Friday, March 5, 2010

There's No Quality Without Metrics

This quality piece of art is hanging near the entrance to my cube:



In case you can't read it, it's titled "Daily Cumulative Stupidity Meter" and it goes from "Start" to "Irritation warning" to "Time to take a riding break" (Heeder's contribution) to "Time to go home" to "Danger! Head may explode".

A Post-it indicates the current level. It's sort of like those signs at the entrance to state parks indicating the fire warning level. Basically, it allows anyone coming to bother me a chance to think again about whether it's really important before they say anything.

My theory is that you should get to go home if the daily level of stupidity has reached a certain level. Sometimes it's your own stupidity, sometimes it's other people's. I've had days where I hit the limit fifteen minutes after walking through the door. (That usually involves conference calls.)

Anyhow, there it is, another piece of art.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Every time I enter your cube it reminds me that I'm being judged. That's why I just stick my head up over the cube wall from the other side. Is that a classic cry for help or a twiddle?

Theresa B (of Nebulopathy) said...

Admit it, you just stick your head up because you're bragging that you're tall enough to see over the cubicles.

Never confuse a classic cry for help with an emergency signal.

Karen said...

we don't have phones, so there are no conference calls... ahem.

why is the go home lower than the head will explode? shouldn't the first negate the second?

I think you need to add some positive marks, like "things are awesome right now" or at least "on vacation"

Theresa B (of Nebulopathy) said...

No phones? But... how do you call the person on the other side of the cubicle wall?

Wait, you think the exploding head should be lower than going home?

What's this vacation thing you speak of? And stop trying to harsh my mellow with your positivity!