Ask anyone who knows me: my favorite things are efficiency, productivity, and systems. I thought these were the keys to doing good work, building a strong team, and putting good stuff out into the world.
Everything I thought is wrong.
Thanks to an article about managing programmers, I decided to read Peopleware, a seminal book about productivity in tech. Peopleware argues that (counter to what we usually assume) tech projects don’t fail because of technology. After all, there are simple projects that still flounder. “Imagine that! A project requiring no real technological innovation is going down the tubes.”
In fact, the most common reason that projects fail is “politics” — interpersonal dynamics and sociology — not technology. In other words, the problems you’ll encounter at a tech company are usually people problems, not tech problems.
But wait, I work in a high-tech field! I must have high-tech problems! Give me a better time tracking app, and my team will work better.
Well, Peopleware argues that this “high-tech illusion” prevents us from focusing our efforts where they belong: on cultivating interpersonal dynamics that make our coworkers feel happy, understood, and appreciated. After all, programmers (like everyone in tech) are people, not machines.
I was teaching [a] design course some years ago, when one of the upper managers [requested] that I assess some of […] his project staff. He was particularly curious about one woman. It was obvious he had his doubts about her: ‘I don’t quite see what she adds to a project; she’s not a great developer or tester or much of anything.’ With a little investigation, I turned up this intriguing fact: During her 12 years at the company, the woman in question had never worked on a project that had been anything other than a huge success. It wasn’t obvious what she was adding, but projects always succeeded when she was around. After watching her […] for a week and talking to some of her co-workers, I came to the conclusion that she was a superb catalyst. Teams naturally jelled better when she was there. She helped people communicate with each other and get along. Projects were more fun when she was part of them. When I tried to explain this area to the manager, I struck out. He just didn’t recognize the role of catalyst as essential to a project.
I’ve realized that, all along, I’d been trying to mechanize people: “Let’s use systems and tools to improve efficiency and productivity!” In other words, “Let’s strip people of their nuances, so we can regulate everything and feel like we’re in control.”
Now, thanks to Peopleware, I’ve realized that systems and tools can be helpful, but they are not the answer to team productivity. You can have the best tools in the world, but if your team isn’t happy or jelling, then your project will still fail. After all, the project is nothing without the people.
Maybe we should all adhere to the Peopleware philosophy:
– Get the right people
– Make them happy so they don’t want to leave
– Turn them loose
I’m on board! But now I wonder… easier said than done?