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Weekly Reflection #29 - Be the Rubber Duck
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Each week, I share one insight. One piece of wisdom. One question to reflect on. (and a little Lagniappe) InsightI love solving problems. So when someone brings me one, my first instinct is to hand over the answer. Coaching, mentoring, and being a father have taught me that instinct almost always gets in the way. What people need more than my answer is a rubber duck. In software, a rubber duck is the thing you explain your problem to, out loud, line by line. It never gives advice; it just waits. More often than not, you hear your own answer before you finish. So when someone comes to me, I try to be the duck. I ask a clarifying question, notice what they keep circling back to, and mostly stay quiet. It's amazing how much the other person can solve when I get out of their way. WisdomThe quality of your attention determines the quality of other people's thinking.
Nancy Kline, Time to Think
ReflectionWhere do you jump to advice when someone just needs you to listen? Lagniappe
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Weekly Reflections Newsletter
Practical insights on platform engineering, developer experience, and building teams that ship. Each issue is written to be useful, actionable, and applicable. No filler, no promotions-only emails. Enter your email and sign up for free right now.
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