On-call schedules must be flexible

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. Attempting to balance time and attention between on-call and a conflicting committment adds stress to what is often an already stressful situation. That stress not only lowers the effectiveness of the on-call response itself but contributes to the feeling that on-call is a duty rather than an opportunity to learn.

Mental models of on-call

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.

On-call is an opportunity

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. Similar to how type 2 fun provides fulfilment after the fact even when not enjoyable in the moment.