Check out what to put in your developer scorecard
I enjoy watching golf. The game is quite simple. The low score wins.
Golfers have their scorecards. It records their strokes on each hole.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a scorecard for developers? Software development is more complex. Some things we want less of, like bugs. Others we want more of completed tasks.
Developer Scorecard
What would you put in a developer scorecard? There are quite a few I could think of. For instance, we would want specific technical skills. As well as interpersonal skills too.
Technical
As a developer, we expect a baseline in technical skills. Imagine that you are a Java developer. You should have a basic understanding of Java.
Along with that, we should have some ancillary skills too. You should know how to use GitHub. Or some other code repository.
Team
Coding is increasingly more collaborative. Teams code and create together more and more. Even if you are a big introvert you need to cooperate with others.
Collaboration
It's common to come across people with inflated egos, even among developers. However, in order to foster collaboration, it's crucial to set aside our egos.
It's important to remember that good ideas can come from anyone, and no one person or group has exclusive ownership over them. Share yours and help improve others. Credit should go to the team. Coding is a team sport.
Guiding
When a new person joins the team, help guide them into the codebase. Share insights and learnings.
Pairing
How well do you pair? Can you take suggestions from a junior developer? That is one I have worked on. Originally I would have let my pride get in the way.
Individual
I would put the team first. Of course, we need to evaluate each member too. How are they contributing? We are looking for collaborators not, lone wolves.
Quality
How can we determine if the developer produces quality code? One way is to identify any defects in the code.
Another question is do your automated tests pass? Does the Quality Assurance team like testing your code?
Through my many coding mistakes, I have learned how to get the Product Owners input. As well as talk to your Quality engineer too. See how they would test it.
Commits
How often do they commit? I am a firm believer in committing often. Similar to being out past midnight, large commits infrequently lead to trouble.
User Stories
I know the user story we get might not be perfect. Apply the Boy Scout rule to your story. Leave it better than you found it.
Don’t complain endlessly about incomplete stories. Ask lots of questions and clean it up.
Regardless of what you put in your developer scorecard make sure it helps you evaluate your team. This would be good to align with a team agreement.
I have spoken before about coding heroes. Make sure you foster a team that works together. What you accept can create a good team or a bad team. It is up to you.