As developers, we spend a lot of time and effort keeping our technical skills up-to-date. But technical savvy is only one part of being an effective software engineer. Our profession requires us to interact with people at all skill levels, not to mention nontechnical stakeholders and, of course, our users. And as our careers progress, our reach extends into the community and brings with it a whole new set of social challenges.
One key to our continuing success is our ability to communicate with empathy. Whether it’s interacting with coworkers and managers, understanding the needs of our end users, mentoring early-career developers, connecting with other people at conferences and events, or managing an open source project, the way we interact with others is what truly sets us apart.
In The Compassionate Coder, we explore the intricate world of human interactions and demonstrate the advantages to us as individuals– and as an industry– that come with focusing not just on our technical skills, but on our ability to connect with others in a humane and compassionate way.
Coraline and Naomi are available for interviews and further enquiries.