Oh look... a programmer!

I wrote this in response to a blog entry by a guy who runs MediaSift in Reading who wanted to chat to me about a role... I say 'wanted' in that very 'until I post this' kind of way! Not that it's bad, it is what I believe and have tried to do over the years, it's just I sense a difference in 'philosophy' between the two of us in some subtle ways... but we'll see... or not... as the case may be :))))

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Wow, interesting blog. However… please stand back whilst I shoot myself in the foot!

I don’t agree with some of the assertions or views, but I do love a good discussion and experimentation so thought I might share.

If I had this £400 I think I am unlikely to buy the ‘star programmer’ a new laptop by way of reward. Not sure I would give them the cash either. Instead I might empower this star team member to make their own choice. Perhaps having a range of rewards that can be ‘purchased’ and the individual can have whatever they would like. And by rewards, I don’t just mean a monitor or a mug with ‘the worlds greatest programmer’ emblazoned upon it, but perhaps such things as Red Letter Days (or whatever they have now become…) or even a day’s leave!

I believe it might be falling into a trap to compartmentalise ‘programmers’. They are all people, all individuals and what motivates one individual might, or might not, motivate another, so either tailor the reward individually or allow choice. Personally I prefer to set parameters/options and then allow free choice.

I would also suggest, that environmental rewards do apply to all individuals within the workplace. This can be seen from the ‘corner desk’ syndrome to sales teams cars whereby the better the sales consultant the better spec/model/variant car they get from the available range.

I do agree that nothing excites, entertains and motivates a ‘programmer’ … wait, one second, sorry, I haven’t met a ‘programmer’ for at least ten years. Developers and engineers have long since replaced them and are far better descriptors of what this talented pool of individuals do… in my opinion.

So let me continue my sentence… I do agree that nothing excites, entertains and motivates a developer than a problem, a puzzle, something that a marketeer wants but they don’t know how to get! This is one of the reasons I love User Stories, nice simple descriptive language detailing a need that a developer has to turn into a reality… by whatever means necessary!

Developers do love problem solving. The art of dev management is to guide them to develop solutions required by the living breathing organisation of which they are a part.

I have a few more guidelines that I would merely suggest…

Empower developers to make decisions. They love it, don’t tell them how to resolve a problem, tell them there is a problem and let them sort it out.

Give them toys… but not just Lego. Give them a sandpit, mix in time and watch what grows in this magic garden. By sandpit I of course mean a separate and isolated development environment and allow them to experiment and build, well… anything… What’s more, pay them to play in their sand pit, allow a percentage of their contracted time to be spent in this way. In my experience, you will be rewarded many times over, through both time and motivation and sometimes… killer apps that the organisation gets to share equity in… but remember, play fair in the sandpit!

Say thanks. I know this is dull (for me to have to say and you to have to read). I know this is in every management text since Sun Tzu accidentally started the ball rolling, but still it is done with an annoying lack of frequency and it is so simple. If somebody does something for you and you like it… say thank you. There is nothing better to behold than the smile on a developers face when somebody from marketing or CS pops over to say, “Thanks, you did a really great job!”.

By the was Sun Tzu never said thanks that I know of. He did have his generals executed to demonstrate his ruthlessness to his troops, he even told them he was going to do it and why, and they all understood! Things have moved on… in most places!

Stepping back to the £400 monitor… or a £5000 laptop… buy it for them… if that’s what they need to do the work and they can justify the spend (and you have the budget…) then just buy it! In fact… let them buy it.

I like to think the key in there is, again, empowerment. Empower the developer (or any other individual for that matter…) to make the choice about what they need, why they need it, why it helps the organisation and then let them buy it. If you have to buy it for them, then perhaps you don’t trust them but if you do… then lay out the situation, lay out the things they must consider, then lay out the cash!

Finally… meetings… developers don’t always see meetings as a waste if time. They see the unnecessary chaff that fills some meetings as a waste of time but many meetings they are both grateful to be invited to and generally fully participative in. Just invite them to the right parts of the right meetings… oh… and start running agile development processes, you’ll still have meetings… but the empowered team will determine what, where, when and how!

As an aside, perhaps most communication between ‘programmers’ is undertaken through email, but for developers and engineers I see far more use of IM. I can barely move without something popping up on my screen asking for one view or another! Sometimes I even look up from my laptop and ask Ian on the desk opposite why he needs to open an IM chat rather than just look up and say hello… sometimes… he responds via IM!