We become professional PHP developers. Part 3: Teamwork
I bring to your attention the translation of the third part of the series of articles “Becoming PHP professional”.
First part. "Missing link"
The second part of. “The Importance of Other People”
Since we have already discussed the general course to achieve the level of “average” in the field of PHP development, as well as the role of the people around us , in this article we will focus on the social aspects of teamwork and initiative. This article will serve as an introduction to the next, where we delve into this concept.
It is important to note that when I say “teamwork”, I don’t mean only large teams - corporations or companies where you are only playing second roles. The team can also be a group of freelancers working on a project - whether being near or remotely. When you work with someone on something, you are a team. Small, but, nevertheless, the team.
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It's no secret that we, the developers, have a tendency to be narcissistic. This manifests itself in all spheres of our life, not only in programming, in particular, when you were assigned (or you succeeded) a task of medium or high importance. This overestimates our self-esteem and we forget that no one can know everything in the world.
And this is quite natural when we consider ourselves more important than we really are. In such cases, it is necessary to cool down and temper the ardor, to look at things from a different angle. Take the place of the other team members and take a look at yourself. Understand why you are here and what is required of you, and respect the other members of the team, because their role is just as important as yours.
You can succeed in front-end development more than the one who is responsible for this in the team, but if your task is PHP, then consider whether you need to talk about it. While the front-end can be a mediocre task, you can also be mediocre - without experience working on different projects, you will be standing still. In addition, what is the use of replacing the aforementioned team member? If he really does his job poorly and harms the project, in every sense, you need to bring it to the team leader. But if he just does his job on “OK”, then his replacement will negatively affect the progress and cause unnecessary delays in development.
However, it is not worth keeping silent about it either, because it will not lead to anything good. Disagreements will begin in the team, other developers will take a position opposite to yours because of the fact that you are hiding something and are cunning. Also, the team can support you and fight against a person with whom you did not get along. All this adversely affects the atmosphere in the team. The most rational and safe solution for the team spirit is to help the person with advice and discuss everything in a friendly way.
But what if the project leader is the one who harms the project? Well…
The boss is like an old man. It must be respected, but until a certain point. Of course, I will listen to my grandmother. She had seen a lot, and in her years gained wisdom that she could share. But if she tries to brainwash me with her old habits and manners, then I hardly take her words with respect and earnestly.
With the boss in the same way. Respect their decisions, listen to the advice. If someone is taller than you in the career ladder or position in the team - this is no accident. And, as is often the case, the matter is not at all in skills and experience, as many believe. Consider the fact that anyone knows something you may not know. Try to listen to their opinion, even if it disagrees with yours, because even from this you can benefit. Discuss both positions, yours and your interlocutor, if they are only slightly different, and you are 100% likely to learn something new!
There is definitely a downside. It happens that the only reason why your boss is taller than you in the career ladder is that he is better acquainted with the project owner than you. At first, you may not notice this, however, over time, everything becomes clear and transparent. Based on experience, the incompetence of such people may manifest, for example, due to the refusal to switch to PHP 5.2 when developing a completely new project in 2012 (PHP 5.2 was released in 2006, approx. Translator). Or the controversial tasks of the project only to cover up their gaps in knowledge. In order for such things to really hurt the project a lot of time is needed. Very soon, all the success of the project will be awarded to them, and all the failures will be pushed onto the local scapegoat. Such people masterly disperse your attention or give wrong directions. And all this is just to sit in his boss’s chair for as long as possible, since the bosses have their privileges in the form of bonuses. And even if the project fails unexpectedly, it is only a drop in the ocean, compared to their bank account and influence.
If you notice such a person, it is better not to even try to fix something. It is pointless to contact the project owner, as he may be a relative, friend, or your CEO may just be a fool. And the last - the worst, because the longer this happens, the less desire the authorities understand that all this time they have been fooled. Such projects, for the most part, fail, so ...
When you realize that it’s time, do not be afraid to go for free bread. Temporary confidence, which gives work at this stage, only temporary. Remember, the project sooner or later, but fail! It is only a matter of time. The situation can be corrected only by changing the bosses, and such global changes rarely happen.
You should always be on the lookout for a better offer. But if the situation is critical - begin to actively look for another job. Pass the interview, join existing startups. Do not sit back. It is hard if you have such colleagues, and the loss of the next monthly paycheck can get you at a loss, but believe me, staying in such a project beats your wallet even more, and not only you, but others.
I take all this not from the ceiling, but speak from my experience. I was forced to quit exactly because of this situation, but instead of getting a regular IT company with the same salary, I decided to switch to freelance. This allowed me to choose projects and clients, to choose technologies and tools with which I am comfortable and which are interesting to me. Freelance gave me a lot more knowledge and experience than I would have received while in a failed project.
