Overcoming Anxiety Through Systems
This is a daily report personally published by PyCon JP 2025 Chair @nishimotz.
31 days remain until the event.
As preparations reach their peak, we’re facing the reality that some people haven’t been able to contribute as much as they’d like, and we’re feeling the pressure that some issues won’t be resolved in time unless we act now. The chair team has started taking action.
However, I believe we need to be more thoughtful about sharing “words that reach everyone” and conveying our thoughts from a higher perspective at this crucial moment.
The answer is that we must find solutions tailored to each individual——
With this belief, today I’m writing on the theme of “overcoming anxiety through systems.” I want to share what I’ve been feeling strongly recently with all the organizing members.
Overcoming Anxiety Through Systems
One month before the event, various anxieties cross our minds. However, I’ve realized that anxiety comes in different types, each requiring its own appropriate approach.
Let me introduce the team principles for anxiety control that I’ve developed.
Type-Based Approaches to Anxiety
Tasks with Low Anxiety
Can be handled independently and simply
- Example: Correcting errors in websites or blog posts
Tasks Where Failure is Concerning
Handle carefully with records, tickets, and reviews
- Example: Creating venue setup procedures, confirming sponsor logo placement
Tasks Where Delays are Concerning
Share progress and concerns to create team reassurance
- Example: Requesting responses from external parties, orders with potential long delivery times
Tasks Where Lack of Records is Concerning
Document in records or tickets
- Example: Payment procedures, responses to questions and inquiries
Balancing Empathy and Order
In considering approaches to these anxieties, I’ve noticed that teams have different approach styles. Our preparation methods can be broadly categorized into two styles.
Empathy-Based Approach
Acting with consideration for people’s feelings and atmosphere
- Strengths: Creates psychological safety and reassurance
- Caution: Deadlines and priorities may become unclear
Order-Based Approach
Acting with clear tasks and deadlines
- Strengths: Organized, prevents oversights
- Caution: May come across as cold
Why Both Are Necessary
Neither can be dispensed with. By “giving voice to anxiety through empathy and giving form to anxiety through order,” we can confidently approach the event.
Request to Leadership-Oriented People
I hope that leaders and sub-leaders will be particularly mindful of balancing empathy and order.
This reflection stems from what I’ve learned about the Python community’s approach, strict practices and inclusivity.
As I touched upon in my recent article “Is it empathy or order that guides organizations?”, I feel that the balance between strict processes like PEPs and inclusive community culture, and the fusion of order and empathy through Code of Conduct are the sources of the Python community’s strength.
For Empathy-Oriented People
In addition to gratitude and encouragement, please also verbalize deadlines and priorities.
For Order-Oriented People
In addition to clarity about rules and deadlines, please add a word of empathy or gratitude.
What’s Important
While achieving both would be ideal, it’s okay to rely on teammates for areas where you’re not strong.
Quantifying Anxiety
In the world of cognitive behavioral therapy, there’s a method called SUDs (Subjective Units of Distress Scale) that quantifies anxiety on a scale of 0-100.
This is a method for self-evaluating “how anxious am I right now” on a 0-100 point scale.
Examples:
- 0 = No anxiety at all
- 50 = Quite anxious but tolerable
- 100 = The strongest anxiety possible
This makes implicit “vague anxiety” visible.
While we don’t need to be overly formal about it, expressing feelings numerically—such as “this is anxiety level 80, so I want it reviewed”—makes communication clearer for both empathy-oriented and order-oriented people.
By quantifying anxiety:
- We can objectively assess the degree of concern
- It becomes easier to share anxiety levels within the team
- We can more easily prioritize our responses
Individualized Approaches
In striving for a balance between empathy and order, what’s even more important is considering individual diversity. The reason I feel that we must find answers tailored to each individual is that we all have diverse backgrounds and situations.
For Experienced People
Please identify the seeds of anxiety early and share them in words. This helps the entire team.
For Less Experienced People
Just expressing “somehow worried” is enough. The surrounding team will support turning that into systems.
For People Who Can Dedicate More Time
You can take on the role of not only handling your own tasks but also picking up others’ anxieties and turning them into systems.
For People With Limited Time
Just concentrating on your own tasks while leaving a word like “this concerns me” is a contribution.
For People in Hiroshima
Please convey the local perspective to the team. Even sharing photos or atmosphere helps create reassurance.
For Remote Participants
Please supplement the invisible parts through records and questions. That becomes help for the team.
For Those Not Feeling Anxious
If you’re not feeling particularly anxious right now, that’s wonderful. However, if you’re willing:
- Please become a “listener” for other members’ anxieties
- Share your experience and knowledge to help reduce team-wide anxiety
- Consider whether there might be any risks you’re overlooking
As Chair
This reflection was inspired by the expression “contours of anxiety” that I heard at a lecture by Takuto Wada (t_wada) in Hiroshima. While I cannot confirm the exact source, I reference it here as representing the TDD philosophy of “turning anxiety into tests.”
What impressed me most about t_wada’s explanation was the idea that “tests should be written at what granularity and in what cases. Writing too many or too few is not good. The basis for defining ‘just right’ is anxiety.” At least, that’s how I remember it.
In test-driven development, by first clarifying anxieties and doubts and expressing them as tests, we can proceed with refactoring and feature additions with confidence. Similarly, I thought that in team management, by tracing the contours of anxiety and incorporating them into systems, we might be able to approach the event with confidence.
Strict practices function better when they start from people’s feelings and emotions. I’ve incorporated this thought into developing these principles.
We don’t need to do everything perfectly. By changing our approach according to the type of anxiety, both empathy-oriented and order-oriented people can leverage their respective strengths.
Whether you’re leadership-oriented, experienced, less experienced, or have different ways of using time and getting involved——
I believe that this diversity, when combined, allows us to confidently approach the event.
The answer is that we must find solutions tailored to each individual. But that’s exactly why I think we can become a strong team.
Taking the First Step
I have a small suggestion for the organizing members reading this article.
This week, why don’t you try putting just one anxiety you’re feeling into words? Whether it’s “somehow worried” or “a bit concerning,” anything is fine.
If you’d like to know what kinds of anxieties and concerns others have, please see the “Food for Thought - FAQ without Answers” I created. While this was compiled as questions that organizing members might receive from participants, it can also be read as a list of anxieties and concerns that many people may have.
If you’re willing, please also try using the SUDs scale. Expressing feelings like “this matter is about anxiety level 30” or “that one is 70, so I want to consult about it early” can help clarify your own feelings and make them easier to communicate to the team.
I believe this will be the first step toward creating reassurance for the entire team.
Update History
- 2025-08-26: Added reference to Food for Thought