bring the posts back

content/posts/2018/2018-01-25-hello-again-2018.md

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+---
+title: "Hello Again!"
+author: adam nowak
+date: 2018-01-25T12:00:00+00:00
+url: hello-again-2018
+showFullContent: true
+categories:
+  - thoughts
+tags:
+  - helloworld
+---
+
+What can I say?
+
+👋 🚀 👍
+
+Another year, another "Hello world" entry! 😂
+
+It's all about the content, so there's no need for fancy styling right now - please forgive me! 🙏

content/posts/2018/2018-01-31-slow-down-enjoy-dont-rush.md

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+---
+title: "My principles for 2018: Slow down. Enjoy, don't rush."
+author: adam nowak
+date: 2018-01-31T12:00:00+00:00
+url: slow-down-enjoy-dont-rush
+categories:
+  - thoughts
+tags:
+  - principles
+---
+
+I've started 2018 by finishing a book ["Principles" by Ray Dalio][1].
+I'm impressed about how you can use rules to create your own way of living.
+I've decided that this year I'm going to implement MY principles and stick to them.
+I would also like to share them with other people so they can see them and know what they can expect from me.
+_Sharing, as a bonus, comes with an external motivation 🙂_
+
+Here we go, 10 rules/guidelines for Adam Nowak, let's start with the first one:
+
+## Slow down. Enjoy, don't rush.
+
+Not much to add here.
+I've realised that in 2017, I've read more books than blogposts.
+And I kinda liked it.
+Instead of skimming through the content or navigating by headlines -- I took the time to enjoy the topic in a broad context.
+
+This is connected to multiple contexts as well.
+My job requires wearing a lot of hats every day and switching the context all the time.
+I accept it, but I rather focus on doing one thing at the time than trying to handle multiple things at once.
+I feel that's better in the long run and keeping focus helps a lot in achieving great results.
+As I want great results as much as I want to enjoy my work -- slowing down and focusing seem like a good tips for me.
+
+There's a great quote by David McCullough Jr which fits perfectly here:
+
+> _Climb a mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air, and behold the view. Climb mountains not so the world can see you, but so you can see the world._
+
+[1]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34536488-principles

content/posts/2018/2018-02-07-treat-people-the-way-you-want-to-be-treated-actually-treat-them-better.md

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+---
+title: Treat people the way you want to be treated. Actually, treat them better.
+author: adam nowak
+date: 2018-02-07T12:00:00+00:00
+description: "If I don't know how should I react in a given situation - I usually use this simple rule: Treat people the way you want to be treated. It works!"
+url: treat-people-the-way-you-want-to-be-treated-actually-treat-them-better
+categories:
+  - thoughts
+tags:
+  - principles
+---
+
+⏮ _Read the first part of the "Principles" series_ [here][1]
+
+---
+
+If I don't know how should I react in a given situation -- I usually use this simple rule: _Treat people the way you want to be treated_. It works!
+And this year I want to make it more special, so I add _treat them better_ on top of that.
+How do I want to achieve that?
+
+## Be nice, break the ice!
+
+If someone new joins my group, I need to make sure that the person doesn't get ignored and gets recognition from other members of the group.
+I'm going to _make the first step._
+It's easier for me to start, then it is for a new person. They might not know the group well and be worried about making a good introduction.
+Or there might be a thousand other reasons which makes them uncomfortable.
+I want people to enjoy their time and not to stress a lot -- taking of that stress does do the job!
+
+Example I like here is the very short and simple.
+If I see someone waiting for a recruitment appointment, sitting somewhere in the lobby, I tend to ask what position do they apply for, who's going to be in the meeting, give them a hint (or two).
+When after few weeks I can talk to this person as my new team mate and they remember the face I'm really happy and satisfied that I've made a good job.
+There's a relation already and everything goes smoother with that in place!
+
+## What if something goes wrong?
+
+I see stuff failing all the times.
+People are not happy about that.
+My job is to make things smooth.
+I want to be more helpful for other people and I want to do that by a few key guidelines:
+
+1. **Ask about the problem** (don't assume anything), and remember than asking once is not enough.
+   The real problem lays deeper.
+   You can help by asking questions and thus forcing the person to take a step back.
+   You need to help them to get things in order.
+2. **Don't make things worse by being ignorant.**
+   If someone asks for help, give them the answer and try to narrow down the solution.
+   Saying nothing is worse than saying "I don't know" or pointing to other person who might now the subject.
+3. **Stay in the loop.**
+   Don't quit the discussion after first round.
+   You're done when the dust settles.
+4. **Make sure there's the incident owner.**
+   It there is no one -- congratulations, your job is to use your experience and make the problem go away.
+5. **Ask if your help is enough.**
+   We might thing that we're helpful, but the reality might be different.
+   Do one more step, and ask if "there is anything else you can do".
+
+## Why do all of that?
+
+> _I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel._
+> ― Maya Angelou
+
+[1]: {{< relref "2018-01-31-slow-down-enjoy-dont-rush" >}}

