Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager, Third Edition

© Michael Lopp 2016

Michael Lopp, Managing Humans, 10.1007/978-1-4842-2158-7_6

6. The Twinge

Listen all the time and use your experience to detect disasters before they occur

Michael Lopp¹ 

(1)Los Gatos, California, USA

You know this meeting, and you know it the second you hear the attendee list. Something is up: a product is at risk, a strategy is being redefined, or a decision of magnitude is being considered.

Slide reviews are conducted via e-mail, rehearsals are performed, and demos are fine-tuned. When the day arrives, the room fills, nervous glances are exchanged, and it begins. Your practice pays off. Expected questions appear and are quickly answered. The project is solid; perhaps there is no need for that massive decision. We’re in good shape—except ...