Emotional Intelligence for Engineers at PyTennessee

Whether you’re discussing tradeoffs with a designer, rallying support for a new tool, or reviewing someone’s code, emotional intelligence is essential for effective software engineering. This talk provides a framework for understanding your own behavior and cultivating empathy for others. You’ll leave inspired to apply these skills to unlock your full potential as a developer and a human being!

Software may be built on machines, but it’s built by and for human beings. To be a highly effective software engineer, you must be able to navigate human interactions successfully. Emotional intelligence is the set of competencies that will allow you to do just that!

Presented at PyTennessee February 11, 2018

Transcript

1. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE FOR ENGINEERS @APRILWENSEL @COMPASSIONCODE COMPASSIONATE C O D I N G
2. @COMPASSIONCODE
3. @COMPASSIONCODE
4. 2834 Azalea Pl, Nashville,TN 37204 @COMPASSIONCODE
5. 1. WHAT IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE? 2. WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? 3. HOW DO YOU DEVELOP IT? @COMPASSIONCODE PLAN
6. @COMPASSIONCODE
7. I USED TO BE A JERK @COMPASSIONCODE
8. https://medium.com/compassionate-coding/ confessions-of-a-recovering-jerk-programmer- b9d531a05ea9 “CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING JERK PROGRAMMER” @COMPASSIONCODE
9. TO THE NEGATIVE NANCIES AND NEDDIES… @COMPASSIONCODE
10. “GUYS” ? Photo: http://www.wocintechchat.com/
11. @COMPASSIONCODE “GUYS” ? https://medium.com/@jackdanger/the-end-of-guys-e42ef2d60b7a
12. @COMPASSIONCODE “LADIES” ? https://medium.com/@jackdanger/the-end-of-guys-e42ef2d60b7a
13. @COMPASSIONCODE FOLKS EVERYBODY EVERYONE PEOPLE ALL Y’ALL FRIENDS TEAM https://medium.com/@jackdanger/the-end-of-guys-e42ef2d60b7a
14. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE? @COMPASSIONCODE
15. @COMPASSIONCODE
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17. @COMPASSIONCODE
18. @COMPASSIONCODE
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20. THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE EMOTIONS @COMPASSIONCODE
21. SELF-AWARENESS CONFIDENCE EMPATHY ACHIEVEMENT COLLABORATION MOTIVATION RESILIENCE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT … @COMPASSIONCODE
22. @COMPASSIONCODE
23. @COMPASSIONCODE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jkfCLAbapI
24. http://image.advance.net/home/advance-media/width600/img/nj-lvl_eagles_syndication/photo/ 2017/12/23/as3q5618jpg-c5133449ec14529e.jpg
25. STOP CALLING THEM “SOFT SKILLS” @COMPASSIONCODE
26. @COMPASSIONCODE
27. CATALYTIC SKILLS @COMPASSIONCODE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hoo_dIOP8k Daniel Goleman
28. WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? @COMPASSIONCODE
29. @COMPASSIONCODE 48% 40% 23% 17% Changing or poorly documented requirements Poor team or organizational management Developer churn and loss of key talent Immature dev tools and application platforms Why Software Projects Fail Application Developers Alliance. Developer Insights Report. 2015. n = 850 @COMPASSIONCODE n=850 WHY SOFTWARE PROJECTS FAIL
30. 1. TEAM ORIENTED 2. SEEKS HELP 3. HELPS OTHERS http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~bieman/Pubs/turleyBiemanCSC94.pdf ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS @COMPASSIONCODE “Identifying Essential Competencies of Software Engineers,” Turley & Bieman, 1994
31. @COMPASSIONCODE https://medium.com/compassionate-coding/only- you-can-prevent-tech-burnout-be3f0504c627
32. @COMPASSIONCODE
33. YOU ARE NOT A ROBOT @COMPASSIONCODE
34. "I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE GIVING COMPUTERS THE ABILITY TO THINK LIKE HUMANS…I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE THINKING LIKE COMPUTERS.” Tim Cook @COMPASSIONCODE http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/09/watch-apple-ceo-tim-cook- speaks-at-mit-commencement.html
35. 1. GIVE EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK IN CODE REVIEWS 2. NAME VARIABLES 3. DESIGN APIS 4. NEGOTIATE WITH DESIGNERS 5. RALLY SUPPORT FOR A NEW TOOL 6. MOTIVATE YOURSELF 7. INTERVIEW CANDIDATES 8. MENTOR NEW HIRES @COMPASSIONCODE
