How to Prioritize Your Work as a Programmer

Contents:

• Domagoj Vidovic
• What I didn't notice before
• What my colleagues thought of me
• A magic kick in the pants
• A simple change
• Miracles are beginning
• A big difference
• Non-obvious benefits
• To summarize

Domagoj Vidovic

About

The author of this material is an expert in his field with extensive experience and deep knowledge. His works cover a wide range of topics, making them useful and informative for readers. He actively shares his thoughts and ideas through various platforms, striving to contribute to the development of his field. With a high level of competence and passion for his work, the author constantly updates his knowledge by following the latest trends and research. Readers can expect high-quality and relevant content that answers their questions and helps them make informed decisions.

A front-end developer and author from London. Specializes in topics about life, success, and technology.

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By the middle of my career, I had significantly improved my programming skills. I was surrounded by experienced programmers and mentors, thanks to whom every pull request became a source of valuable knowledge. Collaborating with professionals allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of development principles and improve the quality of my code, which positively impacted my professional growth.

Being a successful developer is not only about writing high-quality code. An important aspect of our profession is teamwork. Interaction with colleagues and effective collaboration play a key role in achieving shared goals. Software development requires not only technical skills but also communication and collaboration skills. Soft skills play a key role in professional growth and can have an even greater impact on your career than technical skills. The quality of your code will only be appreciated by those who work directly with you. However, your ability to effectively collaborate within a team is noticeable to everyone and can significantly impact the success of a project. Developing soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and time management contributes to a positive work environment and improves overall productivity. By focusing on these aspects, you not only improve your personal qualities but also contribute to the success of the entire team.

I'll share how changing the way I approach my work significantly improved my career. This experience has shown that small changes in the way I work can lead to major results. I began to focus more on goals, develop skills, and actively seek out opportunities for professional growth. It is important not only to fulfill responsibilities but also to strive for continuous self-development and learning. This approach opened new horizons and allowed me to succeed in my chosen field.

What I hadn't noticed before

In the past, I would completely immerse myself in my work, achieving a state of flow. I would put on noise-canceling headphones and focus on writing code, without any distractions. This allowed me to be as productive and creative as possible. This approach helped not only in development but also in improving the quality of the code, which, in turn, contributed to achieving successful results on projects.

Sometimes I could stay in this state for hours. It was incredible. In moments like these, I absorbed a lot of new knowledge, and the process brought me immense pleasure.

I enjoy immersing myself in the flow even now. Even as I write this article, I am in this state. Nothing distracts me from my work. I have muted my phone and am confident that I will not be interrupted by conversations until I finish writing. This allows me to focus and make the most of my time to create high-quality content.

When I write an article, I act alone, while developing code for a company requires teamwork. This difference makes a significant difference. When working alone, I rely entirely on my ideas and approaches, which allows me to explore the topic in depth. In contrast, in a team, I interact with colleagues, which enriches the process and leads to a higher-quality result. Teamwork promotes the exchange of opinions and ideas, which makes the final product more thoughtful and effective.

My team needs me as much as they need me. So, I can't just turn off all notifications and stop communicating.

Yet, that's exactly what I did.

Times when it took me an hour or even longer to respond to Slack questions were not uncommon. When colleagues asked me to spend just five minutes on a task, I ignored such requests for days. I strove to prolong the flow I was in, so that nothing would distract me from my work. This desire for focus and deep immersion in tasks was essential for achieving effective results and increasing productivity.

I was confident in my rights. I only cared about my code, which was flawless. Isn't that enough to give you confidence?

What my colleagues thought of me

From my colleagues' point of view, my behavior was inexcusable.

Workers My colleagues' requests weren't my top priority. I wouldn't respond to them for hours or even days. The solutions I proposed were often far from ideal—I didn't want to waste time on unimportant tasks.

I'd like to appeal to everyone: "Please don't disrupt my flow!"

A Magic Kick

Our company periodically conducts anonymous surveys in which employees express their opinions on their colleagues' work. Team leaders then inform each employee of the team's opinion of their work. These surveys help improve the team atmosphere and increase the effectiveness of interactions between employees.

After conducting another survey, I received a lot of positive feedback about my engineering skills. However, some colleagues expressed dissatisfaction with my approach to prioritization and communication style.

Colleagues expressed dissatisfaction with my prolonged absence of responses and the proposals for less-than-polished solutions. It's difficult to talk about high-quality testing when you need to quickly return to the workflow and focus on tasks.

The feedback had a significant impact on me. It was they who prompted me to reflect on my actions and make changes in my life.

The decision I made turned out to be surprisingly simple. Despite its simplicity, it became a turning point in my career.

A Simple Change

From that moment on, whenever someone asked me for help, I responded immediately. Their requests became my top priority.

The tasks that were usually performed did not take much time and concerned small things, such as:

• showing where to find something in the application;
• or how to work with it step by step;
• telling what a specific code does;
• and the like.

