Friday, February 24, 2012

55.) Technical people are motivated by interesting work.

Geeks drawn to the tech sector are inherently passionate people. They will work obsessively on a project that interests them. They will work longer and harder than any other group of people you've ever worked alongside.  They will be the only employees that you'll ever have to send home at night. What's more, to pursue those projects, they will settle for lower wages than they could command in other positions, work under harsher conditions than they could expect elsewhere, and abandon any semblance of a social life in pursuit of their goal. 

However, the other side of that coin is that geeks in technical positions will quickly grow restless and unmanageable.  The only recourse is to keep technical people intrigued. Present them with new challenges. Allow them room for creative expression. Don't allow their daily duties become routine.

This presents a particular challenge to managers accustomed to dealing with business people. Where business people are focused on overall performance, technical people tend to focus on the task at hand. Where business people strive for personal recognition, technical people seek to expand their skill set. Where business people are interested in the external trappings of a position, technical people are interested in personal exploration.

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