Comments on: Dance, Engineers, Dance! http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/dance-engineers-dance/ Every jumbled pile of person Mon, 05 Jul 2010 02:30:59 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: tobyw4n http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/dance-engineers-dance/comment-page-1/#comment-5034 tobyw4n Sat, 23 Feb 2008 02:15:06 +0000 http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/dance-engineers-dance/#comment-5034 <p>I may not dance, but I'll reward myself with an extra hour of WoW that week...</p> I may not dance, but I’ll reward myself with an extra hour of WoW that week…

]]> By: Kirk http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/dance-engineers-dance/comment-page-1/#comment-2670 Kirk Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:01:02 +0000 http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/dance-engineers-dance/#comment-2670 <p>I would argue that there are engineers at your company who dance whenever they do something good. I know one very well! =)</p> I would argue that there are engineers at your company who dance whenever they do something good. I know one very well! =)

]]> By: lapsed.cannibal http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/dance-engineers-dance/comment-page-1/#comment-2438 lapsed.cannibal Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:28:04 +0000 http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/dance-engineers-dance/#comment-2438 <p>You, sir, are an inspiration to us all. If I had a cap, I would doff it.</p> You, sir, are an inspiration to us all. If I had a cap, I would doff it.

]]> By: Rob Menke http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/dance-engineers-dance/comment-page-1/#comment-2437 Rob Menke Tue, 20 Nov 2007 20:31:55 +0000 http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/dance-engineers-dance/#comment-2437 <p>It sounds like you're either in a repressive company or in one where you're not challenged enough. In the company prior to the last one I worked at, I had all sorts of verbal announcements:</p> <ul> <li><p>If an engineer did well, I'd thrust my fists rhythmically to 5 and 7 o'clock repeatedly while chanting, "Go ! Go ! It's your system! Hallelujah!" (Name had to be two syllables, with a stress on the first. Somewhat difficult with the Indian programmers.) If standing, accompanied by hip thrusts. Totally unbecoming a manager, but the engineers appreciated it.</p></li> <li><p>Same song was done sans fist thrusting and in a Jack-Nicholson rasp when the engineer did something stupid. I found it more effective than yelling or nasty e-mails.</p></li> <li><p>During an incredibly painful revision to the requirements, I excused myself and spent about five minutes walking around the outside of the building muttering "die" repeatedly; I didn't realize the CTO was following me the whole time, keeping a tally of how many times I said it (370). He told me later that if I hit 400, he would have fired the business analyst and sent me to therapy.</p></li> </ul> <p>Companies that do not allow engineers to express themselves probably wonder why they get such high churn rates. I blame HR being paranoid about violently vengeful ex-employees; but then, don't the newspapers always say afterwards that it is always the quiet ones?</p> It sounds like you’re either in a repressive company or in one where you’re not challenged enough. In the company prior to the last one I worked at, I had all sorts of verbal announcements:

  • If an engineer did well, I’d thrust my fists rhythmically to 5 and 7 o’clock repeatedly while chanting, “Go ! Go ! It’s your system! Hallelujah!” (Name had to be two syllables, with a stress on the first. Somewhat difficult with the Indian programmers.) If standing, accompanied by hip thrusts. Totally unbecoming a manager, but the engineers appreciated it.

  • Same song was done sans fist thrusting and in a Jack-Nicholson rasp when the engineer did something stupid. I found it more effective than yelling or nasty e-mails.

  • During an incredibly painful revision to the requirements, I excused myself and spent about five minutes walking around the outside of the building muttering “die” repeatedly; I didn’t realize the CTO was following me the whole time, keeping a tally of how many times I said it (370). He told me later that if I hit 400, he would have fired the business analyst and sent me to therapy.

Companies that do not allow engineers to express themselves probably wonder why they get such high churn rates. I blame HR being paranoid about violently vengeful ex-employees; but then, don’t the newspapers always say afterwards that it is always the quiet ones?

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