Software engineering managers must evaluate the people reporting to them. Of all the responsibilities they have, most software engineering managers dislike this one the most. In most cases, the human resources department in their company provides a generic form, which the manager uses to report on whether or not the individual has met or fallen short of expectations; it also typically sets goals to achieve before the next review. Although a popular approach, it falls far short of achieving the intended results—increasing the value of the individual contributor to the organization and motivating them to perform at an even higher level in the future. Failure to achieve these goals is a direct result of the review system used in most firms. These systems have their origins in the manufacturing era. With respect to today’s software professional, these systems fail to engage the inherent mechanisms within the unique psyche of this group that offers software engineering managers the potential for improving performance while pursuing corporate, organizational, and individual goals.

This ReadyNote provides insight into the nature of software engineers. Specifically, it identifies what drives them to higher performance levels and what does not. It demonstrates how the most common means of reviewing software engineering professionals actually has the effect of demotivating them and reducing their performance level. Armed with this knowledge, it explores an alternative method for evaluating personnel that has its basis in the area of corporate strategy development but which has proven itself flexible enough to be used in a broad range of applications, including personnel evaluation. This approach has resulted in improved performance by the software engineer. Specifically, this method uses a multidimensional approach related to the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) from Harvard University. This BSC iteration links individual performance to the organization’s goals and the individual’s goals. It does so by tapping into the software engineer’s inherent nature and results in increased performance both in the quantity and quality of their work.

• Lawrence Peters is the founder of Software Consultants International Limited (http://www.sci-ltd.net) in Kent, Washington. He has more than 38 years experience in the software engineering field as a developer, analyst, manager, and educator. As a software project manager, he has delivered more than a dozen software projects (including several in the millions) on time, on budget, and meeting all requirements. He has worked in the aerospace, defense, banking, manufacturing, telecommunications, and commercial software industries. He has consulted with and trained more than 9,000 software engineering professionals worldwide, publicly and at various organizations, including IBM, Xerox, CSC, Fujitsu Management Consulting and the defense departments of the United States and Canada.
• Peters has published two textbooks on analysis and design of software systems—more recently a book on software project management—and authored and published the first Master of Science curriculum adopted at a university. He has taught at UCLA, Seattle University, St. Martin’s College, and the University of Washington, Tacoma. In keeping with his belief in lifelong learning, Peters received his PhD in 2002 and the IEEE Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) certificate in 2003. He is a member of the IEEE Software Engineering Society and IEEE Engineering Management Society. His PhD in engineering management is from California Coast University. He also has an MS in engineering and a BS in physics from California State University at Northridge.