For me, these tasks take only a couple of minutes. The most complex ones require 5-10 minutes, and no more.

I began to promptly respond to messages in private chats and instantly respond to questions in group discussions. As a result, I became the person people turn to for fast and high-quality solutions. My ability to provide information and assistance promptly led colleagues and friends to rely on me for various issues. This strengthened my reputation as a reliable source of knowledge and support.

The Magic Begins

I went from being a withdrawn person who isolated himself from others with noise-canceling headphones to one of the most valuable employees in the company. My path to change was not easy, but I was able to overcome barriers and establish communication with colleagues, which significantly increased my value to the team.

Everyone quickly realized that if they turned to me with a request, a solution would be found in the shortest possible time. This kind of trust cannot be bought, it can only be earned.

My colleagues have problems that need to be solved. In the process, I came to important conclusions: it is necessary to clearly define priorities and use effective methods and approaches to achieve goals. It is also important to ensure constant communication within the team so that everyone can contribute to the common cause. Problem solving requires not only professional skills, but also the ability to adapt to changing conditions. We must learn from our mistakes and look for new ways to improve results. Effective time and resource management also plays a key role in successfully completing tasks.

• If I help them in two minutes, they will be amazed. People don’t expect this, so they are doubly pleased! And they are not shy about praising them for a job well done and quickly.
• But if I condescend to help them after more than three hours, my colleagues will take it for granted or will even be annoyed - if it was something trivial.

Big difference

Imagine that you have a task that can be completed in six hours. You start at 9 a.m., and if you focus and avoid distractions, you can finish by 3 p.m. It's important to organize your time and create conditions for maximum concentration to achieve your goal on time. Proper planning and time management will help you effectively complete tasks and achieve your desired results.

Not only do I have my own tasks, but there are also things that can only be completed with my help. Between 9 and 11 am, three people turn to me for help.

The tasks are quite simple and each of them will take only five minutes to complete.

I can choose one of two options.

• In the first case, I'm the unresponsive old man on the team. It takes me an hour to respond to messages; they're the lowest priority for me. This means I can finish my work at 3:00 PM. And I can only help after that. But it also means those three will have to wait 4-6 hours for me. They'll be unhappy because they wanted something done by noon, but I delayed them.
• In the second case, I respond and get the job done right away. They thank me: "Wow, you did it so quickly 🚀" or "Cool, now I can finish before lunch, thanks, buddy 🏎." At the same time, I will finish my work only 15 minutes later - at 15:15.

The difference is obvious.

No one cares that I finish my work 15 minutes later, because no one knew my completion time.

Everyone expected that I would be able to provide assistance within five minutes, not five hours.

While not everyone on the team can accurately assess your technical programming skills, your communication skills will be recognized by everyone. Effective collaboration with colleagues, the ability to explain complex concepts, and find a common language with different project participants play a key role in successful work. Therefore, developing communication skills is no less important than improving technical skills.

Unobvious Benefits

Developers face highly complex tasks that require deep immersion and high concentration. Frequent task switching leads to losing the thread of the solution and decreasing work efficiency. To successfully cope with such challenges, it is necessary to create conditions for focused work and minimize distractions. This will optimize the development process and achieve better results.

Sometimes a change in the type and complexity of the task may be just what you need. When you return to your work after a break, you will be able to look at the problem from a new perspective. This can help you find more effective solutions and increase productivity. A fresh approach to work often leads to better results and a deeper understanding of problems. Without a break, you could spend much more time solving your problem, risking getting stuck in the wrong direction and wasting hours. However, by taking a break and switching to something else, you can return to the code with renewed energy. Often, this results in finding a solution to the problem in just a few minutes. This approach not only saves time but also increases work efficiency. Switching between different tasks significantly improves my programming skills. I have noticed that I have become faster and more efficient at completing my tasks. This approach allows me to deepen my knowledge and develop practical skills, which, in turn, has a positive impact on overall productivity. Sometimes the best way to cope with a problem is to temporarily distract yourself and free your mind from intrusive thoughts. The solution can come much faster when we stop dwelling on the problem and allow ourselves to see the situation from a new perspective. This helps reduce stress and boost creative thinking, which ultimately leads to more effective solution finding.

To summarize

It is important to understand that in a team, you need to interact and take into account the opinions of others. This approach will benefit not only you, but the entire team. Effective collaboration contributes to a better working atmosphere and increased productivity. By working together, you can achieve better results and build strong professional relationships.

You will prove yourself to be a reliable team player. You can always be relied upon, and you quickly find solutions in any situation. Your presence in the team ensures a smooth workflow, since you do not allow delays. Radiating positivity and confidence, you inspire colleagues by your example and create an atmosphere for productive work.

A good programmer may be above average, but if you possess the qualities of an excellent team player, you have every chance of becoming one of the best specialists in your field. Teamwork and communication skills play a key role in the successful development of projects and the achievement of shared goals. Therefore, developing these skills significantly increases your competitiveness in the labor market.