Avoiding the Angry Software Developer

When was the last time you lost your cool?

Well, I lost it the other day in the car. I made a left turn and the driver behind me thought I was too slow so he honked. I started yelling all sorts of colorful language and insults. As I turned left we went into a long underpass with one narrow lane. I intentionally went super slowly attempting to teach this driver a little patience. Can you predict what happened next? Yes, he honked even more fervently. I got my revenge!

At the end of the overpass there was a traffic light, which turned red as soon as I got there. The driver behind me stopped, got out of his car, ran circles around our car yelling and waving his arms like a mad-man. What had I just done? My reaction to being honked at caused mayhem. At that moment, I felt a wave of embarrassment for us both. As I was coming back to my senses, I was able to see myself sitting defeated in the front seat of the car with my confused daughter in the back. I had a lot of explaining to do.

Have you ever had a client or colleague who pushed your buttons?

At Clevertech we are a different type of software development company, one that cares about our all too human moods and how it affects coordinating with others.

We do the work. We practice using real-world situations. We take time to pay attention to how we react to one another. What does this mean? We watch for the unintended, always occurring, thoughts, emotions and moods that show up and how they enhance or inhibit our relationships with others with the purpose to build trust and collaboration between people.

In the car that day I could have chosen an afternoon of peace and joy however I chose actions that yielded embarrassment and ended in a crummy mood.

Practicing and noticing our own responses to intense situations builds ourselves up to help us cope and gain strategies that produce better outcomes, better moods, and superior coordination with others.

P.S. If you are a software developer who wants a tool to better monitor your mood then join our beta mobile app and come experiment with us as we measure the underlying biological factors of valence and arousal to give you insight and strategies for your moods.

Join
Cleverdevelopers

Want to peek into our daily work? Our coaches recount real world situations shared as learning opportunities to build soft skills. We share frameworks, podcasts and thinking tools for sr software developers.

Keep on reading

Go to Blog home

The (remote) opportunities

We expect professionalism and client service, so we can offer a deeply caring experience for our clients. In return, you get freedom to work wherever you want. No timesheets, no big brother watching every move. We trust you to know what’s best to find the right solution.

    Don't see what you're looking for? Use our general application form

    Turn your toughest challenges into tangible business impact

    Get in touch

    Join Cleverdevelopers

    Want to peek into our daily work? Our coaches recount real world situations shared as learning opportunities to build soft skills. We share frameworks, podcasts and thinking tools for sr software developers.