It’s hard not to be cynical in the software development business. It seems almost a default for some consultants and some developers.
Cynicism comes about when you are able to predict the outcomes of certain behaviours within a few percent. Our job as software engineers, SREs, testers, consultants, engineering leaders, isn’t to be cynical about the tools, processes and formal parts. It’s up to us to enjoy the small parts of creativity and enjoy the result of deploying working code to users who are happy to have it.
How do we make things better?
- Challenge the norms. Do you need to do everything on your list today – what happens if you don’t?
- Automate the parts of your work that you can automate – did you ever apply your analytical skills to the work you do every day?
- Research new languages, tools, ways of working – grow as an individual and bring enthusiasm to your work.
- If those are too hard – then just EXPLAIN how you feel to those around you. Perhaps you don’t need to change, perhaps it’s the world around you?
Ever heard of HumanOps?
HumanOps is a set of principles which focus on the human aspects of running infrastructure.
It deliberately highlights the importance of the teams running systems, not just the systems themselves.
The health of your infrastructure is not just about hardware, software, automations and uptime – it also includes the health and wellbeing of your team.
The goal of HumanOps is to improve and maintain the good health of your team: easing communication, reducing fatigue and reducing stress.
Let’s bring back the happiness to software development and make less of the Death March about it. Work is supposed to be fun, right?