Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

What Kind of PHB Do You Want?

Posted by Cliff on from the chose-your-own-boss dept.

the_radix asks: "I'm not a great coder, but I love computers and especially programming. Those professional programmers that I know often complain of their managers not understanding the coding process and having unrealistic expectations of programmers. As such, I am considering a new career path: management. Since middle management is all about balancing, I'm looking for pointers before I start looking for positions. What do you, as coders and programmers, want from your immediate manager? If there are any geeks out there in upper management, what do you want from your lower-level managers who keep the techs in line? I'm not asking for the basic 'stand-up-for-your-subordinates' advice, but rather requests from a coder's standpoint. Geeks have special needs, and accommodating those needs (and 'odd' behaviors) is a good idea all around, for both employee morale and department output." I think many of us would rather like one who listened or who would at least take advice from the technical staff to heart. Many times managers will not consult their coders when they make plans, they'll make the plans first and tell their coding staff later, and this causes all kinds of problems. Generally, a superior with less "pointy hair" is something we'd all appreciate, but I'm sure the rest of you can expand what I'm trying to say here, or even say it better than I can.

5 of 486 comments (clear)

  1. Woah. by malachai · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    No Comments? Hmm....

  2. FP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    FP

  3. Sad news -- Stephen Hawking, author, dead at 55 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I just heard the sad news on talk radio -- Pseudoscience/SciFi writer Stephen Hawking was found dead in his Maine home this morning. There weren't any more details. I'm sure everyone in the Slashdot community will miss him - even if you didn't enjoy his work, which was in fact written by his graduate students at Cambridge, there's no denying his contributions to pseudoscientific groundless speculation. Truly a British icon.

  4. Re:I'm lucky by IAgreeWithThisPost · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I think you will find most of us trolls are happy in our jobs/lives, while the karma whores are usually unhappy saps.

    --
    security through obscurity = modding down anti-linux posts so maybe noone will see them
  5. 3rd Edition, Please by Abraxis · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I prefer the 3rd Edition PHB (Player's Handbook).
    Having to figure out THAC0 was a pain in the ass..