Keeping the lights on ... how to keep programmers happy

No matter what sector of IT you're in you are going to deal with programmers and developers at some point.  Even if you're "just" a business person, you will likely work with a development team at some point.  Dealing with programmers isn't a black art, but it can be tricky.

Programmers are a interesting breed.  Focus, attention to detail, creativity, these are some of the core traits of programmers, especially good programmers.  Often though, programmers get a bad wrap.  Let's put inherent geekiness aside, things like being petulant, prima donnas, and more than a little abrasive with users who "don't get it".  Scoble notes a very key point that I personally know helps keep programmers—heck everyone for that matter—happy:

 

The guys who stare at a blank black or white screen and start typing   and start creating the things we all find magical just want us to see their work in our hands. Is it more complicated than that?

We all like to see our work as being valued.  We like to see the fruits of our labor enjoyed by an audience.  Come on, you've just cooked something really awesome (grilling steaks counts) and doesn't it feel great when people's eyes light up at the first bite?  Programmers are no different.  They want to work on cool stuff that makes it to users.  There is nothing more frustrating to a programmer when project after project that they have been working on gets killed or cut.  Talk about feeling under appreciated!  Sure it happens.  If you've been in business long enough you know this.  You might not like it, but you know it.  Maybe the lesson to learn is that when you do have to cut a project, make it about the project, not the work.  If it is about the work, well that's a different discussion altogether.

Maybe these thoughts will help us keep our developers happy.

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