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Ask HN: How to manage developers who aren't very good?

Before becoming a team lead, I was the type of developer who, when given a task, would dig into the application api's, the database schema, the configuration, whatever it took to fill in the gaps to accomplish the task. Sure I'd get stumped sometimes, but I'd always try to ask for help sooner rather than later. Now, I'm a lead of 4 developers. Two are like I was, I can give them a task, they'll go do it with minimal guidance. The other two will spend hugely more time on tasks. I've notice they tend to go off on tangents, spending time things that aren't relevant, like setting up vm envirnoments they don't need when they can develop and test locally. There have been occassions when they have asked me for help, and then a week later come back with the same question as though we had never talked about it. It's baffling to me, it's like they're "scatterbrained", ie not focused or concentrated. How does one manage people like this?

RubberSoul 12y ago
Have you asked why they spend time setting up VMs they don't need? A good first step is stop saying, "people like this." Perhaps try starting with the five whys: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Whys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Whys
- marktangotango 12y ago
  What's wrong with saying "people like this"? Seems like a pretty clear delineation between proactive, pragmatic developers, and developers who aren't?
  - RubberSoul 12y ago
    I'm not sure you've established the problem is the individual developers. Of course you can't provide all relevant information for diagnosing the issue in an HN post. I'm just making general suggestions. I recommend that you rule out other possible explanations: (1) A former manager told them to always use a VM. (2) A CS professor taught them to do this and no one has instructed them to do otherwise at your company. Coming back with the same question multiple times is problematic, but maybe you didn't offer a sufficiently clear explanation. Next time you explain something say, "Do you understand?" or "Was that clear?" Then you'll be able to say, "people like this" next time they ask the question.

RubberSoul 12y ago

Have you asked why they spend time setting up VMs they don't need? A good first step is stop saying, "people like this." Perhaps try starting with the five whys: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Whys https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Whys

marktangotango 12y ago
What's wrong with saying "people like this"? Seems like a pretty clear delineation between proactive, pragmatic developers, and developers who aren't?
- RubberSoul 12y ago
  I'm not sure you've established the problem is the individual developers. Of course you can't provide all relevant information for diagnosing the issue in an HN post. I'm just making general suggestions. I recommend that you rule out other possible explanations: (1) A former manager told them to always use a VM. (2) A CS professor taught them to do this and no one has instructed them to do otherwise at your company. Coming back with the same question multiple times is problematic, but maybe you didn't offer a sufficiently clear explanation. Next time you explain something say, "Do you understand?" or "Was that clear?" Then you'll be able to say, "people like this" next time they ask the question.