Courtesy Is a Mandate

Another piece of advice from Jean is about how programmers should relate to end users.

Sometimes, Jean explains, programmers dont seem to understand that users are their customers. Ive gone to some shops where the IT department treats users as if theyre nuisances. The attitude is, ˜Youre a hindrance; youre asking me for something; youre bothering me. This is a really bad attitude to have. Some programmers think its okay to put their priorities ahead of all the users that are on the system, even if they drag the system down. Ive told programmers, ˜This is not the way its supposed to be. You are serving them. They are running the company. You are helping them to run the company.

Personally, I cant stress this point enough to new (and experienced ) programmers. The business exists to make money; you exist to help the business make money. If you thwart the ability of the business to make money, you deserve to be fired .