How Do I Manage Seasoned Programmers?

An anonymous reader writes "I have a technology background and worked as a programmer for a few years before slipping over to the dark side. I am now on the business side and have been given responsibility for a small team of Java programmers. While the technology aspect of what my team works on doesn't scare me, I need ideas to make sure the team stays motivated while reporting to me, a business-oriented guy. Perhaps I should mention I am in my early 30s while the majority of the team constitute an older, wiser generation. What advice should I follow to avoid turning into yet another Bill Lumbergh?"

Comments

Sorry

[binarylarry]

You ARE Bill Lumbergh. You aren't going to fool most of these guys into believing otherwise. Your best bet is to stay the fuck out of the way and order things when things need to be ordered.

Remember, you are basically a glorified secretary. You don't actually DO anything. So don't forget that and get them coffee when they ask for it.

Irregardless is a word! Pedantry is useless!

[Cassander]

Dude, chill out and let the language evolve. Like it or not, "irregardless" has already made its way into the common vernacular. At this point, trying to put that genie back in the bottle is just a waste of time. Just accept it and move on. Nobody's forcing you to use it yourself, and its definition is unambiguous, so, really, what's the problem?