There is a quote from Chesley Sullenberger (The pilot that landed an airliner in the Hudson river):
"Everything we know in aviation, every rule in the rule book, every procedure we have, we know because someone somewhere died... We have purchased at great cost, lessons literally bought with blood that we have to preserve as institutional knowledge and pass on to succeeding generations."
We forget that often process and procedures which we now take as "common sense" or "bare minimum" were introduced as a best practice exactly because someone somewhere made a mistake that would have been avoided with those procedures in place.
Another thing I think is important to bring up, is that in software teams we often think that procedures are in place for 'other' complacent people or inexperienced juniors.
The reality is that procedures enforce consistency. And that consistency is needed for you as well not just for 'others'.
Today you write something elegant, tomorrow you could have trouble at home, be sleep deprived, pushed for a deadline, pressured by management and suddenly you in that instance become the 'others'.
Procedures in the end eliminate any wiggle for negotiable 'business compromises' or relaxing quality 'just this once'.
"Everything we know in aviation, every rule in the rule book, every procedure we have, we know because someone somewhere died... We have purchased at great cost, lessons literally bought with blood that we have to preserve as institutional knowledge and pass on to succeeding generations."
We forget that often process and procedures which we now take as "common sense" or "bare minimum" were introduced as a best practice exactly because someone somewhere made a mistake that would have been avoided with those procedures in place.
Another thing I think is important to bring up, is that in software teams we often think that procedures are in place for 'other' complacent people or inexperienced juniors.
The reality is that procedures enforce consistency. And that consistency is needed for you as well not just for 'others'.
Today you write something elegant, tomorrow you could have trouble at home, be sleep deprived, pushed for a deadline, pressured by management and suddenly you in that instance become the 'others'.
Procedures in the end eliminate any wiggle for negotiable 'business compromises' or relaxing quality 'just this once'.