Make a stand!
— We raise the standard and uphold our principles. We dare to motivate each other to deliver sustainable value at high quality. We are honest about our abilities. We dare to say “no” to requests that are not valuable or viable. We take the time to learn so that we can do more tomorrow than we can today. We always strive to exceed expectations. We hold each other accountable as professionals. We get to know one another. This is how we earn trust.
Developers should reclaim their value proposition and stand behind their professional motivators and values.
Within the Dilbert-esque business these devaluating malpractices are still very much alive and well and generally result in a Dead Sea Effect:
- Specialists are called “resources” (Dehumanisation)
- Specialists are being limited in creative freedoms
- Specialists are being limited in applying quality standards
- Specialists are continuously time pressured
- Specialists are continuously micro-managed
- Specialists are turned into ‘Ticket-machines / JIRA monkeys’
- ‘a Man in a Balloon’ — effect
- Specialists are not considered to be a part of ‘the business’
- There is no training organization (“do it in your own time”)
Virtually no Product Developer wants to deliver an inferior product to satisfy clients that lack time, materials, creativity, professional knowledge, quality standards and/or ambition.
In Athletic Development we strive for a balance between the value creator and the value consumer. Neither comes first.
How to make a stand?
- Do not lower quality standards; raise them.
- Take your time and make it right.
- Take your time to learn how to make it right.
- Be involved in how the product should be made/improved.
- Work with limited but great tools.
- Dare to say no, proudly and professionally.
- Ask for help.
- Offer help.
- Stand together as a team.
- Always stand by and support your team members.
- Take the time to interact with the users of the product (value consumers).
- Take the time to get to know your team on a personal level.
Empowerment
Only when the product team is trusted with authority over the product, can they be motivated to take actual ownership. This fosters the right conditions for teams to thrive.
- These conditions can make a team both humble and proud at the same time.
- They’ll dare to be honest about their abilities and training needs.
- They’ll dare to say ‘no’ to requests that aren’t valuable or viable.
- The team’s worth will be proven by what they create.
- The product will represent them.
- They’ll be motivated to exceed expectations and thus earn trust.
