How to manage Geeks:

[almaty 19]

Value training. If a boss thinks that training is a waste of money and expects you to teach yourself, you feel pretty demotivated in any job. Training matters, especially in IT, and managers must realize that and budget for it. Sometimes you get the argument that “if I give them training a competitor will hire them away.” That may be true, but the alternative is to only have employees who are too unskilled to work anywhere else. Also, if you pay them well and have good benefits, they won't go somewhere else.

Give recognition. Since managers may not understand the work geeks do very well, it’s hard for them to recognize and reward a job well done, which hurts motivation. The solution is to work together to define a set of goals that both parties agree on. When these goals are met the geeks are doing a great job.

Keep overtime down. Avoid taking the approach of wringing as much as possible out of IT employees just because you figure they don't lead a normal life. Wrong! That’s a huge mistake and overworked geeks burn out or simply quit. It's a complete myth that long work hours are good for business.

Avoid using management-speak. Geeks hate management-speak and see it as superficial and dishonest. Managers shouldn’t learn to speak tech, but they should drop the biz-buzzwords. A manager can say “We need to proactively impact our time-to-market” or simply use plain English and stick to “We gotta be on time with this project”. The latter makes total sense to everyone involved.

Don't try to be smarter than the geeks. When managers don’t know anything about a technical question, they should simply admit it. Geeks respect them for that, but not for pretending to know. And they will catch it - geeks are smart.

Act consistently. Geeks have an ingrained sense of fairness, probably related to the fact that in IT, structure and consistency is critical. The documentation can’t say one thing while the code does something else, and similarly, managers can’t say one thing and then do something else.

Don't make the mistake of ignoring the geeks. Because managers and geeks are different types of people, managers may end up leaving the geeks alone. This makes leading them difficult, and geeks need good leadership - the same as all other personnel groups.

Include them in decisions. Never make decisions without consulting geeks. Geeks usually know the technical side of the business better than the manager, so making a technical decision without consulting them is one of the biggest mistakes a leader can make.

Give them the tools needed. A fast computer may cost more money than an older one and it may not be corporate standard, but geeks use computers differently. A slow computer lowers productivity and is a daily annoyance. So is outdated software. Give them the tools they need. Understand that tools come in many forms. Caffeine is considered a standard tool among Geeks. It's good to keep a supply of the caffeinated beverages your team prefers handy.

Remember that geeks are creative workers. Programming is a creative process, not an industrial one.

Geeks must constantly come up with solutions to new problems and rarely ever solve the same problem twice. Therefore they need leeway and flexibility. Strict dress codes and too much red tape kill all innovation. They also need creative surroundings to avoid “death by cubicle”.

Recognize the outcomes of not treating geeks with respect as outlined above. Happy geeks are productive geeks, and the most important factor is good management, tailored to their situation. Doing the opposite to what has been outlined in this article has serious consequences for your organization, including:

Low motivation

High employee turnover

Increased absenteeism

Lower productivity

Lower quality

Bad service

TipsSome of the most basic principles of management apply to all employees, geeks and non-geeks.

Be fair. Be open.

Geeks are smart. Don't assume smart people always have sound judgment- they don't. Rely on the ones who have it; learn from them- evolve.

Geeks don't like dead weight. No one does. If you have any, get rid of it, and your team will be better off. Teams only work when everyone is pulling their weight.

Find out what your geeks like besides work, and take an interest when you can. They'll appreciate your effort.

If you're a "geek managing geeks," as many of us are, don't wear your boss hat like a crown. They know you're in charge- don't carry it like a sign.

Caveat: not all geeks are the same; take the time to know the ones you work with. And this article is not saying that all IT-people are geeks. Some are, some aren’t.

[Yoink 7]

you're a geek for posting this

[almaty 19]

well, not really little sister, but i am trying to understand them as they seem to be a sub species...and i need to be able to relate to them..

my star wars posters and star trek jargon is not cutting it anymore

[The_Dude 1,142]

well, not really little sister, but i am trying to understand them as they seem to be a sub species...and i need to be able to relate to them..

my star wars posters and star trek jargon is not cutting it anymore

That would make you nerd of the first class

[Yoink 7]

Kapla!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

When geeks dream...

[pedroh 21]

how to manage greeks?

oh, geeks

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Caveat: not all geeks are the same; take the time to know the ones you work with. And this article is not saying that all IT-people are geeks. Some are, some aren’t.

This is how you manage geeks, but not all geeks, just some geeks, you have to figure out which geeks these tips work for and which they don't work for. Oh and by the way IT manager, this won't work for all your people either, just some of them. The geeky ones. And not even all the geeks, just some of the geeks. I wrote this huge long article pretending to shed light on your plight but really, I didn't do jacksh1t. I just took up a bunch of space. Yay me.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Caveat: not all geeks are the same; take the time to know the ones you work with. And this article is not saying that all IT-people are geeks. Some are, some aren't.

This is how you manage geeks, but not all geeks, just some geeks, you have to figure out which geeks these tips work for and which they don't work for. Oh and by the way IT manager, this won't work for all your people either, just some of them. The geeky ones. And not even all the geeks, just some of the geeks. I wrote this huge long article pretending to shed light on your plight but really, I didn't do jacksh1t. I just took up a bunch of space. Yay me.

You tell 'em, brother.

[NickD 202]

I always trained myself, that way, nobody owned me, is necessary in a very volatile field that what you know one day is obsolete the next. Didn't like working for idiots either, so became one myself, first an engineering, then a general manager, as an engineering manager have to fight with marketing, as general, tell them what to do. But still have to report to a broad, and when they tell you to move your company to Mexico, quit and formed my own consulting business.

To do that, wrote a series of technical no BS type of articles and got my name plastered all over the world, they came to me, and I chose which ones I wanted to consult for. I took care of my own medical and retirement, and stashed cash in the bank if things got slow. Actually was quite well, kept my rates reasonable, and if a company did slow down, was cheaper for them to lay off their own salaried engineers, with me, just cut my time down, but always others that needed consulting done. Got way too busy, so had to cut back.

Don't expect anyone to lead you by the hand, if you can't make your own life, don't b!tch, do something about it.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

But still have to report to a broad...

Sounds awful

[Chica Yeyé 41]

brother almaty needs to learn Klingon. And also watch all the seasons of the new Battlestar Galactica

Or pay HAL9000 as a consultant

Edited February 11, 2009 by *Len*

[Jasman0717 9]

you're a geek for posting this

Dean a geek

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

HAL is the king of the geeks!

[HAL 9000 96]

brother almaty needs to learn Klingon. And also watch all the seasons of the new Battlestar Galactica

Or pay HAL9000 as a consultant

Excellent show. HAL 9000 endorses EJO's excellent acting. Specially the last couple of intense drama-packed action. Kind of like watching it here on VJ.

HAL is the king of the geeks!

Targeting El Paso, Texas.