36. https://compassionatecoding.com/emotional-manifesto AGILE MANIFESTO @COMPASSIONCODE Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage. EMPATHY SERVICE ORIENTATION ADAPTABILITY OPTIMISM INITIATIVE
37. “IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE TOO SMART FOR PROGRAMMING—IF THE PERSON IS NOT SMART ENOUGH TO USE HIS INTELLIGENCE TO MODIFY HIS SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND METHODS OF CONVERSATION.” Jerry Weinberg The Psychology of Computer Programming @COMPASSIONCODE
38. 1. REDUCED STRESS 2. IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY 3. BETTER RELATIONSHIPS 4. HAPPINESS! @COMPASSIONCODE PERSONAL BENEFITS greatergood.berkeley.edu
39. HOW DO YOU DEVELOP IT? @COMPASSIONCODE
40. https://www.flickr.com/photos/hades2k/7186127084 @COMPASSIONCODE
41. DISTRESSING EMOTIONS ARE LIKE ALERTS @COMPASSIONCODE
42. @COMPASSIONCODE
43. “[O]UT-OF-CONTROL EMOTIONS CAN MAKE SMART PEOPLE STUPID.” Daniel Goleman Working With Emotional Intelligence @COMPASSIONCODE
44. EMOTIONAL INCIDENT RUNBOOK @COMPASSIONCODE
45. 1. SLOW DOWN 2. TEND TO YOUR NEEDS 3. OFFER EMPATHY 4. PROCEED CALMLY @COMPASSIONCODE
46. 1. SLOW DOWN 2. TEND TO YOUR NEEDS 3. OFFER EMPATHY 4. PROCEED CALMLY @COMPASSIONCODE
47. https://frogenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Water-Lynx-sediment-control.jpg
48. SHELTER, REST, FOOD, SAFETY AUTONOMY, CREATIVITY, MEANING LOVE, RESPECT, TRUST, CLOSENESS, COMMUNITY FUN, LAUGHTER BEAUTY, ORDER, PEACE NEEDS @COMPASSIONCODE Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg
49. WHAT MIGHT THE OTHER PERSON BE FEELING, VALUING, AND NEEDING? @COMPASSIONCODE
50. MORGAN : Alex, I saw that you set the points on a story by yourself again. We’re supposed to vote as a team. ALEX : I never agreed to that. The story was just a quick task. What does it matter? MORGAN : We have a process in place, and we’re supposed to stick to it. ALEX : You ALWAYS do that—bring up process. We waste SO much time talking about process. I just want to get things done! MORGAN : And you’re always being reckless and breaking things! We have processes in place for a reason. If you can’t stick to them, maybe you shouldn’t be on this team! ALEX : Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t! @COMPASSIONCODE
51. MORGAN : Alex, when I saw that you set the points on a story without consulting anyone, I felt concerned because I need to trust that we share responsibility as a team. Can you explain what happened? ALEX : The story was just a quick, one-point task. What does it matter? MORGAN : It seems like you value moving quickly and feel that process sometimes gets in the way. Is that right? ALEX : Well, yeah. I don’t want to talk about process. I just want to get things done! MORGAN : I also want to get things done. It’s also important to me that I feel a sense of order. Would you be willing to send a quick note to the team when you point a story on your own so that we at least know? ALEX : Yeah, I guess I can do that. @COMPASSIONCODE
52. WASTE OF TIME? @COMPASSIONCODE
53. EMOTIONAL INCIDENT RUNBOOK @COMPASSIONCODE
54. TAKES PRACTICE @COMPASSIONCODE
55. RECALL AN INCIDENT… @COMPASSIONCODE
56. @COMPASSIONCODE
57. 1. SLOW DOWN 2. TEND TO YOUR NEEDS 3. OFFER EMPATHY 4. PROCEED CALMLY @COMPASSIONCODE
58. MORE EFFECTIVE INDIVIDUALS
 MORE EFFECTIVE TEAMS @COMPASSIONCODE
59. THE PROBLEMS WE’RE FACING IN TECH ALL RELATE TO THIS LACK OF CONCERN FOR HUMAN BEINGS @COMPASSIONCODE
60. “IF IT IS NOT TEMPERED BY COMPASSION AND EMPATHY, REASON CAN LEAD MEN AND WOMEN INTO A MORAL VOID.” 
 
 Karen Armstrong Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life @COMPASSIONCODE
61. @COMPASSIONCODE http://www.encinitastemple.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/meditation-gardens-ocean-view.jpg
62. http://www.encinitastemple.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/meditation-gardens-ocean-view.jpg “WHEN PEOPLE SPEAK OF ‘POLITICAL,’ ‘SOCIAL,’ OR ‘INTERNATIONAL’ PROBLEMS, THEY OFTEN DO NOT REALIZE THAT THESE CONDITIONS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN THE ACCUMULATED THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS OF MILLIONS OF INDIVIDUALS. AND THE ONLY WAY TO CHANGE WORLD CONDITIONS IS TO CHANGE OURSELVES.” —MEDITATION GARDENS BOOKLET
 @COMPASSIONCODE
63. NEWSLETTER! COMPASSIONATECODING.COM THANK YOU!