First part. "Missing link"
The second part of. “The Importance of Other People”
Since we have already discussed the general course to achieve the level of “average” in the field of PHP development, as well as the role of the people around us , in this article we will focus on the social aspects of teamwork and initiative. This article will serve as an introduction to the next, where we delve into this concept.
It is important to note that when I say “teamwork”, I don’t mean only large teams - corporations or companies where you are only playing second roles. The team can also be a group of freelancers working on a project - whether being near or remotely. When you work with someone on something, you are a team. Small, but, nevertheless, the team.
Know your role
')
It's no secret that we, the developers, have a tendency to be narcissistic. This manifests itself in all spheres of our life, not only in programming, in particular, when you were assigned (or you succeeded) a task of medium or high importance. This overestimates our self-esteem and we forget that no one can know everything in the world.
And this is quite natural when we consider ourselves more important than we really are. In such cases, it is necessary to cool down and temper the ardor, to look at things from a different angle. Take the place of the other team members and take a look at yourself. Understand why you are here and what is required of you, and respect the other members of the team, because their role is just as important as yours.
You can succeed in front-end development more than the one who is responsible for this in the team, but if your task is PHP, then consider whether you need to talk about it. While the front-end can be a mediocre task, you can also be mediocre - without experience working on different projects, you will be standing still. In addition, what is the use of replacing the aforementioned team member? If he really does his job poorly and harms the project, in every sense, you need to bring it to the team leader. But if he just does his job on “OK”, then his replacement will negatively affect the progress and cause unnecessary delays in development.
However, it is not worth keeping silent about it either, because it will not lead to anything good. Disagreements will begin in the team, other developers will take a position opposite to yours because of the fact that you are hiding something and are cunning. Also, the team can support you and fight against a person with whom you did not get along. All this adversely affects the atmosphere in the team. The most rational and safe solution for the team spirit is to help the person with advice and discuss everything in a friendly way.
But what if the project leader is the one who harms the project? Well…
Respect the authorities. Up to a certain point
The boss is like an old man. It must be respected, but until a certain point. Of course, I will listen to my grandmother. She had seen a lot, and in her years gained wisdom that she could share. But if she tries to brainwash me with her old habits and manners, then I hardly take her words with respect and earnestly.
With the boss in the same way. Respect their decisions, listen to the advice. If someone is taller than you in the career ladder or position in the team - this is no accident. And, as is often the case, the matter is not at all in skills and experience, as many believe. Consider the fact that anyone knows something you may not know. Try to listen to their opinion, even if it disagrees with yours, because even from this you can benefit. Discuss both positions, yours and your interlocutor, if they are only slightly different, and you are 100% likely to learn something new!
There is definitely a downside. It happens that the only reason why your boss is taller than you in the career ladder is that he is better acquainted with the project owner than you. At first, you may not notice this, however, over time, everything becomes clear and transparent. Based on experience, the incompetence of such people may manifest, for example, due to the refusal to switch to PHP 5.2 when developing a completely new project in 2012 (PHP 5.2 was released in 2006, approx. Translator). Or the controversial tasks of the project only to cover up their gaps in knowledge. In order for such things to really hurt the project a lot of time is needed. Very soon, all the success of the project will be awarded to them, and all the failures will be pushed onto the local scapegoat. Such people masterly disperse your attention or give wrong directions. And all this is just to sit in his boss’s chair for as long as possible, since the bosses have their privileges in the form of bonuses. And even if the project fails unexpectedly, it is only a drop in the ocean, compared to their bank account and influence.
If you notice such a person, it is better not to even try to fix something. It is pointless to contact the project owner, as he may be a relative, friend, or your CEO may just be a fool. And the last - the worst, because the longer this happens, the less desire the authorities understand that all this time they have been fooled. Such projects, for the most part, fail, so ...
Do not be afraid to leave
When you realize that it’s time, do not be afraid to go for free bread. Temporary confidence, which gives work at this stage, only temporary. Remember, the project sooner or later, but fail! It is only a matter of time. The situation can be corrected only by changing the bosses, and such global changes rarely happen.
You should always be on the lookout for a better offer. But if the situation is critical - begin to actively look for another job. Pass the interview, join existing startups. Do not sit back. It is hard if you have such colleagues, and the loss of the next monthly paycheck can get you at a loss, but believe me, staying in such a project beats your wallet even more, and not only you, but others.
I take all this not from the ceiling, but speak from my experience. I was forced to quit exactly because of this situation, but instead of getting a regular IT company with the same salary, I decided to switch to freelance. This allowed me to choose projects and clients, to choose technologies and tools with which I am comfortable and which are interesting to me. Freelance gave me a lot more knowledge and experience than I would have received while in a failed project.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/273955/
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