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Low-Context DevOps

By Thomas Limoncelli

A New Way of Improving DevOps/SRE Team Culture

This paper introduces the concept of “Low-Context DevOps” as a way to improve DevOps and SRE team culture. Author Thomas Limoncelli contrasts high-context cultures, where a lot of implicit background knowledge is required to operate effectively, with low-context cultures, where knowledge is made explicit and codified.

The paper argues that DevOps environments should strive to be low-context by minimizing the amount of tacit context required to be productive. This improves efficiency, reduces frustration, and increases morale.

  • Format PDF
  • Publication Date May 2021
  • Pages 12

Features

  • Deep Dive

    This paper provides a deeper understanding and guidance for helping companies scale shared services for success.

  • Key Takeaways

    Learn 5 techniques to create a low-context culture, from onboarding to system design.

  • Clear Guidance

    Discover how to encourage best practices by making them the path of least resistance.

  • All Levels

    Drive change from any level - you don't need to be a manager to build a low-context culture.

About the Resource

This paper introduces the concept of “Low-Context DevOps” as a way to improve DevOps and SRE team culture. Author Thomas Limoncelli contrasts high-context cultures, where a lot of implicit background knowledge is required to operate effectively, with low-context cultures, where knowledge is made explicit and codified.

The paper argues that DevOps environments should strive to be low-context by minimizing the amount of tacit context required to be productive. This improves efficiency, reduces frustration, and increases morale.

Five key techniques are presented for achieving a low-context DevOps culture:

  1. Streamlining onboarding of new employees
  2. Encouraging compliance with best practices by making them the path of least resistance
  3. Designing systems to be low-context from the start
  4. Using ubiquitous documentation to capture and share context
  5. Continuously working to reduce required context over time

The author concludes by emphasizing that everyone can demonstrate leadership in moving their organizations toward low-context DevOps, even without explicit managerial authority. Small individual efforts to streamline, document, and share knowledge can drive significant cultural change.

Thomas Limoncelli
Thomas Limoncelli

Thomas Limoncelli

Thomas Limoncelli is an internationally recognized author, speaker, system administrator, and DevOps advocate. He manages the SRE teams at Stack Overflow, Inc., and previously worked at Google, Bell Labs/Lucent, AT&T, and others. His books include Time Management for System Administrators (O’Reilly), The Practice of System and Network Administration (3rd edition), and The Practice of Cloud System Administration. In 2005, he received the USENIX SAGE Outstanding Achievement Award.

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