This link has been bookmarked by 26 people . It was first bookmarked on 19 Jul 2006, by thynnus.
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06 Jan 09
eighteyesThere’s many ways to complete a task in the technical arena, why cram your solution down their throats? Don’t hinder their creativity, just let them f
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28 Feb 08
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26 Nov 07
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19 Sep 07
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This point is based on the notion that if a geek feels his ability to gain knowledge is hindered he’ll try to find it somewhere else. Let them satisfy their curiosities with the task of picking up the latest technologies and applying them as they see fit. (Even if it’s just for a prototype.)
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Don’t hinder their creativity, just let them figure it out. The exception to this is probably in design. You obviously have to define your interfaces between components and have your requirements for the implementation. Let the details get figured out by whoever’s doing the dirty work. You can optimize things later if they aren’t up to par.
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21 Aug 07
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13 Jul 07
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07 Feb 07
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12 Dec 06
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2. Geeks like to be self-sustaining. Let them figure things out on their own.
I haven’t met a true geek yet that wants you to hold their hand through every step of an implementation. In fact I’ve seen quite the opposite. They want to do things their way. If you suggest something, odds are the solution is wrong in their mind because it’s not what they would have come up with first. There’s many ways to complete a task in the technical arena, why cram your solution down their throats? Don’t hinder their creativity, just let them figure it out. The exception to this is probably in design. You obviously have to define your interfaces between components and have your requirements for the implementation. Let the details get figured out by whoever’s doing the dirty work. You can optimize things later if they aren’t up to par.
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3. Geeks are creative even if they don’t know it. Give them a chance.
One thing I’ve seen is that most geeks don’t see themselves as very creative. Give them the task of creating a GUI tool of some sort and they’ll butcher it up and say “get someone with art talent on the job; I just know how to make it work”. Now this may be true as far as what’s appealing to the eye, but geeks have creativity inside them somewhere.
When you give them a requirement for a component that’s just out of reach with the normal cookie-cutter solutions, who’s jumping at the chance to dig on the web for solutions that could work? Who’s rattling off a dozen ideas for things to try that might work with the newfound constraints? That’s right, it’s management.
(Just kidding, though everyone has their moment…who knows? Some managers are geeks too.)Even if none of the solutions the geeks come up with will work, it’s a vast pool of creative ideas to feed from. Though they see themselves as equation-solvers with little creativity, I see it as opportunity. Let them apply their creativity. They love to be in the brainstorm process instead of pushed to the wayside as a later-used resource.
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25 Oct 06
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24 Oct 06
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25 Sep 06
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06 Sep 06
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23 Aug 06
Jochen LillichBeing a geek myself, I think this is a subject I think needs to penetrate all levels of management in every company that values their geeks.
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27 Jul 06
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25 Jul 06
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21 Jul 06
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19 Jul 06
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18 Jul 06
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