I used to do a little competition shooting for fun on the weekends…
The shooting range would set up scenarios where you would have to shoot multiple targets at varying distances.
Each target has a different point value. The values not based on difficulty, but on proximity.
The point is to get you (the shooter) to make quick decisions based on which target poses the greatest threat.
In other words:
Which target possesses greatest value?
Here’s how this is relevant:
Are you aiming at the right target?
As you implement tactics to increase developer performance, are you aiming at the highest value target?
How do you know?
Did you ask your developers?
Or are you making decisions in a vacuum?
Try this:
Write down the challenge you’re attempting to solve and the value it brings to your developer performance efforts.
Try and get the problem statement and intended value down to just a couple of sentences.
Share what you wrote with a handful of developers. Think of them as a focus group. Does this problem matter to them? Or, is there a greater value target out there?
Encourage honesty and transparency by being honest and transparent with them.
They can handle it.
Take their feedback seriously.