From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from pigeon.gentoo.org ([208.92.234.80] helo=lists.gentoo.org) by finch.gentoo.org with esmtp (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1SZLcC-0000Tm-QX for garchives@archives.gentoo.org; Tue, 29 May 2012 12:33:33 +0000 Received: from pigeon.gentoo.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 55CEAE0BA6; Tue, 29 May 2012 12:32:57 +0000 (UTC) Received: from svr-us4.tirtonadi.com (svr-us4.tirtonadi.com [69.65.43.212]) by pigeon.gentoo.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5E6AAE0B8B for ; Tue, 29 May 2012 12:30:42 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail-vc0-f181.google.com ([209.85.220.181]) by svr-us4.tirtonadi.com with esmtpsa (TLSv1:RC4-SHA:128) (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1SZLZU-002Hkn-0Q for gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org; Tue, 29 May 2012 19:30:44 +0700 Received: by vcbf1 with SMTP id f1so2354383vcb.40 for ; Tue, 29 May 2012 05:30:39 -0700 (PDT) Precedence: bulk List-Post: List-Help: List-Unsubscribe: List-Subscribe: List-Id: Gentoo Linux mail X-BeenThere: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Reply-to: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.52.22.38 with SMTP id a6mr6220242vdf.37.1338294639484; Tue, 29 May 2012 05:30:39 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.220.81.202 with HTTP; Tue, 29 May 2012 05:30:38 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.220.81.202 with HTTP; Tue, 29 May 2012 05:30:38 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: References: <4FC0C217.6050302@binarywings.net> <4FC1EAFD.6010504@binarywings.net> <20120527231852.186a968f@khamul.example.com> <20120528225029.5e9181bd@khamul.example.com> Date: Tue, 29 May 2012 19:30:38 +0700 Message-ID: Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] {OT} hire a programmer or company? From: Pandu Poluan To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=20cf307812cc97609804c12c0016 X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - svr-us4.tirtonadi.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - lists.gentoo.org X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - poluan.info X-Archives-Salt: 0a0c4de2-461d-424f-b40d-8cc49f1132a3 X-Archives-Hash: 58d6904b79ec34fb3eb9241c5ea0f465 --20cf307812cc97609804c12c0016 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 On May 29, 2012 3:39 PM, "Grant" wrote: > > >> >> I'll be getting my feet wet with this shortly. Any other tips > >> >> regarding the management of one or more programmers working on > >> >> various small web projects? Maybe workflow or any key procedures > >> >> a newbie manager should follow? > >> > > >> > You can get away with almost anything except these two things: > >> > > >> > Do not micro-manage > >> > Do not tell them how to do what they do > >> > >> Could you give me an example of this last one? > > > > - I see you are using Perl with hashrefs to do function xyz. Have you > > considered (i.e. I would like you to) using $INSERT_SOMETHING_HERE? > > > > - Fiddling with the roadmap. Somehow, this always ends up like the > > homeowner overriding the architect and trying to get the roof up > > before the walls. > > > > - Giving "advice" on the process such as saying how awesome a concept > > stakeholders and product owners are in Scrum. But they use > > ExtremeProgramming. > > > > - Wanting to personally review the code often. I've seen some managers > > want to do this daily. > > > > - Get personally involved on their level. > > > > > > All these things class as interference. Managers and owners who do this > > have miles of justifiable reasons for doing so, but it's always hogwash > > - they interfere, plain and simple. > > This is really interesting to me. Is there a forum/website/book with > more gritty, practical advice like this on managing programmers? > These are the kinds of mistakes I will definitely make if someone > doesn't tell me not to. > > Could you tell me really briefly what a manager *should* do? > > I think I'll try to manage a single programmer working few hours and > see how it goes. My asking stupid questions is due to my lack of > experience and there's only one way to fix that. > > - Grant > Off the top of my head : * It's OK to ask the team about their roadmap and milestones schedule, and even raise objections and/or suggest changes AT THE VERY START OF THE PROJECT. * When the project is under way, DO NOT EVER interfere unless asked. * It is okay to regularly (weekly or biweekly) ask for progress report with regards to the previously agreed milestone schedule. If delays happen, you must also ask what the cause of the delay is, and what the team plan to overcome and/or compensate * Ask the team to keep a 'weather report' regarding the project, updated continually, stored in a shared folder. This is less a report to you than something you can present to your superiors when they start asking, "Are we there yet?" Rgds, --20cf307812cc97609804c12c0016 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable


On May 29, 2012 3:39 PM, "Grant" <emailgrant@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> >> I'll be getting my feet wet with this shortly. = =C2=A0Any other tips
> >> >> regarding the management of one or more programmers = working on
> >> >> various small web projects? =C2=A0Maybe workflow or = any key procedures
> >> >> a newbie manager should follow?
> >> >
> >> > You can get away with almost anything except these two t= hings:
> >> >
> >> > Do not micro-manage
> >> > Do not tell them how to do what they do
> >>
> >> Could you give me an example of this last one?
> >
> > - I see you are using Perl with hashrefs to do function xyz. Have= you
> > considered (i.e. I would like you to) using $INSERT_SOMETHING_HER= E?
> >
> > - Fiddling with the roadmap. Somehow, this always ends up like th= e
> > homeowner overriding the architect and trying to get the roof up<= br> > > before the walls.
> >
> > - Giving "advice" on the process such as saying how awe= some a concept
> > stakeholders and product owners are in Scrum. But they use
> > ExtremeProgramming.
> >
> > - Wanting to personally review the code often. I've seen some= managers
> > =C2=A0want to do this daily.
> >
> > - Get personally involved on their level.
> >
> >
> > All these things class as interference. Managers and owners who d= o this
> > have miles of justifiable reasons for doing so, but it's alwa= ys hogwash
> > - they interfere, plain and simple.
>
> This is really interesting to me. =C2=A0Is there a forum/website/book = with
> more gritty, practical advice like this on managing programmers?
> These are the kinds of mistakes I will definitely make if someone
> doesn't tell me not to.
>
> Could you tell me really briefly what a manager *should* do?
>
> I think I'll try to manage a single programmer working few hours a= nd
> see how it goes. =C2=A0My asking stupid questions is due to my lack of=
> experience and there's only one way to fix that.
>
> - =C2=A0Grant
>

Off the top of my head :

* It's OK to ask the team about their roadmap and milestones schedul= e, and even raise objections and/or suggest changes AT THE VERY START OF TH= E PROJECT.

* When the project is under way, DO NOT EVER interfere unless asked.

* It is okay to regularly (weekly or biweekly) ask for progress report w= ith regards to the previously agreed milestone schedule. If delays happen, = you must also ask what the cause of the delay is, and what the team plan to= overcome and/or compensate

* Ask the team to keep a 'weather report' regarding the project,= updated continually, stored in a shared folder. This is less a report to y= ou than something you can present to your superiors when they start asking,= "Are we there yet?"

Rgds,

--20cf307812cc97609804c12c0016--