Ten ways to increase your programmers' productivity
Justin James
Published: 01 Aug 2008 16:09 BST
...their job description is, by definition, a waste of their time. They are not doing what they were hired to do. Have the office administrator book flights and order office supplies; that's what they're there for.
6. Get clear project specs
Every development project begins with a specification of one kind or another. Poor specifications lead to work being thrown out or time being wasted as the development team keeps asking for further clarification.
Talk to your team and find out if the requests they receive are well written and convey the information that is necessary to minimise lost and wasted time. Chances are, your project-definition process could be improved and you will save a lot of time on development.
7. Make sure the environment is safe and comfortable
Your office environment plays an important role in how well your team performs — and I'm not talking about the office recycling policy.
Are you purchasing high-quality, comfortable chairs and desks for people that allow them to work without pain? Or are you buying junk from the local college's surplus store? Are your programmers battling the eye strain from bright overhead fluorescent lights glaring on their monitors or do they have full spectrum task lights available? Is your office at a ridiculous temperature?
A good environment is not just about 'creature comforts', it's about providing people with a space to work with minimal risk of injury and pain. You will also see that the people on your team will have a better attitude and will be able to work better with a friendlier office environment.
8. Pay attention to your attitude
My experience has been that the attitude of a group leader quickly affects the entire team, for better or for worse. When the leader of a group has a good attitude, that group works harder and better and helps each other out. When the leader of a group has a bad attitude, the group underperforms and fights among itself. How is your attitude affecting your team?
9. Don't overlook mentors, training or education
One of the most common complaints I hear from other developers is that their employers invest little-to-no money or time into their continued growth. Developers are expected to learn new techniques and skills on their own time and at their own expense.
Many good programmers simply do not have the time, money or desire to do this. As a result, they often lag in terms of learning new skills or improving existing ones. If you want to have better programmers on your team, take a look at having the more knowledgeable people on your team mentor the less experienced members.
You also want to look at training opportunities. Even if training is not possible due to budgetary constraints, it is wholly possible to conduct internal training sessions or to allow employees to spend a portion of their time on self-education. As your developers get better at their jobs, they will be more productive.
10. Code reviews
Schedule regular times to have code reviews performed. One of the best types of code review is when you have a good programmer who is only loosely familiar with the project looking at the code. When authors need to explain details, they learn their code better, and sometimes an outsider will see problems that the insiders all missed. Code reviews cost nothing but time, and often save much more time than they take to conduct.
Credit: 10 ways to increase the productivity of your programmers from TechRepublic.com
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