We are the example

— 3 minute read

Yes, each one of us developers is an example.

As you know, being a developer is about never stopping learning. With that comes a mentoring role as well.

No matter what stage you are at in your development life, you should opt to mentor people wherever you can.

Why being a mentor is important

There are several reasons why it's important to be a mentor.

  1. Knowledge transfer

Of course, it is a way to transfer knowledge to your peers in its most basic form. Making them gain understanding but also making working with them easier. Think about helping them understand git in the right way or properly evaluate PR's. This will all help you as well.

  1. Grow yourself

Mentoring people will also help you grow in the sense of honing your management skills. But also, as a people person, it's a super good way to connect to people.

  1. Thinking out loud

And a big reason for me is that it is a way to think aloud. This process can help you even deeper understand solutions to problems. You might already know that the answer is {x}, but do you really know how you even got to that? Explaining it to someone can really help you grasp the concept even better.

How do we set the example?

Back to setting the example, I'm a firm believer in treating people the way you like to be treated. If you want people to handle PR's in a certain way, give that example.

If you want someone to explain code in a certain way, set that example by doing it yourself.

Another way to set the example is by communicating how you see certain things. When you work in a team, you all must think the same about a specific aspect of the software.

This doesn't mean one way of doing it is wrong or right, but it helps if you talk about these standards at least come to terms within the team.

Benefits of setting examples

There are a lot of benefits of setting examples:

  • Better workplace relationships

By being and setting the example, you will create a super open and growing workplace. Your colleagues will be more part of the team, which is always a win for team building.

  • More productivity

By learning from each other as developers, we create more productivity. This might not just be because we grasp the concepts better. But also think about more fun doing the job or learning about tooling to help us.

  • Clear goals

It sets clear goals for yourself and your growth as a developer and the rest of your team.

  • Growth

As you see, these all work up growth, personal growth, and team and company goals.

I hope you are already being the best example you can be. If not, this undoubtedly inspired you to be the best example.

Thank you for reading, and let's connect!

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