Love It or Leave It
One of the highlights of SXSW this year for me personally, was being able to see a panel with Andy Budd of Clearleft, a person and company for whom I have the utmost respect. The panel was about usability testing and the tools you can use to better know your users, but one of the major takeaways I got had more to do with how to approach your job in general.
The discussion that led to Budd’s little slice of wisdom revolved around how to get a company’s designers and developers together and interested in usability testing. One response was to entice a team with pizza and soda and make a day out of it. Budd’s response was that if you have to bribe your developers for them to take an interest in improving their products, then “hire better people”. As Budd said, “It’s everyones job to build better ****!” (Profanity excluded but I think it still makes the point!)
Budd’s passion on the topic was inspiring, and the point he raised was an excellent one. Continually improving your skills, and therefore the products you develop, should not be a chore; it should be the goal.
I can think of two reasons for not trying to continually improve your current set of skills:
- You have no desire to improve.
- You feel there is no need.
No Desire to Improve
If you have no desire to improve, find a different career. Sorry to be blunt, but I believe we are not intended to spend our lives working on something that we have no desire to be doing at the highest level of competence that we are able to obtain. If you’re not in a profession you truly enjoy, find one that you do.
No Need to Improve
If you feel there is no need to improve, that you know all you need to know about a topic…then you’re doing it wrong. Whether it be improvements to your speed, efficiency, quality or general knowledge base, there is always room to improve. If you think you know everything there is to know, you most certainly do not.
For truly great work, you must be passionate about what you do, and you need to surround yourself with other passionate people. If you’re not in that situation, whether it be the people who surround you or the career you’ve chosen, do whatever you must to get there. Life is too short to not spend it doing something you truly enjoy.
5 Smart Things Were Said
03/19/2009
There is one other reason: sometimes employers don’t appreciate the need to learn and become better at the craft, and look down on spending time to do so (unless it’s sanctioned ‘training’).
Most of the places I’ve worked aren’t like that, but I do know that they exist. A great developer will grow anyway, or find a different gig.
03/20/2009
Thanks for the read, I agree.
To be a great programmer isnt easy, many people do it only because its a ‘job’ and they have bills to pay – no passion for what they create.
Sean
http://twitter.com/SeanNieuwoudt
03/20/2009
‘to entice a team with pizza and soda and make a day out of it’
I think that not the idea itself is the problem. It is a good one: having fun while working. What matters to me is the trigger.
If the suggestion came from the gathered group this would be a good sign. Otherwise the idea is still great but more for extrinsic motivational purpose.
On the other hand we should never forget, that we are all human beings and no robots. Even the greatest stars among God’s creatures deserve a break – or two, three. Have a look at Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods – would someone really think that these fabulus sport stars were 24/7 100% commited to their sports career?
I think that there is something wrong when you believe that there is something wrong in human nature, when they sometimes need external stimulation.
The aim is to increase the ratio of people who can motivate themselfes more easily (so does the leader?) Demand anything but perfection.
To be honest, if it only takes a pizza to spike creativity I would go for it. It is cheap, effective and tastes good.
03/20/2009
I am all for continuous improvement. What I find frustrating is that my income does not continually increase as I improve. Instead, I have to continually improve just to stay where I am and not lose my ability to find work.
03/20/2009
Thanks for the great discussion guys!
@Jim – You are correct that some companies, unfortunately, don’t always allow for time for training and development. However, like you also said, if you are truly passionate about getting better at your craft, you will find the time and the means to improve.
@Rone – You make some good points that we should keep in mind. Everybody needs a break some time. And I doubt that Budd was saying having a bit of fun with it was a problem, and that certainly wasn’t the point I was trying to convey either.
Having fun with it is fine…great even! The problem is when that is the *only* way to get people interested in improving their skills and products. That should be something everyone sees the value in, regardless of extra incentives.