In software engineering, we are often encouraged to think about our contribution...
👉 What did " I " do yesterday...?
👉 What am " I " doing today...?
The language we use, both inwardly and outwardly, sets the tone for how we work and interact with others…
Software engineering is a team game; our language should reflect that…
The obvious:
👉 What did "the team" do yesterday?
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👉 What are "the team" doing today?
These are useful questions to ask, but it’s unclear how we contribute to the team…
👉 What did "I" do to "help my team" yesterday?
👉 What am "I" doing to "help my team" today?
Now we are getting somewhere…
These are not just questions to be answered in a stand-up type meeting; you can reflect on them regularly to ensure you're adding value and making an impact.
The difference is subtle, but the scope for action is increased and feels more meaningful.
The value you add could be:
👉 Providing clarity to a BA
👉 Checking in on a colleague
👉 Providing constructive feedback
👉 From a conversation with a product owner
👉 Helping QA understand the changes you've implemented
** The value you add to your team as a software engineer is not limited to the lines of code that you write. **
Richard Donovan