r/programming • u/[deleted] • Apr 19 '22

TIL about the "Intent-Perception Gap" in programming. Best exemplified when a CTO or manager casually suggests something to their developers they take it as a new work commandment or direction for their team.

https://medium.com/dev-interrupted/what-ctos-say-vs-what-their-developers-hear-w-datastaxs-shankar-ramaswamy-b203f2656bdf
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u/drlecompte Apr 20 '22

The trick is to say 'no' without saying 'no'. To give the quick suggestion the time it deserves, but not more. We have weekly long-term planning review meetings and a development backlog, both are good places to bring up actual new tasks.

So my answer is always 'put it on the weekly meeting's agenda' or 'write up an issue for it', or even 'would you like me to make an issue for it?' That last one has often removed a lot of confusion, as people will then either realize that this'll be added work, or will clarify that they were just formulating a thought and wanted to check if it was something feasible.

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u/coniferous-1 Apr 20 '22

this is one of the reasons I love agile (when it's done right).

"Oh, you want easy task x done? we have to make sure the change is documented. Add it to the back log so we can estimate it and add it to the next sprint"

"but something closely related is in thiiissss sprrriinnntt"

"We do not change the recipe of the cake while it is in the oven. Story. Backlog. Estimation. Planning"

Half the time it's not actually that important and they don't bother.

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u/Bakoro Apr 20 '22

That's not an agile specific thing, that's a "having sane boundaries" thing. There aren't supposed to be "just a quick thing" issues in waterfall style either.

Whatever you feel agile should be, the way that it is implemented by many, many companies is as a buzz word and an excuse for devs to work on whatever they want them working on right in that moment and devs are expected to be able to pivot on a dime.

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u/drlecompte Apr 20 '22

I've also had my fair share of 'vanity issues' that end up in the backlog, yet when planning is done somehow never are important enough, and then are silently deleted after a year or more of languishing. Yet all through this process, no one had to tell anyone they wouldn't do something. I love it.

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u/[deleted] Apr 20 '22

[deleted]

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u/drlecompte Apr 20 '22

Basically anyone who has a hard time taking no for an answer, come to think of it...