Reflect & Refactor

As developers, we’re constantly learning: whether it’s figuring out how to solve new problems and bugs, or focusing on new skills and knowledge to apply to our work. Often when we talk about reflecting and refactoring, it will be about the way we work in our teams or how we can make our code better – but why don’t we apply the same method to ourselves?

This talk looks at how to constantly reflect and refactor your own skills and values, creating your own idea of a “good” developer. It will examine the psychology of creating new habits, the different motivations of why we are developers, and how we can each define the type of developers we want to be.

Transcript

1. @mseckington Melinda Seckington reflect refactor &
2. What do I want to be when I grow up? @mseckington
3. @mseckington
4. 10 years later: computer science @mseckington
5. 15 years later: what do I do now? @mseckington
6. Things are always changing @mseckington
7. Learning to adapt @mseckington
8. How do we figure out what’s next? @mseckington
9. @mseckington FutureLearn
10. Collaborative multidisciplinary agile teams @mseckington
11. Reflect Refactor & @mseckington
12. Reflect Refactor @mseckington &
13. human equivalent of technical debt @mseckington
14. How to create our own best practices @mseckington
15. Reflect Refactor @mseckington
16. Reflect @mseckington
17. @mseckington
18. Make time for reflection @mseckington
19. Personal retrospectives @mseckington
20. @mseckington Throw away your assumptions
21. Take notes and revisit them @mseckington
22. Find a time when you are in the right mindset @mseckington
23. Don’t wallow in the world of what if @mseckington
24. 5 retro formats @mseckington
25. What motivates you? 1 @mseckington
26. Focus on why @mseckington
27. Drive Daniel H. Pink @mseckington
28. Autonomy Mastery Purpose @mseckington
29. Autonomy @mseckington
30. Tasks Team Technique Time @mseckington
31. Understand your autonomy needs: Tasks, Time, Team, Technique @mseckington
32. Mastery @mseckington
33. Why do you want to master writing code? @mseckington
34. Understand what skills you want to master and why @mseckington
35. Purpose @mseckington
36. @mseckington
37. Understand what impact you want to have on the world @mseckington
38. What motivates you? @mseckington
39. What are your six objects? 2 @mseckington
40. six objects @mseckington
41. Focus on what @mseckington
42. Write down what you do @mseckington
43. How would you represent that as an object? @mseckington
44. Example: My objects @mseckington
45. Example: My objects @mseckington
46. Define your six objects @mseckington
47. What are your personal values? 3
48. What values matter to you? @mseckington
49. Focus on how @mseckington
50. Define your values @mseckington
51. @mseckington Candidness Courage Efficiency Empathy Imagination Inspirational Playfulness Be candid Be courageous Be efficient Be empathetic Be imaginative Be inspiring Be playful
52. @mseckington Candidness Courage Efficiency Empathy Imagination Inspirational Playful
53. understand your strengths & weaknesses based on your values
54. What would you tell your past and your future self? @mseckington 4
55. How have you changed over time? @mseckington
56. Write a letter to your past self @mseckington
57. What would your past self write back to you? @mseckington
58. Write a letter to your future self @mseckington
59. Understand where you come from and where you’re going @mseckington
60. What have you done recently? What do you celebrate? What do you change? @mseckington 5
61. Examine recent events @mseckington
62. Examine a shorter period (day, week, month) @mseckington
63. Celebrate what you’ve achieved @mseckington
64. Learn from what you have done @mseckington
65. What went well? What didn’t go well? What do you have questions about? @mseckington
66. What went well? What did you learn? What was unusual? Who helped you? What was your main strength? What inspired you? What went less well? What did you fail at? What would you change? Who did you help? What was your weakness? What still puzzles you? @mseckington
67. @mseckington candid? courageous? efficient? empathetic? imaginative? inspiring? playful? What did I do that was:
68. Follow up question: What action could you do next time? @mseckington
69. Celebrate and learn from what you have done @mseckington
70. 3 2 1 @mseckington 4 5
71. Define tangible goals @mseckington
72. Do your research @mseckington
