Don’t Change a Thing

Mark ends up working on the bug charting system for Andy, and has a first version ready within a month. Andy uses the system to demonstrate some of the current statistics to management, and everyone remarks on how much easier the data is to interpret now with the new charts. Despite the fact that Mark has just essentially replicated functionality that was available in another system, by adding this component to Informila’s existing workflow, he has made more headway toward garnering trust than he would have been able to accomplish through months and months of focusing solely on fulfilling his declared job duties.

In Perspective

I have met many recruiters, managers, and company owners who have commented that people in technical roles are expected to have excellent technical skills as a prerequisite. However, they are differentiated based on their ability to communicate and how they get along well with others. Seeing yourself—and getting others to see you—as a service provider is a highly valued soft skill. And you might just make your work environment a happier place for yourself while you’re at it.

Biography

Michael DiBernardo ( [e-mail]) is a software craftsmen who writes, teaches, and practices the art of software development. He has worked for the government of Canada, the universities of Waterloo and Toronto, Google Inc., and Novell Canada Inc. He holds a B.Math in Computer Science and Bioinformatics from the University of Waterloo, and an M.Sc in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia.