I've asked this question a number of times now: What is the unit of work for software development?
If you work on a factory line, you can measure widgets per hour and quality. In construction, you can measure distance or area completed. But in programming, you are not making a repeatable product like the factory line. You can say that developers deliver story points; that is the product, not the work.
I invite you to come up with your own answer before you read mine.
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I think the inner cycle of development is learning and trying. You learn about a system, make a theory, try that theory out, try to extend that theory, then you test. That test will let you learn some more - was I right or wrong, was there some side effect. Then you repeat.
I don't think this learning and trying is a good unit of measure for performance, but I do think it's a good basis for an engineering notebook, which may be reviewed with a manager.
Non-junior developers are essentially managing themselves when it comes to getting the work done. So how do you manage a manager, when that manager is not responsible for widgets?
If you work on a factory line, you can measure widgets per hour and quality. In construction, you can measure distance or area completed. But in programming, you are not making a repeatable product like the factory line. You can say that developers deliver story points; that is the product, not the work.
I invite you to come up with your own answer before you read mine.
----
----
----
I think the inner cycle of development is learning and trying. You learn about a system, make a theory, try that theory out, try to extend that theory, then you test. That test will let you learn some more - was I right or wrong, was there some side effect. Then you repeat.
I don't think this learning and trying is a good unit of measure for performance, but I do think it's a good basis for an engineering notebook, which may be reviewed with a manager.
Non-junior developers are essentially managing themselves when it comes to getting the work done. So how do you manage a manager, when that manager is not responsible for widgets?