73. Approach your goals like a new city @mseckington
74. Reflect @mseckington
75. Reflect Refactor @mseckington
76. Refactor @mseckington
77. Why do we refactor code? @mseckington
78. To avoid technical debt @mseckington
79. • Maintainability • Extensibility Improving the design of the existing codebase: make it easier to add new features and capabilities make it easier to fix and change things @mseckington
80. Code smell Refactor Tests pass Refactoring @mseckington
81. Code smell Refactor Tests pass Refactoring @mseckington
82. Code smell Refactor Tests pass Refactoring @mseckington
83. Code smell Refactor Tests pass Refactoring @mseckington
84. Code smell Refactor Tests pass Refactoring @mseckington
85. Why should we refactor ourselves? @mseckington
86. Improving the design of ourselves: make it easier to add new behaviours or skills make it easier to change existing behaviours or skills • Maintainability • Extensibility @mseckington
87. How do we make it easier to change or add new behaviours or skills? @mseckington
88. Code smell Refactor Tests pass Refactoring @mseckington
89. Sign we need to do something Do the thing Celebrate Refactoring @mseckington
90. The Habit Loop @mseckington
91. The Power of Habit Charles Duhigg @mseckington
92. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop @mseckington
93. every goal can be broken down into HABITS @mseckington
94. Adapt existing loops Create a new loop with an existing cue Find new cues and new rewards @mseckington
95. Adapt existing loops @mseckington
96. Example: Flossing more regularly @mseckington
97. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop My teeth feel icky My teeth are clean! Brush my teeth @mseckington
98. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop My teeth feel icky & floss! My teeth are clean! Brush my teeth @mseckington
99. Example: Finding time for learning @mseckington
100. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop Calendar reminder to read Learnt something new! Read book @mseckington
101. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop Time to pick up a new feature to work on Shipped a feature! Implement the feature Reading time? @mseckington
102. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop Time to pick up a new feature to work on Implement the feature @mseckington Shipped a feature! Read for 30 minutes!
103. What are your existing habit loops? @mseckington
104. Which one of them could you adapt? @mseckington
105. Create a new loop with an existing cue @mseckington
106. Example: Disconnect before sleeping @mseckington
107. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop Going to bed Read a book for 30 min Go to sleep more relaxed and disconnected @mseckington
108. Example: Overcoming my fears @mseckington
109. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop Getting asked to do something I am scared of Say “Yes” Feeling proud for doing something you were scared of! @mseckington
110. What are the things that you do regularly? @mseckington
111. Find new cues and new rewards @mseckington
112. Example: Exercising more @mseckington
113. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop Wake up early and see my running gear Go running Feel more energetic @mseckington
114. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop Excitement and curiosity about next episode Go running and listen to ZombiesRun Experience the story @mseckington
115. Example: Keeping track of my goals @mseckington
116. Cue Routine Reward 1 2 3 The Habit Loop Wanting to level my character Complete one of my goals Level up! @mseckington
117. Warrior: +5 for every 5k run +10 for every 10k run +10 for every spin class +10 for walking 10k steps Bard: +3 for attending a meetup +6 for attending a conference +10 for speaking at a meetup +20 for speaking at a conference Next level: 45 XP Next level: 20 XP Level 4 Level 5 @mseckington
118. When creating new habit loops, think about all 3 aspects @mseckington
119. Adapt existing loops Create a new loop with an existing cue Find new cues and new rewards @mseckington
120. Refactor @mseckington
121. Reflect Refactor @mseckington
122. What do you want to be when you grow up? @mseckington
123. What next? @mseckington
124. @mseckington You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself Any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go. “ ” ~ Dr Seuss
125. Thanks for listening… Melinda Seckington FutureLearn @mseckington @mseckington