Some good learnings in here, but I’d add another layer of caution on top of this: Managing is often about balance. It’s a common mistake for first-time managers to over-correct after they realize they’ve made some mistakes. Over-correcting can result in swinging to opposite extremes, which can be problematic for different reasons.
To use an example from this article: Letting “brogrammers” overrun the team and drown out less experienced developers is, obviously, a mistake that requires some correction. However, it’s also problematic to start typecasting confident, experienced programmers as “brogrammers” and going out of your way to silence them would also be a mistake. The proper response is to facilitate proper, healthy team communication with a clear and firm condemnation of negative behaviors regardless of who they come from.
Likewise, measuring developers on flawed metrics like number of features delivered is a mistake, but swinging to the opposite extreme of not measuring anything at all would also be a mistake. The author points out a good example of how to find a workable framework without abandoning metrics completely.
* makes up politically for lack of technical skill
the general culture they can create makes people anxious and feel belittled. when they reach out for help the brogrammers peers can’t believe he’d be mean to anyone. i guess it’s a tech narcissist.
These articles are never very useful. They're super high level "I didn't do x enough", but they never give enough context to really learn from.
> Not perceiving the toxic impact of the “brogrammers” on my team, and how they would subvert the ideas of the quieter developers.
What's a brogrammer and how do we avoid hiring them? Looking up this definition online it suggests we shouldn't hire devs that work out and wear sun glasses. Also how did they subvert the ideas of quieter developers?
> Letting the more stubborn of my team work like ‘lone wolves’.
So should all devs be forced to work as cooperatively as possible? How much can you let devs work by themselves, when you do what risks are you taking? How did this blow up?
> Not understanding the severe impact of group-think when having an almost all white and male developer group.
How did hiring white males lead to group-think? How would hiring of different races or genders lead to less group think?
Agreed, I can't trust any article that starts with "I was so excited to become a manager".
Direct managers (that is, low level ones) basically have fixed budgets, resources, schedule, and new ones have little political power or leverage. It's a SHIT job, and basically it is something a manager has to go through to get up to the better paying levels.
And as stated, this guy basically was selling out his reports for his ambition to try to do "extra work". This guy was an AWFUL manager. The liberal diversity thing is so blatantly obviously a cover for him selling out his team rather than have the blame for his failure rest on him. Yes there are tensions in any team, guess what, that meant you had passionate team members.
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[ 2.5 ms ] story [ 29.4 ms ] threadTo use an example from this article: Letting “brogrammers” overrun the team and drown out less experienced developers is, obviously, a mistake that requires some correction. However, it’s also problematic to start typecasting confident, experienced programmers as “brogrammers” and going out of your way to silence them would also be a mistake. The proper response is to facilitate proper, healthy team communication with a clear and firm condemnation of negative behaviors regardless of who they come from.
Likewise, measuring developers on flawed metrics like number of features delivered is a mistake, but swinging to the opposite extreme of not measuring anything at all would also be a mistake. The author points out a good example of how to find a workable framework without abandoning metrics completely.
I've seen the memes but I can't really connect them to any devs I've worked with.
* louder than competent
* uses social pressure to drive decisions
* makes up politically for lack of technical skill
the general culture they can create makes people anxious and feel belittled. when they reach out for help the brogrammers peers can’t believe he’d be mean to anyone. i guess it’s a tech narcissist.
Nice completely irrelevant mention of race. +5 woke points.
> Not perceiving the toxic impact of the “brogrammers” on my team, and how they would subvert the ideas of the quieter developers.
What's a brogrammer and how do we avoid hiring them? Looking up this definition online it suggests we shouldn't hire devs that work out and wear sun glasses. Also how did they subvert the ideas of quieter developers?
> Letting the more stubborn of my team work like ‘lone wolves’.
So should all devs be forced to work as cooperatively as possible? How much can you let devs work by themselves, when you do what risks are you taking? How did this blow up?
> Not understanding the severe impact of group-think when having an almost all white and male developer group.
How did hiring white males lead to group-think? How would hiring of different races or genders lead to less group think?
Direct managers (that is, low level ones) basically have fixed budgets, resources, schedule, and new ones have little political power or leverage. It's a SHIT job, and basically it is something a manager has to go through to get up to the better paying levels.
And as stated, this guy basically was selling out his reports for his ambition to try to do "extra work". This guy was an AWFUL manager. The liberal diversity thing is so blatantly obviously a cover for him selling out his team rather than have the blame for his failure rest on him. Yes there are tensions in any team, guess what, that meant you had passionate team members.