What makes a better software engineer?
What makes a better software engineer?
This is a question I've asked myself often over the years, primarily because I'm constantly asked to teach others how I "do things". The problem is that I don't know how I do things – I just do it, like Nike. No really, I once said that during a radio interview.
But regardless, I've still thought about the question. As a result I'll probably post more about this because I've come to realize a number of factors contribute to the "betterness" of a software engineer (or anything for that matter), but one aspect I've thought about more seriously is discipline. Better software engineers, better artists, better management, better athletes, better anything all have one thing in common: they have discipline.
Do a blog search for "discipline and business" and check out the types of articles using the word. They all revolve around a central theme of success. It's not a huge secret, but millions appear to miss the fact that discipline does several things for you:
- It keeps you focused. If you can't focus, then you're more likely to be distracted, which means you'll get less done.
- It helps you "nail the details" while also seeing the big picture. This is critical in leadership, but also in engineering. The better engineers are very detail-oriented, but not to the point where it's crippling as they also recognize the big picture. The details they nail are things like processes, configuration management, quality, and good algorithm design.
- It says, "I am in control" and provides leadership. Human nature trends away from chaos and toward organization. If you are disciplined, then you are perceived as being in control and organized, and people are more likely to drift your direction. You have your sh%t together, so to speak, and people want to have their sh%t together, too.
Maintaining discipline isn't easy. It requires constant improvement. Although, one of the best things I learned while playing baseball was the concept of WIN: What's Important Now.
The concept is simple: If you find yourself adrift or losing focus, then ask yourself, "What's Important Now?" If you answer the question honestly, then you'll know what you need to do, and you'll stay focused on achieving your goals. That's the first step to discipline.
Filed under: Development, Process, Software
