This publication will describe a slightly different perspective on a career in IT than is usually presented. And, probably, from this angle, IT will be the same as all other spheres of the national economy. Is that the candy wrapper is sweeter, for now.
We are all workers in the IT industry of human activity, in the overwhelming majority of cases, we work for the company. Those. we are hired forces for the implementation of the plans of enterprise managers. Businesses are divided into many categories: by size, by clientele, by direction, etc. etc. What unites many of these enterprises is the fundamental phenomenon in any organized gathering - this is management. In essence, it is the same in any enterprise. Whether it's Luxsoft or Intel.
It looks something like this (at the level required for the article):
As many have noticed, this organization is hierarchical. Moreover, such a structure fits not only by word of mouth, but also documented. This structure is formed by formal and informal rules. And here it is, the first point: informal rules are more important than formal ones. And it is so much more important that in case of violation of informal rules, in any case, the violator will be excluded / restrained. Because it is the essence of the order of who is to whom.
Yes, this all sounds rather abstract, but nevertheless, without this introduction, one cannot move anywhere.
The formal rules of conduct / subordination are set out in the employment contract / labor code. Informal parables are in tongues. And they, in fact, will be discussed.
So, let's take a look at the examples of the leadership process in a spherical vacuum company.
The worker is concerned with orders / tasks from the personal leader and the project manager (team lead and PMA). Who take their tasks and cut them based on the production / service plans of the involved / involved projects. These gentlemen are working according to plan. Mostly written by themselves.
They bring to the performers and control the result. Then they report to the senior in the hierarchy.
Everything seems to be transparent, logical and understandable. There is a set of tasks. And the manager cuts the tasks / distributes / monitors performance / encourages / exacts. But this is not so, because this is all people ask / perform. Who have their own personal interests and corrals. Leaders want the most qualified / obedient / loyal / cheapest. The performers want the most comfortable conditions (for whom the tasks are good, for whom the easy ones, for whom it is simply extinguished in the locker). And in all this indescribable variety of interests, the informal code of the subordinate and the leader emerges. Absolutely every leader, not only wants, wants personal loyalty. Ideally, all subordinates. But this is possible only in small clicks (no more than 7 people). So that any order, be it idiotic, from a word at all, was carried out without wrangling. And such organizations in general in any company.And here personal loyalty to the leader comes to the fore, as opposed to all the other qualities of the performer. Those. the leader will select people so that they are primarily devoted to him, and only then other characteristics (experience / knowledge / skills / communication skills) will appear. All this is invalid only in relation to project organizations - when the organization is founded only for the project.
The leadership process begins with hiring people. It continues with the solution of projects and career advancement. Ends with defeat in a corporate war or exodus from the enterprise.
Consider hiring slightly. For the rest, there is no particular point in lingering, except for one item (promotion / promotion).
So they hire the faithful first. Then A-class players if required. Then everyone else. The backbone of the project is loyal, but not A players. "A" players are draft performers, icebreakers. Those who, without swearing allegiance to PM, will go ice-breaking in another team / company.
Very often, after overcoming the threshold of misunderstanding / complexity "A", performers are utilized / excluded. Because the leader does not tolerate competition / arbitrariness. I think at this point, many will come up with memories of their previous jobs.
Over the course of time, the project goes through life stages. And if a person wants to stay in this project with this leadership and move forward, then he will have to be loyal to the leader. Only in this case, you will have a promotion. Otherwise, nothing shines for you. In the overwhelming majority of cases, from the word at all.
So, in general, the project is described in a slightly different projection than it is usually presented. But this was done precisely so that any company / organization could be linked, regardless of the location on the globe. And to explain some points that would seem completely illogical on the part of a "reasonable" IT specialist.
Now, let's provide some examples.
Leaders are powerful people. They love to exercise their power. For example, if this leader is a man, then he can, with great desire and a great sense of his greatness, set conditions for the girl in career advancement such that the girl will regularly have to open her mouth not only for conversations. As an example, I went for an interview at Dvintsev. Passed in an elevator with two mademoiselles. And one of them lamented that they did not give a raise, hinting at sex. And the other laughed, that she was one of their group who did not pave the way into the sky with her legs apart. And it would seem that Russia is wild. But no, we see the example of Brian Krzhanich or Bill Clinton. And now, these Russians and Americans are not so different.
It is foolish to think that women leaders are very different from men in this capacity.
As an example, as a test of fidelity, they may demand to knock their colleagues, talk about topics of extra-work / conversations / interests / interviews. Those. even the walls have ears. Well, or to rush about as a hog on informal errands.
Another example from my life. A new developer came to the neighboring group. Active and hardworking. But there is too much of my own opinion and discussion of the instructions of the authorities. And the bottom line: I performed tasks on time with the required quality, but did not pass the probationary period.
This is a light version. In my experience, the core developer / founder of the entire product was fired after the release, which covered almost the entire range of tasks assigned to the software. It would seem why ???? But the answer is simple, because this one is too uncontrollable by the leader. He carried out the task entrusted to him and ceased to be necessary. The Moor has done his job, the Moor can go. Dot.
An important feature of the leadership clique is collective interest. Which means the support of the sworn. And joint movement up. Those. sworn shoals do not result in layoffs or delays in promotion. Or other things that will cut the way up for an ordinary. Now, I hope, it is clear why the first version of the revised "Kinopoisk" turned out to be so outstanding ?! Or other "features" of corporate products.
Where is the place for professionalism? There are, rest assured. Because among the sworn oaths, there are also high / medium / low level professionals. And they may well implement complex large projects. Sometimes even unique. The conclusion is simple: if you want to swear allegiance to the leader (but really to the one who will lead you up). Or do your own. Otherwise, you will not see any growth.
This description of the "project" does not carry any negative connotation. It is what it is. Moreover, all over the planet. What's in the US, what's in the Russian Federation, what's in Zimbabwe. After all, human nature is one.
I would like to talk about people who do not want to plunge into it. I doubt that many people like this state of affairs. But it began to manifest itself clearly in the Russian Federation with the growth of competition ( refer). With the growing number of people who can be hired. Those. in fact, the IT sphere has turned into the RF in any other sphere of the RF. And the competition has increased just a multiple of what it was, say, 10 years ago. And with each year / new switch / graduated programmer, the IT sphere will more and more resemble structures such as the prosecutor's office / court, etc. Even now, horn-and-gut companies are sifting out 500 people to hire two. It will be even more fun further.
The tactics and strategies for preventing this outcome are simple. It is necessary to introduce a professional qualification, work with performers in the field and convey simple truths of collective interest. And instill collective behavior, ethics, work solidarity. Because only the “loyal” will not be able to fulfill the assigned tasks, this will lead to a revision and adaptation of managers to the norms of hiring and organization until 2010. After all, if nothing is done, everything will degenerate into what we are now seeing in the state. structures: hiring by acquaintance / relative, promotions, bonuses, etc. only by their own; the rest of the plowing and pressing, with the appropriate attitude.
Attention!!! AKHTUNG !!!
Any decision to hire / reject / fire / promote is objective.
But there are also exceptions.