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advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - mattkime - 09-01-2011
for some background, i'm a javascript programmer that survived a fine arts degree. js developers are in high demand and i've repeatedly found myself working with programmers with more years on the job but precious little experience with js or interface programming. the story below is hardly unusual but i'm still interested to see if anyone has advice.
I seem to find myself surrounded by do-ers. Knock out the work, don't think too long about things. I'm the opposite. It bothers me if my work isn't elegant. I write code, print it out and review it later. I find this essential to improving my work even if its a bit obsessive.
I have a lot of experience designing the sort of systems that my team is working on. My fellow programmers may have a lot of experience but not with these specific problems. To me the value of experience is quickly obvious but when i share this with others its frequently seen (i think) as didactic or nitpicking. After all - if it works, why look back? And I agree, except that looking back is critical to improvement. (and yes, i'm trying to be as careful as possible with my delivery)
I'm trying to figure out how i can open up a conversation on how our current work can best meet long term goals but i've had some trouble finding genuine interest in my coworkers. I don't want them to fake it, i know that won't do any good.
my current strategy is to push gently and try to relax. but i'm impatient. i think it could be 3-6 months before i can tell if we're making progress.
advice?
Re: advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - haikuman - 09-01-2011
Matt, perhaps just be yourself without adding the friction of... ""you work differently""
Continue to work differently with pride and that exactness you describe. Lead by example
and the calm reality you are comfortable in your own skin/shoes.
My last suggestion is """be the ball"""...oops I borrowed that *(:>*
"""you can mold the future by manifesting your beliefs in your daily routine"""
The old Joan Grant standby from "Winged Pharaoh""
Rudie
Re: advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - Grace62 - 09-01-2011
So it sounds as though your co-workers (and I assume you're all equal players in the organization) aren't receptive to your suggestions for how they could improve their work?
Giving unsolicited advice is always tricky and sometimes not recommended. Particularly if you're not the boss. Do you ask first if the person wants to hear your opinion before you deliver it? Might be best to first get buy-in from the team, and communicate that you'd like to share your ideas on how all of you can produce an even better product. Be sure and let them know that you want to hear their suggestions too, and that you value them. If you're coming from the perspective that your way of doing things is just better, that might not fly.
Always start with a compliment. You said you don't want people to fake it, but a large percent of the process of people getting along, especially at work, is faking it.
Re: advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - haikuman - 09-01-2011
Grace62 wrote:
Always start with a compliment. You said you don't want people to fake it, but a large percent of the process of people getting along, especially at work, is faking it.
Vote to remove :devil: :priate: Spoken :jest: """Just Like A Woman""" aka Bob Dylan *(:>*
Re: advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - August West - 09-01-2011
I think everyone has their own way of working. To me, it has always been about meeting clearly defined goals. You speak about long-term goals, but who is setting them? If they are clear, then it seems whether they are being met or not should be determining the success of a project. If they are ill-defined, success is elusive. If someone is getting in your way, try to work around them. It took me a very long time, and I still sometimes feel like I'm throwing in the towel with this idea, but ultimately I concluded that I won't ever live in a perfect world and I will have to compromise with others to create a workable group dynamic.
I don't know if this is a good analogy, but when I worked in film, a hot topic of discussion was pandering to the audience. People would, and still do, put down certain directors and producers for pandering. In many cases I agreed, but you also find this element in the most talented and successful people. I always thought that if you strive to maintain your purity and don't accommodate the audience, you are basically sitting in a corner self-pleasuring; an audience is part of the dynamic. They are an essential factor in your success. The point I think I'm trying to make is, that it is good to maintain your vision, but if you adhere to it so strictly that you are unable to accomplish tasks that require the work and cooperation of others, you have to accept a certain measure of what you perceive to be their shortcomings to find success. Operationally, I would be looking at where the goals come from and their clarity and odds of success. Good luck.
Re: advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - SDGuy - 09-01-2011
Is there no leader for this team?
Re: advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - Seacrest - 09-01-2011
SDGuy wrote:
Is there no leader for this team?
Leader!!!
Oh.
I'm not sure I understand.
Does the team not have adequate testing procedures? Are you using source code management? Are you the only JS programmer and this is a culture clash of front-end vs back-end, or are you on a team of other JS people?
Maybe the company culture is not amenable to your style of working.
It happens.
Maybe you could meet them halfway.
Or provide benchmarks as to why your code is better, or why the process needs to be more [or less] iterative.
I've come up against these kinds of problems a lot lately, and I have wondered if it's "me" or am I the sane one and everybody else is nuts.
I really don't know the answer.
Oh, and the printing things out thing is just weird. Stop it.
Re: advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - Pam - 09-01-2011
I had to laugh reading your description. See I'm a big picture person who has worked with micro-focused people. We called them anal.
There's no right or wrong here. Just different approaches. You're not going to change them and they aren't going to change you. The best you can do is find some middle ground. I know it's frustrating. Probably for them as much as you. But that's what makes the world go around.
Re: advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - hal - 09-02-2011
I think that I'm your type and have often struggled in the workplace. HOWEVER, my attention to detail and the elegance of my work EVENTUALLY becomes clear and longstanding procedures may change to what becomes an obviously better way of doing things.
But you can't just tell these people that have been there longer and produce 'good' work faster than you do that they are wrong. THey have to see the long term consequences for themselves.
Sorry - no advice... just hang tough, agree to disagree and agree that there are more than one way of solving problems.
Re: advice on working with others? a central challenge at work (warning: long) - Black - 09-02-2011
With a few exceptions, all programmer types I know have an unshakeable belief that they are of superior intelligence to all other people they encounter in their everyday lives.
Your challenge is to convince the other programmers that you are of superior intelligence. Then everything will fall into place.