Advice for Software Development Managers
© Gerald M. Weinberg, 2004 www.geraldmweinberg.com
Advice to the software development manager
Software Development Magazine Recently Interviewed Jerry. Here Are Some of His Answers.
Software R & D magazine has recently interviewed Jerry. The following is some interviews.
Q: What's The Most Important Piece Of Management-Related Advice Anyone Has Ever Given you?
Q: What is the most important thing you get about management? GW: If you blame your employees, you're a bad manager You hired them, accepted them, supervised them, and directed their training You're responsible If you do not like what's happening, look to your own behavior.... But, if There's Credit To Be Given, It's.
Winberge: If you complain about your employees, you are a manager that is not good at management. You hire them, accept them, supervise them, and guide their training. You are responsible. If you don't like their performance, review your own behavior. If the project is successful, honor is them.
Q: What about what a manager HAS been Hired INTO A Group WERE ALREADY HIRED BY SOMEOE ELSE?
Q: Another situation is that the company directly introduces a manager to manage a team, and the members of this team already exist, not from this manager to hire, what should I do? GW: you don't take a management job passively. Before you get the position, and you get it to sign on with you, or you sign the position - or you don't take the position . I don't know why managers don't understand That. They take On New Assignments Like High School Kids On Their First Blind Date.
Winberg: You are not passive to undertake this management. Before you accept this position, you need to interview with each member of this team, let them sign from you, or dismiss them - or, you give up this position. I don't know why many managers don't understand this truth. They accept new tasks, just like high school blindly go to their first date.
Q: What if an employee begins to elibit Bad Behavior After He or She Has Been Hired - Behavior That Wasn't Apparent in The Interview Phase?
Q: If the employee is in his / she is employed, it shows that there is a bad behavior in the interview stage, what should I do? GW: Well, that happens, and that's what managers get paid for handling It can be a setback, but it's your job to take care of it and get the job done Unfortunately, not many technical managers have any preparation for this, something.. I've Been Trying to Remedy for Years - So IN A SENSE, I'M To Blame, Because I've succeeded in Only A Few Cases. Hey, IF EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY All The Time, You 10n't Need Managers. Winberg: There is a matter of this kind of thing. This is also something that any manager has taken salary. The bad thing may become a good thing, you have a responsibility to deal with this matter seriously. Unfortunately, there is not much technical manager to prepare for this, let the bad things have a good thing, this is also what I hope to do for many years - therefore, from a sense, it should be complained about me. Because I just got success only on several cases. After all, if everything has progressed smoothly, you don't need any administrator.
Q: if you want to Publish A Third Edition of the Psychology of Computer Programming, What New Insights Would IT IT INCLUDE? (DORSET HOUSE Publishing Released A Silver Anniversary Edition In 1998.)
Q: If you are ready to publish the third edition of "Program Development Psychology", what new perspectives will be considered in the book? (Dorset House Press published the book's silver commemorator, the Chinese translation is also published in 2003.) GW: I might add something about how to make yourself so valuable what your work will never be outsourced - - something about the arrogance and overconfidence that has led to the loss of lots of software development jobs, not just to outsourcing, but to development work that's just not being done because the odds of success are so poor.
Winberge: I add content will increase your value to ensure that your work will not be out of it. Otherwise, not only many work will be outsource (no copy), and you are going on the development work It will also lose, because (if you can self-contained and over-confident,) The chance of success is too low.
Q: Is this Bad Behavior Coming from The Developers Themselves, or do you mean to say the entire industry is to black? Q: This bad behavior is from the developer itself, or you think Can the entire industry still stand in the innovation? GW: It starts with the developers, and managers, too But the overall result is, as you suggest, the entire industry getting too involved in navel-watching and competitiveness over the wrong values For a long time, customers had nowhere else to.. Go for service and had to put up UP with what have choices, and they're getting even.
Winberg: Beginning to the developer, also begins with the manager. But the overall result is just as you mentioned, the entire industry has not found the direction, and goes to the corner pointer in some mistakes. For a long time, customers have no way to get other services, because they have to accept our services we provide for them. Now they have a choice, they are also justifying justice.
Q: In Are Your Lights On (also available from Dorset House), you note that people like to complain How do good managers draw the line between harmless venting and disruptive pessimism, if such a line needs to be drawn?.?
