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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?

#41

Post by zelphirkalt »

ludston wrote: post #11
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…

Instead of talking about skills, or personal efficiency, talk about technologies that you're going to introduce to your product, or some specific difficult problem that you're intending to solve. Another next career step is to take ownership of things without needing to be asked or told, to create and execute plans, to raise and address problems pro-actively etc. And if your workspace doesn't give you opportunities t…

Talk about technologies you want to introduce can go more than one way. It can make you sound informed or it can make you sound like someone, who is performing CV-driven development. I know the type. Like for example needlessly wanting to push GraphQL into things that are simple REST APIs.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#42

Post by fendy3002 »

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.

I understand that people who like to stay on their job dislikes this kind of questions, and I also sympathize on why tech sector now doesn't have places for them and asking people to keep improving.

However for those who are superstar / plan maker, this discussion is actually beneficial. This is the moment where among all of things available, prioritized items will be officially registered, rather than your manager make assumption on what needs focus / not. The field staffer has more knowledge on that so managers may also missing some points that can be unraveled during this discussion.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#44

Post by cobertos »

ludston wrote: post #11
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…

Instead of talking about skills, or personal efficiency, talk about technologies that you're going to introduce to your product, or some specific difficult problem that you're intending to solve. Another next career step is to take ownership of things without needing to be asked or told, to create and execute plans, to raise and address problems pro-actively etc. And if your workspace doesn't give you opportunities t…

It really shows you're a team player when you take on more work for the same amount of money. Only a possibility of future reward, and _if_ you can spin your performance reviews correctly and _if_ management doesn't inexplicably dislike you.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#45

Post by ryandvm »

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…

It's all bullshit. They have to ask because somebody is asking them how they're going to eke more productivity out of their underlings. It goes all the way to the top (the shareholders).

Just play along and talk about how you want to improve your mentoring skills or some other completely immeasurable platitude.

Ultimately this productivity-eking obsession is the organizational equivalent of free radical cellular damage. It's just a constant process of degradation to the integrity of whatever caused the business to be successful. Like death, it is unavoidable.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#46

Post by __s »

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…

Every year I just say I want to improve my work life balance & work out more

Doesn't happen, but hey at least I'm being honest about what I'd like to improve

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#47

Post by patrickmay »

jaffa2 wrote: post #6
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…

Just tell him you are working on juggling 5 balls.

Scrolled for this answer.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#48

Post by elmo-shrugged »

reticulates wrote: post #39
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.

"What you want to get better at" can turn into "what they can do for you", though. Like if a conference or training course would help you start or improve on your goal, and they can approve you to get it paid for.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#49

Post by pgadey »

shermantanktop wrote: post #34
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.

I suspect he’s telling a story and chose to personify his own feelings into the words of another person.

This totally happened. The guy really did ask.

Re: Why do you suck at juggling now?

#50

Post by bell-cot »

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…

Delegating more of their less-challenging tasks to junior developers.

(But wrapped in appropriate buzzwords & boss-speak.)

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