Too many software developers scorn work outside their “demarcation”--don’t let yours get away with it!
Did you see the story last week about the co-pilot who helped load bags to get his delayed plane off the ground? A superb example of the kind of “T-shaped person” software teams need: a team member whose skills go deep in one area, but who is able–and willing!--to contribute outside his or her zone of expertise. I’ve had product managers writing HTML, QA staff prioritising features, system administrators answering customer service calls. I’ve also had engineers refuse to learn a new language or interview a customer, and they didn’t last long. One of the best signals of tech team success, for me, is seeing team members make contributions well beyond what their business cards say, demonstrating alignment and learning rapidly from disciplines they don’t dominate. Are you filtering for T-shapes?
This first appeared in my weekly Squirrel Squadron email, which goes out every Monday, and was originally posted on 7th June 2022. To get my provocative thoughts and tips direct to your inbox first, sign up here: https://squirrelsquadron.com/