Management Lesson: Taking charge with programmers

I've been managing various projects for more than a year. I found this article interesting and think it will help those who are in project management business. Please read on.

If you want to communicate with a programmer, you have to take charge. Programmers are a tricky bunch sometimes. But you, not the programmer, are in charge of the project. Although the programmer is in charge of a large portion work, you’re the one responsible of the project if the project fails. You must establish dominance without being too aggressive. Establish five things through your early communications:

• Leadership: Leadership is focused on motivating, aligning objectives, and moving your project team to a destination. Assume that you’re leading the project and that your project team will follow.
• Management: Management is focused on getting results. As a project manager, your core focus is on getting the project successfully completed. Management of a group of programmers means you must see results.
• Discipline: When your programmers aren’t getting their work done as promised, don’t hesitate to discipline according to your human resources guidelines. Be careful about making snap judgments, thought. First, find out why they aren’t completing the work. Were your instructions unclear? Was there a miscommunication on your end? The problem could be yours and not the programmers’.
• Organization: Your ability to communicate, lead, manage, and discipline your project team centers on your organizational skills. Be organized and your project team will respect you for having everything on the ball.
• Balance: In all your decisions you must be fair. Your team of programmers will respect you even more if you show balance and fairness in all of your work assignments and disciplinary actions. Don’t play favorites.