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Why do you suck at juggling now?

pgadey.ca

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Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#31

Post by shermantanktop »

laszlojamf wrote: post #2

I've been working as a software developer for about ten years, and I've started to get a little annoyed when my manager asks me what I'm gonna work on improving this year. Like what can I say? That I'll try get better at coding? That I'll get better at project management? At some point the marginal utility is just not there anymore. Even if I did get twice as good (whatever that means) at systems design, it's not lik…

Is your manager really asking about your self-improvement?

Or are they asking about you improving what you can do for them, your team and your company? Your job description is a baseline but if you’ve nailed that, there’s usually more you can do that’s outside of that.

Or you can be content with doing your job well, and make up some bs so your manager can write it on a form. Both are valid.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#32

Post by shermantanktop »

axus wrote: post #24
alt227 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then hopefully the fears of replacing developer jobs are unfounded, and in fact we can expect (hope) for middle management jobs to be replaced instead?

I wonder what prompt an AI middle manager would need, to not push back on the crap its manager is telling it needs to happen.

Well if it’s anything like where I am, the crap that the managers are asking each other to do is “do more AI stuff.”

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#33

Post by MarceColl »

randlet wrote: post #13
MarceColl wrote: post #8

What's more shocking to me is asking a person that is not even an acquaintance why they suck at juggling now.

This can easily just be gentle ribbing where the juggler and "critic" are familiar/friendly enough that the juggler understands the dude respects his juggling skills and knows the critic is just making friendly banter when he sees him making more frequent drops.

It could be, but I assume it was not because of how he introduced himself. "Hey? Are you that juggling guy from the gym?"

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#35

Post by mikestew »

mhb wrote: post #16
mikestew wrote: post #12

Reminds me of when I play my mandolin when I’m camping. I’m sure fellow campers think I suck, despite having played for ten years. But I’m not going to play stuff I can play in my sleep, I’m playing stuff that still needs work. So, in consideration of others, once in a while I’ll rip off a fast version of Old Dangerfield or some other song I know really well just in case someone is in earshot.

Why do you think other people want to hear you practicing songs that you're not good at? I'm imagining someone trying to learn the recorder by the campfire.

Why do you think other people want to hear you practicing songs that you're not good at?

I’m assuming people don’t want to hear me at all. To be clear, I’m just sitting at my campsite, not showing up to the campfire circle with “anyone want to hear poorly-played music?” Though if someone else is sporting a ukulele, well, I think all bets are off at that point.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#37

Post by boogieknite »

fusslo wrote: post #14
laszlojamf wrote: post #2

I've been working as a software developer for about ten years, and I've started to get a little annoyed when my manager asks me what I'm gonna work on improving this year. Like what can I say? That I'll try get better at coding? That I'll get better at project management? At some point the marginal utility is just not there anymore. Even if I did get twice as good (whatever that means) at systems design, it's not lik…

Your boss needs paperwork to justify pay raises, promotions, etc to their boss & HR. Isn't the whole purpose of that question to leave a paper trail that both you and they can point to? That's what I've been told, and such I always answer those questions in a way that has a concrete 'goal' that I can point to and either makes ME more valuable to the company OR delivered some thing that is valuable TO the company.

exactly. i just tell them something that translates to potential marginal increases in utilization and reduction in costs like automated workflows etc

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#38

Post by david422 »

helsinkiandrew wrote: post #20
helloplanets wrote: post #17

People don't realize the exponential diffictlty curve with juggling. The highest amount of balls ever juggled is 11.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJsgM-3L38U Wow. The wikipedia page has a nice list with links to videos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juggling_world_records#Balls

14 beanbags 14 catches

is that ... is that juggling at that point?

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#39

Post by reticulates »

laszlojamf wrote: post #2

I've been working as a software developer for about ten years, and I've started to get a little annoyed when my manager asks me what I'm gonna work on improving this year. Like what can I say? That I'll try get better at coding? That I'll get better at project management? At some point the marginal utility is just not there anymore. Even if I did get twice as good (whatever that means) at systems design, it's not lik…

A good manager doesn’t ask what you want to get better at, they ask what they can do for you. A manager who asks these sort of dumb questions is just going through the motions, you should do the same, say whatever they want to hear and then don’t think about it again. You can, alternatively, try and make them into a better manager by changing the question but they might not be receptive.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#40

Post by forlorn_mammoth »

xpct wrote: post #25
laszlojamf wrote: post #2

I've been working as a software developer for about ten years, and I've started to get a little annoyed when my manager asks me what I'm gonna work on improving this year. Like what can I say? That I'll try get better at coding? That I'll get better at project management? At some point the marginal utility is just not there anymore. Even if I did get twice as good (whatever that means) at systems design, it's not lik…

That's the type of culture that made me leave my last job. Feels very inhuman when you see your manager every week, and they still make you fill in robotic questionnaires for potential salary raise. It's deeply demotivating to learn that your manager doesn't know you all that well and cares more about filling in checklists, at least for me.

sorry you experience it as demotivating. I think this is because your expectation of who has what responsibility is not aligned with workplace expectations.

The thing is, your manager has to fill in some paperwork and other admin processes to get you that raise. The manager is probably willing to do that work for you.

You can make this easier for them by helping them fill in that template. Making your manager's job easier IS part of your job, especially making it easier for them to get you a raise.

So yes, the main part of your job is to do the work explicitly assigned to you. And another part of your job is making sure that the work you've done is easily legible to the company.

family/friends relationships have other 'rules'/courtesies.

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