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How to build toxic software teams

badsoftwareadvice.substack.com

11–20 of 102 posts

Re: How to build toxic software teams

#11
post #2

Remember that if one of your team members has a good idea about how to improve the codebase or the process that you should acknowledge that it's a good idea and tell them how much you like it. Then you should always remember to tell them that it's "not the right time" so you can then move on to demand status updates on features.

I always immediately approve implementation of any good idea regardless of roadmap or resource availability.

Re: How to build toxic software teams

#16
post #11
post #2

Remember that if one of your team members has a good idea about how to improve the codebase or the process that you should acknowledge that it's a good idea and tell them how much you like it. Then you should always remember to tell them that it's "not the right time" so you can then move on to demand status updates on features.

I always immediately approve implementation of any good idea regardless of roadmap or resource availability.

Ah, the luxury of no deadlines...

Re: How to build toxic software teams

#17
post #2

Remember that if one of your team members has a good idea about how to improve the codebase or the process that you should acknowledge that it's a good idea and tell them how much you like it. Then you should always remember to tell them that it's "not the right time" so you can then move on to demand status updates on features.

My favorite tool when someone suggests a code improvement is to say ”Cool! Love that. Make it so”

Then usually nothing happens. They didn’t think it was good or important enough to use their time, they just wanted others to Do Better. Oh well

Re: How to build toxic software teams

#19

It's easy. Hire one bad narcissist. Keep praising and promoting them.

Narcissist has become exponentially more abused over the past couple years. I've ended up leaving it for people who are attention-seeking, in common culture it is reduced to "people I have conflict with who I don't think care about other people", which has some irony, that's how a narcissist would perceive many interactions.

From Mayo Clinic:

> Personality qualities include thinking very highly of oneself, needing admiration, believing others are inferior, and lacking empathy for others.

Re: How to build toxic software teams

#20
A gold mine!

Always make sure you sow doubt and confusion in your employees. Make sure they question their own lived experiences and wonder if there is something inherently wrong with them. If they seek out advice and feedback from you about their work make sure you respond with vague suggestions, not based on reality and facts, and make sure it's about a character flaw you see in them. Never use examples or facts to back up your claims and never give direct advice about how to address the issue. They will soon wonder what it is they have done to become so flawed that no amount of therapy will ever undo the damage you have wrought. Do this to enough employees and watch as egos and careers are laid to waste.

Make sure everyone works alone and never talks to one another. If someone asks for advice it's because they're not competent enough to have known the answer. Make sure they know that is why they're not being promoted. Don't let them talk or share ideas. It's a waste of time. Workers who are isolated and silenced are easier to manipulate, learn to feel helpless, and depend on you to tell them what to do.

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