Is It Safe To Make Mistakes On Your Software Project?

[@yobeenocreative6984]

Great points. We aren't robots, we make mistakes. It's how we deal with them which is important.

[@HealthyDev]

Have you had other areas of software projects where people need to forgive each other more often, and realize it's natural? Skip to points: Common Mistakes 02:41 Overlooked Requirements / User Stories 05:44 Overlooked Development Tasks 07:43 Incorrect Theories Of Value Learning From Mistakes 09:43 Practice Forgiveness 11:00 Practice Admitting A Mistake 12:45 Be More Real/Humble About Your Abilities 13:56 Confront Limiting Beliefs 15:17 Practice Encouragement

[@spilot14]

Holy shit, what an intense talk. #5 practicing encouragement is really tough. Some environments are devoid of that.

[@HealthyDev]

Yeah many of these are things I don’t see going on as much as I’d like!

[@stevenlewis8782]

I think this is a really good video. I've always had a policy of bringing up my mistakes as soon as I learn about them. I've had more trouble with a different kind of honesty where certain subjects just can't be discussed or brought up. Everyone is too scared. But it's rarely, in my experience, been about overlooked requirements or tasks. The nice thing about software is that it either works or it doesn't. You know exactly where you stand in relation to it.

[@HealthyDev]

Thanks for the feedback Steve, I really appreciate it. This is just my opinion, but I’m not sure how much longer small to medium size companies can stay competitive and play politics. It’s just too expensive for people to not be able to be transparent. The cost of hiding things seems too high. I’ve seen bad things happen too many times on projects when people kept problems to themselves. The “blame culture” common in corporations is too deadly for knowledge work. YMMV

[@stevenlewis8782]

@@HealthyDev Agree. The complexity of the problems is so great that if we throw away valuable information, even/especially people-related information, we are losing out.

[@edwardlee6876]

Just came upon your channel yesterday. I'm not a developer but a BA and I still find your content relates to me.

[@HealthyDev]

BAs are welcome here as far as I’m concerned. 👍

[@stewiegriffin6503]

once I wrote if(balance=0) instead if (balance==0), and that cause huge chain reaction, eventually causing 2008 financial crisis ... but 12 years later, I still sometimes make the same mistake. I guess because of too much C64-BASIC in my early programming years.

[@stewiegriffin6503]

I think all compilers should be adapted not to accept assigning commands in "if statements"

[@paladinsorcerer67]

I really appreciate this video. A project manager I work with is stuck trying to be perfect all the time. I think it is counter productive.

[@HealthyDev]

As I’ve gotten more experienced I try to expect that’s going to be the default way many managers try to work. I try to teach them about the uncertainty of software development by helping them see the reality of how off their plans are from reality, helping them relax the expectations on themselves and others. It takes time for sure!

[@orlovskyconsulting]

Interesting, but if you interrupted middle of you work, and some product owner wants you to recode the requirement , that it only means the delay in iteration, scrum master should intervene and let you to finish the iteration and put new requirements for the next iteration........

[@JojOatXGME]

It depends, if your current work would become irrelevant with this new information, it wouldn't make sense to continue. Anyway, your sprints should be set up in a way that your work doesn't become irrelevant, even when the requirements change. (Small iterative steps)

[@jwenting]

it's safe to make mistakes, as long as you can blame them on someone else. If you can't blame it on someone else and still make mistakes, expect to be fired very regularly. In theory, you won't face consequences (including being fired) for making mistakes or making suggestions that don't work out. In reality you certainly will and if you don't play the blame game like a pro you're going to be the one blamed for every mistake that happens on your team or even in your company. This is even more true if you're called in as a contractor to help a failing project, or otherwise are on a short term contract. At least that's my experience from 25+ years as a software engineer in a large variety of companies or organisations.

[@marioamatucci4388]

unless you work for permanent it's hard ad consultant

[@asakore1]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@samuelschwager]

Sometimes it's not easy to forgive someone because to you it looks like they deliberately screwed you. And some people are masters in making it look like it wasn't deliberate, leaving no email trail etc. My 2 cents.

[@HealthyDev]

Yep. Forgiveness is easy when the amount you’ve been wronged is minor. But at least in my experience, I hurt myself more than the perpetrator if I don’t forgive them. Bitterness is really bad for your health!

[@samuelschwager]

git blame ;) aptly named.