Q: Is it "your light is on?" "In the book, you point out that people like complaints. Excellent managers how to distinguish between harmless emotions and destructive pessimism, if you need to divide this limit? GW:. "Drawing the line" is probably not the most useful metaphor The approach I like most is to listen to the complaint for a reasonable amount of time, then say, "And what do you propose to do about this?" Depending on The Reaction You get, Take it from there.
Winberg: "Different Limits" may not be the most useful metaphor. My favorite method is listening to their complaints in a reasonable time, then tell them, "What do you plan?" According to your feedback, you can make some inference.
Q: You overce said, "if you can't manage yourself, you have no business managing Others." Could you elaborate on what? What does it mean to manage one's self?
Q: You have said, "If you can't manage you yourself, you don't need to manage others." Can you explain this sentence? " Manage you yourself? GW: Well, perhaps you can look at Kipling's famous poem, "If." It starts: If you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But Make allowance for their doubting Too; if you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or Too Good, Nor Talk Too Wise;
Most of this poem is still Pretty Good Advice About What It Means To Manage Yourself (Except, Unlike In Kipling's Day, It Now Applies To Women, TOO).
Winberge: Oh, maybe you can look at the famous poetry "If" of Ghiblin. This is written like this:
If you are in the helish of the people, you can calm and not a cloud.
Most of this poem can help you understand what is "managing yourself" (but not like the Giblin era, this poem is now targeting women.)
Q: in Your Opinion, Why Do So Many Software Projects Go Over Budget or Fail To Meet Their Original Requirements?
Q: In your opinion, why so many software projects finally exceed budget, or cannot achieve the original requirements? GW: There's No Single Reason, But Here Are PROBABLY The Top Three:
1. The Original Budget, Schedule and Requirements Were Totally Unrealistic, Due to The Inability of People To Speak Truth To Power.
2. The Original Budget, Schedule and Requirements Were Totally unrealistic, Due to the INABILITY TheIR OWN Limitations (Which We All Have).
3. Even in those rare cases that people pass those first two hurdles, they lose emotional control during the project when something goes wrong - and something ALWAYS goes wrong In 50 years, I've never seen a project where something did not. GO WRONG. WHEN IT DOES, The Project 'Success Is Determined by The Leaders' Ability To Manage Themotionally: Winberge: The reason is not single, the most important reason is listed below:
1. The initial budget, planning and requirements are completely unaccomposed, because people cannot tell the truth tell the person who controls the project.
2. The initial budget, planning and requirements are completely unconpending practice, because people cannot understand and recognize their own limitations (we will have their own limitations).
3. Even if you are very little, people have across the initial two obstacles, when the project progresses (the problem will always appear), they will lose control. For 50 years, I have never encountered a project that has no problem. If there is a problem, project leaders manage their own emotions, and will determine whether the project will eventually succeed.
Q: if you want to find yourself on a development Team, Reporting to a project manager, what qualys would you want That Manager to have?
Q: If you are in a development team, you need to be responsible for the project manager. What qualities do you want your project manager? GW: I'D Want That Manager To Be a Congruent, Adult Human Being, Capable of Learning from Others and His or Her Own Mistakes. A Good Place To Start HONING THESETRIBUTES IS The Aye Conference.
Winberg: I hope this manager's words and deeds, mature, can learn from others, learn from his / her mistakes. Being a good place to learn these excellent quality is the AYE meeting.
Copyright Notice:
This article: http://www.ayeconference.com
9/13/04
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Author: Gerald M. Weinberg
Weinbergcn translation (shiningxyy translation, yuanfeng review)
Not commercial use without permission.
1 Poetry full text:
"If ..." If you are in the six gods, you can calm and not a cloud; if you guess the doubts of everyone, you can self-confidence or not Debate; if you have a dream, you can not lose yourself, If you have a sweetness, you will not walk into the magic; if you can forget it in success, If you hear the mystery of yourself, you are unreasonable to become a big magic. If you have worked hard, it is already a meritorious name, Various, it is necessary to start from the beginning; If you talk to the village husband, you don't leave the courtesy, You can be independent as anyone, so your cultivation will be like the world -
