argument: every loss — even small ones like a missing parking spot, an ugly code review, or a surprise feature request — triggers denial, anger, bargaining, sadness and acceptance, because changes break our comfort zone. Tech is easy, predictable and rational; people are not. Introduces the Lippitt-Knoster model for managing complex change (vision + skills + motivation + resources + action plan) as a matrix where the emotion you experience names the missing element: no vision → confusion, no skills → anxiety, no motivation → resistance, no resources → frustration, no action plan → false start. Remedies: acknowledge and name your emotion, ask questions, give/ask feedback, build your own external incentives list (handwritten), use estimation with heavy padding as a communication tool, and sit down to build an action plan. Communication tips: I-statements, questions, and framing issues as risks with proposed solutions. Alternative title: 'eat sleep cows repeat'. Closes with 'Keep Calm and Carry On — it's just a job.'

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talk
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eat sleep cows repeat
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
about
Uses the five stages to frame developers' reactions to everyday losses and code-review/feature requests.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
about
Change Curve concept
Explains the organizational change curve and its effect on motivation over time.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
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Presents the Knoster matrix as a diagnostic tool mapping emotions to missing elements of change.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
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Comfort Zone concept
Argues every business change breaks our comfort box and triggers a grief-like response.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
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Warns that 'anxiety' in the Knoster matrix may be imposter syndrome rather than missing skills.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
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Distinguishes internal and external motivation and suggests hacking dopamine via self-made incentives.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
about
I-Statements concept
First of three recommended communication techniques.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
about
Third communication tip: frame concerns to business as risks with proposed solutions.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
about
Estimates are the easiest way to surface resource needs to business.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
about
Recommends pen-and-paper incentive lists and personal action plans to boost creativity and memory.
asked_at
Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment talk
Asked during Q&A after Anita's talk.
asked_at
Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment talk
Asked during Q&A by a former engineering manager.
authored
Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment talk
Anita delivered this talk at wroclove.rb 2022.
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Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment talk
Framing line from Anita's talk.
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Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment talk
Key reframing Anita offers the developer audience.
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Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment talk
Central practical takeaway connecting grief/change curve to the Knoster matrix.
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Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment talk
Estimation advice given in the resources/frustration section.
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Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment talk
Advice from the anxiety/imposter-syndrome section.
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Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment talk
Closing line of the talk.
talk Dealing With A Project's Complexity In A Changing Environment
presented_at
Talk given at the wroclove.rb 2022 conference.

Provenance

Created
2026-04-17 16:17 seed
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