Software Engineers! Avoid These Phrases

Photo by Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash

You need to make sure that your communication is clear at work and that your colleagues understand you. You need to make your arguments compelling and make sure you do not upset your colleagues at any particular time.

“Many software developers feel that they can speak harshly to their colleagues and the true facts will win out of any particular argument. This simply isn’t true.

Look, it’s not about speaking English or “Business English” It’s about being professional. It’s about getting your point over to another person and there being a level of mutual respect.

Follow my guide below and I think you’ll avoid issues with your colleagues and be able to produce great quality work.”

The list of things you shouldn’t say

“It’s complete”

“That isn’t quite correct. If you have a single ‘one and done’ project and you’ve finished it there is no reason why you can’t say it’s done. I do question if your task has reached the definition of done though. 

That isn’t including those of you that lie about the status of your work. You aren’t updating tickets or worse the tickets have the wrong status on them. 

How can anyone in the team rely on you if you don’t tell the truth?”

“I don’t know”

“Again that isn’t quite correct. If you infrequently say that you don’t understand something when you genuinely don’t is perfectly acceptable. 

Yet some developers use this as a catch-all in order to avoid responsibility. If you don’t know about something nobody expects you to do or act on your knowledge.

That’s not everybody, granted. Some other developers are insecure and use I don’t know as a get out for their poor code. You don’t know if they actually have the answer; if the answer will eventually come or whether there is no hope of the answer arriving. The questioner simply does not know what to do with ‘I don’t know’.

If you don’t know, get to a position where you do know. Get the knowledge and then share that knowledge.”

“Isn’t it?”

“This is only here because I don’t know what it means.

Is it? Isn’t it.

What with the what now?”

“What”

“This is just rude, isn’t it?

As a programmer, it is really important that you work well with your colleagues, communicate well and produce quality work. The fact that ‘what’ means you were not listening (likely, WHF crew) or don’t understand and haven’t responded with what precisely you don’t understand is an issue. Who can respond well to the idiocy of a ‘what’”

“Yes”

“Yes? 

Sure, in some situations this makes sense, and your three-letter response is as verbose as you need to be. In other situations, it’s just lacking in information. I know you should be positive at work but just saying yes is frequently insufficient. It makes those around you need to ask further questions to confirm what you need.

YES. You’re annoying me with your short answers that do not match the reality of the situation. The only thing worse than yes is a no.”

“Go away, I need to focus”

“For many of us, our work seems very important. Certainly, more important than conversing with our colleagues as it takes some time to get back into our work after an interruption. 

Yet building relationships with your colleagues can mean that you get work done faster. I’m sure you know how — they will help you. They will see that your PRs will get through and give you the assistance you need if you’re not sure about something.

At least they will not stab you in the back when something does not go their way. If you’ve ever worked with The Secret Developer you’ll know what being stabbed at work looks like (blood exclusive).”

Do say these

“I’m not sure, but I can find out”

“You’re professional. You are taking responsibility for your actions and for finding the solution to problems. You’re the solution. Become the solution.

You don’t need to be overconfident to be clear and communicate well.”

“I’ll try”

 and something which you should be doing as a matter of course.

“You need to work well, try to complete the work, and do everything you can to get the work delivered on time. Trying is something that is important.

Although one of the weakest pieces of praise I’ve ever received is ‘at least you try’.”

“I understand”

“If someone is annoyed with you, this is a calming response that shows you want and will do better in the future.

Don’t say this if you don’t understand though.”

“I’ll be with you in a minute”

“If you’re in a bind, or really focused on something there is an approach where you can both be kind and get the space that you need in order to calm down and take stock (or make sure your code is in a place where it is possible to come back to it with ease). Try something like the suggestion, it might help you out!

If you say this, people will think you’re a nice and calming person. They’ll think you’re nice.”

Conclusion

This article is about not being that jerk in software development. You should use communication skills to produce better solutions. 

“Frankly you should be someone other people want to work with and use your social skills in order to do so.

Don’t speak like is, you would isn’t speaking. Isn’t it?

Yeah?

Or don’t. I don’t even know you.”