Developing Up

Handling Mistakes Gracefully as a Developer

Episode Summary

You are going to make mistakes during your development career and that is normal! In this episode we discuss how making a mistake helps you improve as long as you approach the blunder with a learning mindset.

Episode Notes

You are going to make mistakes during your development career and that is normal! In this episode we discuss how making a mistake helps you improve as long as you approach the blunder with a learning mindset. We talk about why development mistakes happen, what to do when you make one and tips for how to avoid repeating the same mistakes. You're always going to make mistakes, so you might as well make new ones!

Benefits of making mistakes

• Provide a learning experience
• Eliminates methods that do not work
• Identifies areas of “unknowns”

How to avoid the same mistakes

• Calculate is a mistake is likely by reviewing risks and unknowns
• Avoid assumptions and clarify miscommunications by responding with “What I heard was...”
• Timebox new approaches to test if they are viable.

What to do when you make mistakes

• Own it! Do not try and cover it up
• Apologize (if appropriate) and do not cast unwarranted blame
• Offer next steps for moving forward

What to do when others make mistakes

• Provide encouragement and support
• Do not condemn, keep communication open to understand why it happened
• Reaffirm that everyone (even you) make mistakes

Key Takeaways

• You are going to make mistakes, every developer does.
• Mistakes are not all negative, they can be positive learning experiences.
• Avoid mistakes by not making assumptions and communicating as much as possible.
• Never cover up mistakes. Apologize, own them and offer a way forward.

Episode Links

• Blackbird Doughnuts
• The Benefits Οf A Mistake-Driven Learning Approach

** Listener Challenges**

• Can you tell us how pop-filters work? Email us at [email protected]
• Tweet us your opinions about mega menus and carousels
• Next challenge you face ask yourself: do you have wiggle room to try something new?
• Let us know how you avoid making mistakes
• Let us know what steps you take after making a mistake
• Email us an example of a time you learned a valuable development lesson after making a mistake.

Previous Episodes Mentioned

• Using D.U.M.B goals and S.M.A.R.T goals to grow your development career
• To get more done as a developer you need a personal task management system.
• The three key phrases you need to know to be a great developer.