tech (people) {code}
By Franziska Hauck
From and for project and product people, engineering managers, developers, and all those curious about the people code.
tech (people) {code}Jan 04, 2021
Code vanity - don't you dare criticize my code! 🙅♀️🙅😡
We have all observed it or experienced it - the code vanity phenomenon. Somebody's code is criticized and they explode! Whether it's in a code review, pair programming, mob programming or architectural discussions, such a reaction can be perceived as disruptive.
While the behavior itself is one thing, it's useful to understand the underlying reason for it. The root causes of code vanity are in the way we provide and receive feedback. Or better said, it's the lack thereof. In the podcast you will hear of beneficial approaches and techniques to mitigate or even reduce code vanity moments to a 0. To make the dream work you have to make the team work!
Useful links
- Mediation services
- German association for mediation (English version)
Generic masculine in Tech 😱
It's all around us. The usage of generic masculine in tech.
While it's grammatically correct... it's not helping improve the issue of lack of gender diversity. Why it makes sense to step away from literally seeing only male developers in our heads and what you can do is detailed in this podcast.
Creating psychological safety in tech teams
Psychological safety is a concept that allows team members to show themselves vulnerable, to risk standing/respect/honor/security/etc. (from their perspective) and not be judged. Instead, they are embraced with all that comes with them and they are allowed to make mistakes. │
For tech teams, psychological safety enables innovative thinking and productivity. In the podcast, I reflect on some of the things I have tried in my teams. │
All points are detailed in the written form in the accompanying Medium article.
What can we do to include people with chronic illnesses and disabilities in tech?
Someone on my team members has a disability - what do I do? This is a question that crosses the path of many in tech, specifically engineering managers. And even if it doesn’t there is a high chance that there is someone on the team who is not “out”. Chronic illnesses, disabilities and neurodiversity are very common among tech employees.
In the podcast, I talk about what managers and colleagues in tech need to know to meet this situation well - from definitions to toolset. That way, people from all walks of life will feel welcome in the team.
Resources
- Medium article with the tips in writing
- Video “How To Ally”: talk about allyship for people with chronic illnesses in general
- Video Accessibility For Developers: talk with scenarios and recommended accommodations