3 ms·

A counter-point: instead of storming into work one day and quitting, ask your boss for a meeting and point out in the most direct-but-professional manner you ha

by andreyf 17y ago

A counter-point: instead of storming into work one day and quitting, ask your boss for a meeting and point out in the most direct-but-professional manner you have that this isn't what you signed up for: that this is hurting you as a developer, and that if they intend to enforce those rules, you can't stay at the company. No company will have regulations which are all-and-always perfect for every employee, and some managers will be stupider in applying rules than others - this is a good exercise in learning to stand up for yourself and getting what you want without quitting. If you're a good developer, they'll be willing to "bend a few rules" to keep you.

timcederman 17y ago
From personal experience, I doubt it.
potatolicious 17y ago
You make a good point, but in my experience a company deluded enough to prevent their devs from programming outside of work is just systematically broken in ways that a mere cog cannot hope to rectify. I concur with the top comment: run, don't walk, to the nearest exit.
- gruseom 17y ago
  systematically broken in ways that a mere cog cannot hope to rectify So true. Cogs cannot rectify. Therefore, either give up hope or switch to a context where you are not a cog. It's surprising how far people can string themselves along refusing to admit this (cf the fantasy literature about "organizational change"). I did it myself for a few years before snapping out of it.
- Lazlo_Nibble 17y ago
  This assumes that it's actually "the company" laying down this directive, which isn't clear from the post -- it could just as easily be something his manager came up with on his own. Having said that, I wouldn't expend too much energy on trying to get them to change their minds...
arach 17y ago
>A counter-point: instead of storming into work one day and quitting, ask your boss for a meeting and point out in the most direct-but-professional manner you have that this isn't what you signed up for: that this is hurting you as a developer, and that if they intend to enforce those rules, you can't stay at the company. Excellent point. I believe that no matter the outcome, going on the record in a "direct-but-professional" manner is good karma. Worse case: it removes any ambiguity about the reasons for your departure. Best case: it gives you the opportunity to talk some sense into one manager, potentially improving the lives of a whole team of developers. It's also good negotiation practice.

by andreyf 17y ago

timcederman 17y ago

From personal experience, I doubt it.

potatolicious 17y ago

You make a good point, but in my experience a company deluded enough to prevent their devs from programming outside of work is just systematically broken in ways that a mere cog cannot hope to rectify. I concur with the top comment: run, don't walk, to the nearest exit.

gruseom 17y ago
systematically broken in ways that a mere cog cannot hope to rectify So true. Cogs cannot rectify. Therefore, either give up hope or switch to a context where you are not a cog. It's surprising how far people can string themselves along refusing to admit this (cf the fantasy literature about "organizational change"). I did it myself for a few years before snapping out of it.
Lazlo_Nibble 17y ago
This assumes that it's actually "the company" laying down this directive, which isn't clear from the post -- it could just as easily be something his manager came up with on his own. Having said that, I wouldn't expend too much energy on trying to get them to change their minds...

arach 17y ago

>A counter-point: instead of storming into work one day and quitting, ask your boss for a meeting and point out in the most direct-but-professional manner you have that this isn't what you signed up for: that this is hurting you as a developer, and that if they intend to enforce those rules, you can't stay at the company. Excellent point. I believe that no matter the outcome, going on the record in a "direct-but-professional" manner is good karma. Worse case: it removes any ambiguity about the reasons for your departure. Best case: it gives you the opportunity to talk some sense into one manager, potentially improving the lives of a whole team of developers. It's also good negotiation practice.