Written on 08 May 2024, 5 min read.
You will recall that I believe on-call is a learning opportunity not simply a burden to be borne.
Effective scheduling is the first foundation required to realise that opportunity. It’s the best place to start because, unlike most technical system changes, adopting a flexible on-call schedule can be accomplished quickly and delivers immediate benefits.
Flexibility is key The most important aspect of an effective on-call schedule is to minimise conflict between assigned on-call shifts and the many existing commitments that place demands on our time and energy.
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Written on 01 Sep 2023, 5 min read.
The mental models in our heads shape every discussion. Understanding how they align or differ between participants in a conversation is an important aspect of effective communication. This is particularly relevant for topics such as on-call where a wide range of different experiences lead to strongly held opinions.
This post steps back from high-level discussion of the opportunity on-call offers to focus on describing two key mental models I use to think about on-call and the roles and responsibilities of the different people involved.
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Written on 16 Aug 2023, 8 min read.
For an audio conversation covering similar themes, check out my interview on the Slight Reliability Podcast.
On-call in software teams has a bad reputation. Niall Murphy’s 2018 polemic, Against On-Call is well worth a watch if you need a refresher on the many reasons why the reputation is justified.
Despite the current reputation, on-call can and should be an activity that every software engineer participates in and finds some measure of fulfilment from.
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