Better Software - September 2008 - (Page 23) Management Chronicles STORY LINES • Don’t underestimate the value of a liberal arts education and other general life experiences in the technology field. • Age discrimination can happen without realizing it. • Consensus building does not mean all decisions must be unanimous. • Highly talented technicians are very likely to become team leads early. These very talented people must have a seasoned manager to provide guidance as well as give them room to grow. With Charlene sitting next to her, Sarah said, “This is the three-month mark, and it’s time for Stan’s first performance review by the team.” “Should be a slam dunk,” Eric said. “Really?” Sarah said. “Why?” “Well, for one, he writes incredible use cases. He captures the right amount of detail. Amazingly, what took several iterations before seems to happen the first time with him. How did he describe the process?” “He calls it the magic ‘IF,’” said Katy, another developer. “What’s the magic IF?” Sarah asked. “It’s an acting technique,” Eric said. “‘What would I do IF I were the character in this given situation?’ Stan uses that technique when working through use cases with the customers. He gets them to act out their roles. There’s also the concept of a French scene—a significant change in the action. And the other cool thing is his mastery of business rules. He explained how things like the law of the excluded middle, the mood of a syllogism, and the types of fallacies helped him. “Really?” Sarah said. “That’s too bad, because Stan just gave me his notice this morning. I wanted to talk about transitioning his work. Given what you told me, I’ll talk to him again.” As the stunned team left, Sarah placed her hand on Charlene’s, who understood this meant to stay. Charlene was staring at the table, unable to look directly at Sarah. “Charlene, we need to talk.” {end} What non-technical skills or past experiences have benefitted you as a software developer? Follow the link on the StickyMinds.com homepage to join the conversation. Sticky Notes For more on the following topic go to www.StickyMinds.com/bettersoftware. n Further reading DON’T BE SHY www.StickyMinds.com SEPTEMBER 2008 BETTER SOFTWARE 23 http://StickyMinds.com http://www.StickyMinds.com/bettersoftware http://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/better http://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/better http://www.StickyMinds.com
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