content/posts/2018/2018-02-10-skip-the-grumpy-part.md

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+---
+title: Skip the "grumpy" part.
+author: adam nowak
+date: 2018-02-10T12:00:00+00:00
+description: We all like to complain from time to time, that's in our nature, especially in my Polish nation. This post is not about judging who we are, but it's about the way we should reduce this step from our conversation with others.
+url: skip-the-grumpy-part
+categories:
+  - thoughts
+tags:
+  - principles
+---
+
+⏮ _Read the previous part of the "Principles" series [here][1]_
+
+---
+
+We all like to complain from time to time, that's in our nature, especially in my Polish nation. This post is not about judging who we are, but it's about the way we should reduce this step from our conversation with others.
+
+# Take a deep breath
+
+Imagine this situation: you talk to your boss (or even your colleague), there's something you don't particularly like about it, maybe the task isn't perfect or there's no enough information.
+Your peer states their point of view and as the response -- you roll your eyes
+🙄, exhales deeply and say that you don't like it.
+The conversation goes forward, days go by and you're done with the task.
+
+Can you see what's unnecessary here? Exactly, the **grumpy part**.
+
+## Replace or eliminate?
+
+The rule is simple:
+
+- **if you don't have an opinion**, just eliminate complaining and get your hands on the task's execution
+- **if you have a better idea or some questions**, engage in the conversation, saying all you have to say, without any grudge on your side.
+
+## Why is it important?
+
+No one wants to spend a lot of time on persuading someone else. From my own perspective, when I see that my conversation partner goes the grumpy way, I feel like the other person is mad at me like I've done something wrong and like I would like to do something bad to them. And that's not the case 99% time.
+
+I try to pause the conversation when I see something like this, say how I feel about it and ask if we can replace this behaviour by spending time on generating ideas or arguments why it might not be the best idea ever. And do this in a pleasant way, without aggrieving anyone.
+
+[1]: {{< relref "2018-02-07-treat-people-the-way-you-want-to-be-treated-actually-treat-them-better" >}}

content/posts/2018/2018-05-23-assume-positive-intent.md

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+---
+title: Assume positive intent
+author: adam nowak
+date: 2018-05-23T11:00:00+00:00
+description: Believe it or not, but most of the people don't want to make other people's lives worse and they don't plan to ruin your day! At least, I think so:)
+url: assume-positive-intent
+categories:
+  - thoughts
+tags:
+  - principles
+---
+
+⏮ _Read the previous part of the "Principles" series [here][1]_
+
+---
+
+Believe it or not, but most of the people don't want to make other people's lives worse and they don't plan to ruin your day! At least, I think so:)
+
+After spending many years with different people, I've realised that what we feel about some decision or a situation isn't the same what other people feel about it. And that's the source of all the issues and misunderstandings.
+
+I want to encourage you (& me!) to do three things:
+
+- Don't take decisions personally
+- If you have doubts -- simply ask the person behind it about their point of view.
+- **Assume positive intent!**
+
+If you want to talk to the person who you think might have done something
+bad/stupid and you disagree with this, don't hesitate to express your concerns.
+The key thing here is to use some form of
+[Nonviolent Communication][2], by using your sincere feelings and explaining your point of view.
+
+I try to follow this guidance and I never assume that someone (especially one of my co-workers) would like to do something bad. My algorithm is simple:
+
+1. Accept the fact that someone has a different point of view
+2. Try to understand it
+3. Ask this person about things that concern you
+4. _< someone is going to profit from this discussion >_
+5. Move on
+
+Assume positive intent, have a meaningful discussion and benefit from understanding a different point of view. It's much better than getting angry and letting stress to come into your body.
+
+[1]: {{< relref "2018-02-10-skip-the-grumpy-part" >}}
+[2]: https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/

