As a developer for 10 – 11 years, I feel that I may be getting out of touch with certain business realities. I’ve been fortunate to possess a good deal of independence when it comes to developing business plans with my customers and to exercise many helpful creative suggestions. Until recently, all of my supervisors from any position that I have held in the past have supported this business posture. I come from the school that teaches customer satisfaction is key. I’m presently in a very awkward situation with my supervisor, who has been managing our department for about a year. Through a gradual and subtle approach, he has implemented a lengthy and complex set of methodology standards that has adversely impacted nearly all developers. My perspective on this is; if the customer is satisfied, why change anything that could potentially risk that satisfaction, and; if a mutually respectful working relationship between developer and customer is solidly intact, why risk this either? I believe my supervisor is establishing standards for unnecessary control, which gives birth to micromanagement approaches. One of the most enjoyable qualities of what I do and one of the greatest satisfactions that I experience is to be able to express myself in my work, so long as it benefits the company to whom I work for and benefits customers to whom I serve. I am on a precipice of indecision as to what I shall do in the future. As one of my co-workers has recently stated, “when it stops being fun, it’s time to go”. I won’t say it has to be fun all the time but when “control management” removes the elements that I’ve mentioned, then maybe it is time to go.
My motivation to write this was to get things off my chest. However, if anyone has any comments or can relate to what I’m saying, I’d like to hear your point of view.

Dave