Ask HN: How to manage developers who aren't very good?
Presumably this is your first time managing programmers. Without ill will, you are most likely a very poor manager right now. Management is a separate skill and, like programming, it takes a long time before you're proficient. So, the first step is to acknowledge that, right now, you are a total newb and to tell yourself that a few times every day.<p>From your description, it sounds like these programmers are not as efficient in their work, or as task/goal-oriented as you'd like them to be, but not that they're completely incapable. Sometimes you will find programmers who can't program; they're hopeless, you have to fire them. But otherwise good programmers can be awful at managing themselves... and you're the manager, after all, so it's your problem to solve. Of course, you don't want to micro-manage them every hour of the day; that's not scalable.<p>Not every aspect of Extreme Programming is applicable to every situation. But a quick morning standup meeting can be a very effective tool. First, you will find out when people get off track and are having problems. Second, it creates some accountability to advance the ball every day. Third, while you must actively work to have the team cooperate instead of compete, it will naturally create some competitive and evolutionary pressure, where the more focused members of your team provide a good example and, over time, can share some of their secrets. Finally, the standup helps reinforce teamwork. If someone is having a hard time with a task, you can respond and say, "hey, you know, Bob's in a good place with what he's working on, why doesn't he help you out today, see whether a fresh perspective can help?"