content/posts/2018/2018-07-23-devops-is-not-servers.md

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+---
+title: DevOps != servers
+author: adam nowak
+date: 2018-07-23T10:00:00+00:00
+description: I've always assumed that DevOps are the people who work between servers and developers. Well... that's not true!
+url: devops-is-not-servers
+categories:
+  - thoughts
+tags:
+  - devops
+---
+
+⚓️ _Originally posted on [Linkedin][1] as a haiku-like entry_
+
+I've always assumed that DevOps are the people who work between servers and developers.
+
+That was until I read a novel titled [The Phoenix Project][2], recommended to me by [Bartosz Pranczke][3].
+
+Suddenly, all the pieces started to fit, and the software development environment looks different to me. I realised that DevOps is not a function, but a culture.
+
+... and that everyone on the team is responsible for a project's success.
+
+Implementing DevOps around a project is HARD.
+
+So imagine that my current goal is to help the entire organization do that.
+
+I've spent a lot of time recently working closer to the projects, analyzing our development processes and talking with people.
+
+For starters, I would like to define and track KPIs that will help us decide whether we're headed in the right direction.
+
+Once we know the baseline, we can start improving.
+
+The metrics pick will likely not be ideal, but we need them to build self-assurance, improve, and celebrate progress.
+
+[1]: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6426042608820199424
+[2]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17255186-the-phoenix-project "The Phoenix Project"
+[3]: https://twitter.com/bpranczke

content/posts/2018/2018-07-30-improving-daily-work.md

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+---
+title: Improving daily work
+author: adam nowak
+date: 2018-07-30T10:00:00+00:00
+description: Improving daily work is more important than daily work
+url: improving-daily-work
+categories:
+  - thoughts
+tags:
+  - devops
+---
+
+🔗 _Originally posted on [Linkedin][1] as a haiku-like entry_
+
+> _Improving daily work is even more important than doing daily work._
+
+The above is another quote from [The Phoenix Project][2] book I've mentioned in my [last post][3].
+
+When I heard about "kaizen" for the first time, I didn't expect that I would experience its power so much in my professional career.
+
+When Netguru was a small company, we made dozens of small improvements every day. It helped us to improve quality, embrace the growth, and be ready for all the challenges in front of us in the constantly changing environment.
+
+I see no other option for hyper-growing companies than embracing Continuous Improvement principles as a part of their core values.
+
+I feel that the one area which we haven't improved in a kaizen way is... the kaizen way of doing things in the company.
+
+We're not small anymore, and finding the time for improvement is not granted. We have to make room for that.
+
+We're on our way to address this: we've introduced investment time for our team. We're thinking about adding "kaizen blitz" to our flow, so people can more often focus on a given area, gather like-minded people, and introduce various improvements.
+
+[1]: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6427820761850867712
+[2]: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17255186-the-phoenix-project "The Phoenix Project"
+
+[3]: {{< relref "2018-07-23-devops-is-not-servers" >}}

content/posts/2020/2020-01-22-hello-world-wp/index.md

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+---
+title: Hello world! (WordPress this time!)
+author: adam nowak
+date: 2020-01-22T21:01:00+00:00
+url: hello-world-wp
+cover: manciadirtywindow-scaled-1.jpg
+categories:
+  - site
+tags:
+  - helloworld
+---
+
+Hello 👋!
+
+I'm experimenting with my site right now, stay tuned for the updates!