Engineering Culture - Leave it for the Next Person
It just might be you.
- “I don’t need to update that description field.”
- “I don’t need to clean up that cabling in the cabinet.”
- “I don’t need to fix that build warning.”
- “I don’t need to remove that unused equipment.”
- “I don’t need to capture that context in the documentation system.”
- … “I’ll do it later.”
- … “the next team/shift/group will take care of it.”
History has taught us most will not do it later, until the hand is forced. And if by chance it is completed “later” before being forced, the interim period will have already incurred penalties of frustration, confusion, delay, errors, or a combination — to others on our team or ourselves.
This engineering cultural point is a variant of “do it right the first time” with a reason — do it for the next person to touch the system, because one day it will be you.
Think about how you felt the first time opening an equipment cabinet with immaculately organized cabling, performing a build free of warnings, or the confidence gained from a trustable documentation system. The cause was not magic, but people — other engineers leaving it in such a state for you.
Do your part. Leave it for the next person.