Culture-First – Build Up Your Crediblity And Learn To Say "No".

Foreword: Are You Credible as a Development Team?

The question is foundational, and it’s on your team, and you should ask yourself daily. What can we do to earn genuine trust? I don’t necessarily mean the trust between developers; I am talking about the trust of other stakeholders in the company, like the business people.

“Can we trust our developers?“

Believe it or not, this is a question often asked when speaking with C-Suite in the business area of a company. For years, a big portion of my job was to balance the tension between business and development and close the gap.

We've heard plenty about what engineering managers and team leads can do to improve engineering culture. But is that enough?

👉 In short, it's not enough. You need to take ownership of your work and act responsibly.

Responsibility and ownership are not just buzzwords but pillars of a thriving engineering culture. These principles don't trickle down from the top; they're built from the ground up by individuals working in teams.

Managers and leads should create an environment where you can thrive and become responsible, but they don't make you responsible—that's entirely on you.

To be honest, I know many devs who are NOT responsible at all. Unfortunately, I have to say. But at the same time, we often hear complaints about how bad everything is in the company, team, or from the business side, etc.

Storytime: When Devs Suffer From Deadlines

Software development often feels like a pressure cooker. With tight deadlines, high expectations, and a persistent disconnect between developers and business stakeholders, stress is a constant companion.

In this environment, developers are frequently blamed for delays, leading to shortcuts and a culture of fear. I still remember the dread of facing an impossible deadline, knowing it would lead to even more stress and compromised quality.

But simply “No” is often hard, and no foundation is built for that. Simply, businesses don’t trust development after failing with deadlines once.

The Culture-First Approach – It's Hard To Say "No" in Software Development

Then Things Go Wrong And Break

As the pressure intensified, our team struggled to cope. We took shortcuts to meet deadlines, sacrificing testing and proper documentation. Tempers flared, trust eroded, and when delays inevitably occurred, the blame game began. Business stakeholders pointed fingers at us while we felt the weight of unfair criticism.

The cycle of stress and pressure seemed unbreakable, pushing us further into a toxic culture where everyone felt overwhelmed and underappreciated.

How can we solve this as a developer, manager, or C-suite?

The following mentoring article includes:

• How Things Can Become Better

• The Key Is To Build Trust

• An Important Learning The Developer (IC)

• The Pillars Of A Good Engineering Culture

• What distinguishes a Software Engineer from a Coder or Craftsman?

• ✅ The Learning Of This Session: Three Pillars

Are you a developer, engineering manager, or CTO looking for a mentor? Take a look at my mentorcruise page.