Alright, let’s talk about this whole Jaylan Adams situation. It’s one of those things you hear about, and then suddenly, it’s right there in your face. For me, it all started when the higher-ups decided we needed a “fresh perspective” on our project workflows. That’s when Jaylan Adams, or rather, the “Adams Method” as they called it, got introduced.
My First Brush with the Adams Method
First, there were the emails. Lots of them. Then came the mandatory workshops. We all got herded into the main conference room. Jaylan Adams himself wasn’t there, mind you. We got a series of presenters, all super enthusiastic, talking about how this Adams guy had revolutionized efficiency in, like, a dozen other places. They had charts, lots of fancy charts. And buzzwords. So many buzzwords.
The core idea, as far as I could tell, was to break down every single task into micro-tasks and log every minute of our day into this new, shiny software they rolled out. They promised “unprecedented transparency” and “synergistic collaboration.” I remember thinking, “Okay, let’s see how this goes.” I’m usually open to trying new things, you know? Sometimes a new system can actually help.
Getting Down to Brass Tacks: The Actual “Practice”
So, Monday morning arrived, and it was Adams Method Day. My first step was trying to log into the new software. That took about 20 minutes because the server was apparently overloaded with everyone trying to do the same thing. Classic. Once I was in, I had to figure out how to input my “micro-tasks.” My usual work involves a lot of creative problem-solving, things that don’t fit neatly into 15-minute blocks.
I tried. I really did. I’d start working on a design issue, get into the flow, and then, oh right, I need to stop and log what I just did for the past 27 minutes and then try to predict what tiny piece I’d do next. It felt like I was spending more time documenting the work than actually doing the work.
- My morning routine: Spend 10 minutes trying to categorize what I was about to do.
- Mid-morning: Realize I’d forgotten to log something, spend 15 minutes backtracking.
- Lunch: Hear everyone else complaining about the same thing.
- Afternoon: Try to batch-log, which they specifically told us not to do, but it was the only way to get anything done.
And the collaboration part? Because everyone was so bogged down with logging, actual communication kind of dropped off. You’d send a message, and people wouldn’t see it for ages because they were wrestling with the Adams software. Instead of synergy, we got silos, just everyone stuck in their own logging nightmare.
The So-Called “Results”
After a few weeks, they presented us with more charts. These charts, apparently generated from our meticulous logging, showed… well, they showed we were spending a lot of time logging. Shocking, I know. The managers seemed to think this detailed data was gold. They’d have meetings about why “Task Category X” was taking 3% longer this week. But they weren’t asking us, the people actually doing the work, why.
The truth was, we were just gaming the system by then. You’d figure out what kind of entries made the reports look good. Real productivity, the kind that actually makes a difference to the projects? I felt like it nosedived. We were all so focused on appearing busy in the system that the actual quality or innovation suffered.
I remember one time, I had a genuine breakthrough on a tricky problem. It took a solid two hours of uninterrupted thought. When it came time to log it, I just broke it down into a bunch of vague, generic “problem-solving” micro-tasks. The system couldn’t capture the reality of that kind of work. It was all just noise.
What I Took Away From It
Eventually, bits of the Adams Method started to quietly fade away. The super-detailed logging became less enforced. The software got used for more basic tracking. I think even the higher-ups realized that you can’t just slap a one-size-fits-all “method” onto every team and expect miracles. Real work is messy, and sometimes, you just need to trust people to get it done without tracking their every breath.
So, yeah, Jaylan Adams. Or the Adams Method. It was an experience, alright. Taught me a lot about how not to implement a new system. And it really made me appreciate the times when you’re just allowed to, you know, do your job.
