Scope of Ignorance
Scope of Ignorance
Most of the developers and development teams I used to work with when I was a software development consultant had a relatively narrow view of the skills and knowledge necessary to be “competent developers”. Here’s an illustrative graphic:
Generally, to make progress on improving things, and to earn the moniker of “software engineers”, a wider scope of skills and knowledge was necessary. Not only did these development teams lack this wider scope, they were both ignorant of the many additional areas of knowledge and resistant to learning about them. The common response was “What are all these strange topics, and NO WAY! do we need to know about them”:
Aside: Now I’m an Organisational Psychotherapist, their ignorance is no issue – and no stress – for me. They can learn or not learn in their own time. Progress is on them (and their higher-ups).
– Bob
Think Different
I’m not sure everyone needs to know exactly all the things in that 2nd circle.
But I agree that everyone needs to know *more*.
What things do they need to know?
Heck, I don’t know.
Go learn more things. Some will be useful.
I’ve been doing software development for 45 years, and I’m still constantly learning new things.
Today I was studying the insights neuroscience can give us on remote facilitation of meetings. And some tools and tricks to make it fun and interesting. Yesterday was “How to Create a Culture of Feedback” in small/remote teams.
My employer … seems really conflicted about allowing me to learn things. So I do most of my education on my own.
Taken from a specific engagement. Other clients may invite different topics.
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