How to motivate geeks
I recently posted about someone’s tips for how not motivate geeks in the workplace.
As a counterpoint, Retrospector.com offers the Top 10 Ways to Motivate Geeks.
Briefly, they are:
- Geeks are curious. Let them feed their desire to learn things.
- Geeks like to be self-sustaining. Let them figure things out on their own.
- Geeks are creative even if they don’t know it. Give them a chance.
- Geeks need tools, good ones. Give them more than they need.
- Private, yet collaborative. Geeks need to be left alone, but not too alone.
- Free stuff. T-shirts, food, desktop widgets, whatever.
- Control
- Geeks need recognition
- Freedom
- Compensation
As I was reading this article, I was struck by how the jobs I’ve loved in the past did much of this, while those that I couldn’t stand did not. (The current day job does a few of these pretty well. Others…not so much.)
How about your job? What do they do to feed and/or starve your geek?
(Via Lifehacker)
Strong Coffee! Works wonders.
Lee
July 18, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Ah, yes. When I started at a little Internet development house (since consumed and gutted by a large corporation) they were showing me around and, when we went past the free coffee, I believe I remarked: “Ah, developer food.”
Alas, I’ve had to cut back quite a bit on my caffeine intake. Makes me too nuts and messes with my moods too much. Which is a real shame, because I love coffee.
Wrathchild
July 19, 2006 at 8:20 am
It’s getting the balance; too much and the nervious twitches set in :)
Lee
July 19, 2006 at 9:25 am