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One way to make it work is to fire everyone and start from scratch. If the application is extremely simple then I trust it could be built by an external team (i

by evadne 8y ago

One way to make it work is to fire everyone and start from scratch. If the application is extremely simple then I trust it could be built by an external team (i.e. outsourced), while you rebuild the team by hiring/vetting one engineer at a time? On one hand you can not try to fix people. On the other hand, this applies to managers too.

purple_ducks 8y ago
> One way to make it work is to fire everyone and start from scratch. That will not make it work _at all_
thrwwyngnr 8y ago
> One way to make it work is to fire everyone and start from scratch. OP here. Now that you mention it, one of the engineers said to me a while ago that the whole team was afraid of that happening during the whole year. In fact, that might have a lot to do with the lack of morale (despite that never being in the plans of upper-management - quite the opposite, there were a load of promotions). But it is a solution, indeed.
- jpfr 8y ago
  What management thinks is irrelevant to morale. What the engineers believe management thinks is relevant. Your last sentence seems to prove a point here.
  - thrwwyngnr 8y ago
    > What the engineers believe management thinks is relevant. Your last sentence seems to prove a point here. Yep, you have a point. And you're absolutely right: I shouldn't have even considered that suggestion, even though I'm not their manager, or even though I'm anonymous.
    - jpfr 8y ago
      No need to censor your private thoughts. But beware that many engineers have seen broken promises by management at some time in their career. So they are difficult to convince that this time it’s different.
      - thrwwyngnr 8y ago
        You're absolutely right. And I forgot to thank you for the insight you gave me with your previous post: > What management thinks is irrelevant to morale. > What the engineers believe management thinks is relevant. Maybe we should focus on listening more to the engineers, instead of focusing on sending the right messages. Might seem obvious to anyone outside, but sometimes we need to be reminded of those things. Thanks.

by evadne 8y ago

purple_ducks 8y ago

> One way to make it work is to fire everyone and start from scratch. That will not make it work _at all_

thrwwyngnr 8y ago

> One way to make it work is to fire everyone and start from scratch. OP here. Now that you mention it, one of the engineers said to me a while ago that the whole team was afraid of that happening during the whole year. In fact, that might have a lot to do with the lack of morale (despite that never being in the plans of upper-management - quite the opposite, there were a load of promotions). But it is a solution, indeed.

jpfr 8y ago
What management thinks is irrelevant to morale. What the engineers believe management thinks is relevant. Your last sentence seems to prove a point here.
- thrwwyngnr 8y ago
  > What the engineers believe management thinks is relevant. Your last sentence seems to prove a point here. Yep, you have a point. And you're absolutely right: I shouldn't have even considered that suggestion, even though I'm not their manager, or even though I'm anonymous.
  - jpfr 8y ago
    No need to censor your private thoughts. But beware that many engineers have seen broken promises by management at some time in their career. So they are difficult to convince that this time it’s different.
    - thrwwyngnr 8y ago
      You're absolutely right. And I forgot to thank you for the insight you gave me with your previous post: > What management thinks is irrelevant to morale. > What the engineers believe management thinks is relevant. Maybe we should focus on listening more to the engineers, instead of focusing on sending the right messages. Might seem obvious to anyone outside, but sometimes we need to be reminded of those things. Thanks.