Notes from the course “Effective Teamwork” - Part 1
Effective teamwork is not just about collaborating efficiently but also about finding fulfillment in the work we do and continuously growing as professionals. This document summarizes key insights from Module 1, focusing on what makes work meaningful, how to build career capital, and why passion can sometimes be misleading. It provides practical advice for professionals striving to enhance their careers and personal satisfaction.
Good Work
Good work fulfills psychological needs:
- Autonomy – the feeling that we have control over our day and that our actions are meaningful.
- Competence – the feeling that we are good at what we do.
- Relatedness – the feeling of being connected to others.
Good work is characterized by:
- Creativity
- Impact
- Control
It is difficult to find a job that combines these three characteristics (or to reach a position where they are present). First, you need to offer rare and valuable skills in return. In other words, you need to build career capital.
How to Build Career Capital?
The Law of Diminishing Returns
Most of the time, as we invest more time or effort into a task, the output grows, but there is a point where this growth starts to diminish. This applies to programming. Often, learning something new gives a bigger boost to career capital than refining skills you already have.
For example, learning another tool or framework might give a 10% boost, while mastering how to communicate with clients might provide an 80% boost. Sometimes, working on soft skills can bring more benefits to your career than focusing on technical ones.
The Four Components of a Programmer’s Work
(Besides technical skills):
- Tasks
- Team / Project
- Client / Users
- Employer
These topics will be explored in the upcoming modules of the course.
Informal Mentoring
Why informal? Because nowadays, people don’t have time to be formal mentors. If you ask someone to be your mentor, 95% of the time, they will say no. In other words, few people want to take on the role of being someone’s mentor, but everyone likes to give advice and feel needed.
Finding a mentor involves looking around for someone you admire and would like to emulate (this does not have to be someone physically present in the same office – it could also be an online figure). Once you identify such a person, observe what they do, how they do it, and what habits they have. When an opportunity arises, ask them a specific question.
The Passion Trap
You don’t need to do what you love, and the advice “follow your passion” is actually harmful.
The more emphasis we place on doing work we love and are passionate about, the more dissatisfied we become with every minute spent on tasks we don’t enjoy. Passion is a by-product of achieving mastery in a given field.
Instead of focusing on finding a job that aligns perfectly with your passions, concentrate on developing rare and valuable skills. Over time, as you become proficient and recognized in a specific area, passion for your work will naturally develop as a result of your success and the positive impact you can make.