The False Destination Anti-Pattern

The False Destination Anti-Pattern

Hey managers … want to know a sure-fire way of demoralizing your developers and possibly even convincing them to leave the company? Well, I’ve got the recipe to help you do just that. Give them a lofty goal to shoot for, but never commit to really seeing that objective come to fruition. Oh, and keep that to yourself; don’t let the troops know that you’re iffy about the direction. Also, tell them that this is one of the most important projects for the company; give them a sense of urgency. Encourage them to work hard to meet artificial deadlines. Make sure that they’ve built a working product they are proud of. If you let this go on for at least one year, you’ll get the best effect; in general, the longer you drag it out, the better. Then, when the time is just right, tell them that there’s been a change in strategy. You’ll want to have a camera with you to capture the looks on their faces when you tell them the good news!