How To Manage A Nerd - Part 1

Published: Mar 11, 2004

Application

Nerd is used here to describe computer programming specialists who apply their above average intelligence to things within computers. It sounds better than geeks.

If you decided to engage some nerds to advance your organization into the 21st century you are going to have to make a few adjustments to your management style.

Most nerds dislike

Lists with multiple tasks
Pagers and cell phones
Printouts of anything retrievable electronically
Explaining anything more than once

Most nerds prefer

Receiving tasks one-at-a-time
To work in the dark
To have others do routine maintenance
Very few visits from managers

If you are functioning as the designer it is courteous to learn something about the software and hardware. Read an introductory text such as in the IDG Dummies series to get enough of an idea to be able to ask relatively intelligent questions and to write reasonable specifications.

When asking for an explanation of any kind, are your notes filled with insertions and numerous lines drawn indicating a sequence different from the sequence of the conversation? Start in the middle of the page. That's where nerds usually begin. Better still, use a word processor which allows you to jump around.

Stories

Theory Becomes a Truth

Chatting with a businessperson at one of those eight-chair round tables I stated my belief that the management career of the future is knowing how to manage nerds. A very knowledgeable person who was engaged in a lively discussion across the table stopped his conversation and shouted at me, "You're right!" It was quite evident he had recent arduous encounter with a nerd. I knew I was on to a truth worth inclusion here.

Submitted by: NephewGerry

The Birth of a Nerd

The parents of a two-year-old had been to numerous specialists including the Mayo clinic. All the tests could not explain why this child was not speaking when his hearing appeared to be OK.

One day at the dinner table the child spoke. "Please pass the butter," uttered the child clearly with perfect diction.

When the shock subsided the father asked, "What happened? You know we have taken you to all those doctors to find out was wrong with you!"

The child replied, "Well, up to now everything's been OK."