Comments on: We’re not “resources”

By: Steve Walter

Steve Walter — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:20:07 +0000

Sounds like Mr. Turansky doesn’t want to learn anything new. Too bad. Sometimes teams are built by making project assignments that encourage cross-functionality. What’s wrong with trying to encourage cross functionality by giving stretch assignments and trying to give skilled and talented developers experience in unfamiliar areas? Doesn’t that make the team stronger? Isn’t flexibility a good goal, and isn’t that achieved by cross functionality?
Stop perpetuating the stereotype of the ’smarter than everyone else’ developer who hides in his office, refusing to share his knowledge and skills with less experienced folks. It’s one of the reasons software engineers get such a bad rap outside of their own circles.
Talent does matter. Part of being talented is becoming skilled in as many areas as possible, so your team can be flexible and performing. A good manager will encourage that, and will try to spread the habits of a good team around.

By: » The Zombie Horde vs. A Posse of Cowboys

» The Zombie Horde vs. A Posse of Cowboys — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:37:29 +0000

[...] does vary by developer — after all, we’re not resources and interchangeable cogs — but we need better processes for developing software. We need process improvement to [...]

By: » The Zombie Horde vs. A Posse of Cowboys

» The Zombie Horde vs. A Posse of Cowboys — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:37:29 +0000

[...] does vary by developer — after all, we’re not resources and interchangeable cogs — but we need better processes for developing software. We need process improvement to [...]

By: /var/log/tumbles » Blog Archive » We’re not “resources”

/var/log/tumbles » Blog Archive » We’re not “resources” — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:37:20 +0000

[...] We’re not “resources” Main Point : “… Software engineers are creative, unique and not easily interchangeable cogs. Treating them as resources is demeaning, dehumanizing and counterproductive…” 11 July 2008 in Uncategorized | tags: hr, programming, talent [...]

By: Talent vs Resources

Talent vs Resources — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:20:26 +0000

[...] his post “We’re not resources”, Mark Gregory Turansky is writing: Talent [...]

By: Denys Talbot

Denys Talbot — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:39:36 +0000

Oh quite contraire, ALL companies view you as a “Tool to be used” and tools don’t talk back or ask questions, they do the job and go back in the box. But you should keep them “Just Happy enough” not to quit.

By: Sylvain Vachon

Sylvain Vachon — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:57:37 +0000

You can replace any resource with another. But people are not resources, they are individuals and each one has its own set of expertise, experience, talent, interests, creativity, motivation, etc…

No matter what management people think, there are no individual alike and it’s utopia to see them as completely interchangeable. It’s not true you’ll get the same results if you have different teams working on each of their version of the product. Aside from the obvious, large industrial plants hire robots to make sure every products they build are all exactly the same.

Can you replace a front-end engineer with a back-end engineer? Yeah, but you’ll not get quality results for typography, design, user interactivity, etc… Can you replace a database administrator with a web designer? Yeah, but I’ll have concerns with the handling of my data if you do…

Sure, everyone is replaceable.
But…
Great individuals in their field of expertise produce great results…
Common individuals gives common results…

By: Aaron Erickson

Aaron Erickson — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:50:23 +0000

Beena-

People are always replaceable, but not in the same way that, say, a barrel of oil is.

How do you replace someone who has a relationship with your customer? I mean not in the next 3 months, right now, when the deal is going to be made?

Exactly, you can’t replace that.

I can speak for the business of consulting, not technology in general. Consulting is a combination of technical skills, understanding of a specific problem, speaking and mentoring skills, and ability to deal with a particular nuanced political environment. Honestly, Beena, that you can’t replace without a lot of time, during which, the half-life of the deal goes south, and isn’t valuable anymore.

In other words, that person is NOT indispensable. As much as I wish it were, it just isn’t so. Which is why we should not call people resources, because it simply isn’t ACCURATE.

By: Jason McDonald

Jason McDonald — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:01:51 +0000

I don't really agree. Employees are resources, nothing more and nothing less. Human resources have two things that set them apart from calculators, pencils, and laptops: emotions and varying productivity and quality. BUT, they are still resources. I elaborate here: http://www.mcdonaldland.info/2008/07/16/rebuttal-were-not-resources/

By: Beena Vijayalakshmy

Beena Vijayalakshmy — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:55:51 +0000

Why do jobs get outsourced or Bangalored, rather? Being cost-effective is perhaps the more popular answer. But to me, the correct answer is – everyone is but a replaceable “resource”! Nobody is indispensable. I say this from my 7 years of experience with a leading Indian software consultancy company that has grown tremendously in the last decade, thanks to the jobs outsourced to India. I have had the chance to work for many Fortune 500 companies as a contractor and I have been at the receiving end of the open hostility of the “outsourcing backlash”. Being a contractor never stopped me from giving my best to the projects I worked on and learnt from.

At the end of the day, everyone has a choice. To take it or leave it. And I am opting out! Nice post, Mark!

By: Erik

Erik — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:48:49 +0000

Interesting how RG gets it wrong.

Management could use use any positive wording (let’s say “super heroes” instead of “resources”) without any improvement of any kind if the attitude remains the same:
“I need 25 super heroes from India for my project next month” would only sound more funny the first few times.

It’s about the attitude RG!

By: » I’m published, and I struck a nerve.

» I’m published, and I struck a nerve. — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:11:41 +0000

[...] Similarly, there are several links in the comments of my blog article echoing the same [...]

By: Elliot

Elliot — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:37:46 +0000

Alas, you are preaching to the choir. This demeaning concept of “resources” seems to be gaining adherants in upper management – particularly in this economy.

By: CB

CB — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:05:19 +0000

IBM research found some programmers are 100x more productive than others. SW development is not a commodity, and you are right it is a stupid term. Thanks for that post!

By: RG

RG — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:20:10 +0000

what a way to blow up an issue that is trivial. Why is the term “resources” demeaning… “Oil” is a resource..but a valuable one..everyone knows it is. how valuable you are as a resource/person is upto to u. Basically ppl give resource such a negative implication that it becomes wrong.. so if ur ,manager refers to u as “miracle worker” would your productivity or value to ur team increase.

Watch Geroge Carlin on soft language …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2gQCHztRAE

By: David Whitehurst

David Whitehurst — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:07:34 +0000

You said it. Read my “Death of a salesman” on my jroller page. The direct link didn’t work for some reason. This does http://jroller.org/dlwhitehurst/category/Java?page=1

I agree 100%. If I can ever get my company off the ground, I’ll hire and keep my employees. And, I’ll train them and treat them right.

David Whitehurst

By: ColinToal

ColinToal — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:38:35 +0000

a-fncking-men also!

Thanks Mark – great article. Words are important. We we choose words we betray biases – and when we teach those words to others, we teach biases.

Resources.
Bandwidth.

These are two words that reveal a bias among manages that the time, attention and skills of individual contributors are ’substitutable commodities’. There are lots of others and I think we should make them into ‘bad words’ that aren’t used in polite and professional company.

By: burton miller

burton miller — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:22:51 +0000

a-fucking-men.

By: Aaron Erickson

Aaron Erickson — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:11:09 +0000

Great topic… I wrote a similar post here along the same lines:

http://blog.magenic.com/blogs/aarone/archive/2007/12/05/Call-to-Action-_3A00_-People-Are-Not-Resources.aspx

I completely agree. We make a huge mistake – especially in professional services firms, when we treat individuals as equivalent units of anything, when clearly they are not.

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:51:09 +0000

You can always quit if you don’t like being a ‘resource’.. If you can run the company better, then go and do it…ah oops, no-one wants you too