Over the years, I hope that I have learned a thing or two. Mostly from making mistakes, and hopefully learning from them!
As the saying goes: “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything”.
Define your values and work according to them. Cutting corners on quality is like pulling out Jenga blocks - the tower keeps standing, but one block too many can bring the tower down.
Priority is defined as: “the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important than others.”
The order of priorities matter.
If delivery is first and quality second, think about what that means further on down the road. Buildings without solid foundations are shaky regardless of the layers of paint.
As legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of Mario and Zelda, once said: “A delayed game is eventually good. A rushed game is forever bad.”
We all have opinions. Some right, some wrong, but mostly they are neither one nor the other.
Hold to the courage of your convictions. Make your case with vigour, however, don’t be so foolish so as not to listen to others and change your mind when appropriate.
In human groups, everyone has a voice and everyone should be heard. However, not everyone decides.
If you are making decisions, listen to the viewpoints around you, weigh them up and make the decision. Be ready to motivate though. We don’t always all agree.
Working in IT, we often complain, grumble and lament that “business” or “management” does not get it. They do not understand, they do not see. No matter how many times we tell them.
The problem is that telling is one thing. Persuading is another.
As Coding Horror explains, learn to persuade.
Working with people all comes down to trust. If there is no trust, there are problems. And they will multiply.
Be trustworthy. Learn to trust others. Sometimes trust bites us, but not trusting at all will eventually bite harder.
Do what you say and say what you do. Speak with candour, provide criticism if required and make it constructive. We all know the problems, but once the venting is over, move towards solutions.
In the end though, it’s not about the brand, or the building, or the project. It is about the people.
We are all human beings, and in our own way doing the best we can with what we have. Stay humble and get creative.
As adults, we spend a large part of our lives with those we work with. You won’t get along with everyone, but you will meet people with whom you do. It is those people that make the day to day worthwhile and that I will miss the most.