Motivation Matters (We're Not in the 50s Anymore)

I read a good article on another blog today that described how it is important to sell the product to the developers of it first (Link to original article). How very true!

In general, motivation really matters! Do the developers have faith in the product? Do the developers have faith in the company? I believe this makes a very big difference. Yes, you can certainly make the argument that a developer's paycheck is all the motivation that is needed. But the reality of today is that people expect more.

This isn't our parent's or grandparent's generation anymore. My grandfather grew up in a poor family and lived through the Depression. Money was tight, and saving it was important. I still remember how he'd swipe the extra ketchup packets from McDonalds and stash them in his fridge. So for them, to even have a job with a paycheck was all the motivation that was necessary.

The reality for this generation (at least this generation of IT people and software developers, since the demand is quite high) is that we need more than a paycheck to produce at our highest level. Yes, solid developers will always produce - motivated or not. That's just good discipline and professionalism.

But do you want to get the best out of your developers? Their heart has to be in it. The developers have to get their emotions involved - they have to feel it. They have to believe not only in the product, but in the company and the leadership. In general, to get the best and the highest out of a developer and a team, you need all of these things PLUS a developer who truly enjoys writing code. You need COMPLETE alignment with all of these aspects to bring the highest level of production from your developers and development team.

Yes, I understand this may sound spoiled. I do, as a matter of fact, take time to think every day how thankful I am for my current job and all it has given to me (far too much to mention here - but to name a few: house, food, dogs, etc). But if you are a moderate or above-skilled software developer, you are most likely in demand. Money is fairly good, and at that point, other factors come into play.

Consider the alternative situation - a developer who's happy to get a paycheck, but subconsciously does not like the company or the leadership. Do you think that will find its way into the work? Yes! Do you think the negative attitude might affect others on the team? Yes! Alignment on all fronts is the best way to have a highly motivated, highly productive software team.