http://qs1969.pair.com?node_id=254766


in reply to OT: Getting people to use tools

This could be for many reasons as everyone went over. Generally when intelligent people (your office mates?) do stupid things (ignore a clearly better tool) it's because of personal issues. I'm not saying this is your case, but there's a guy in my office who pesters a hundred developers on a daily basis with flip answers and style nazi advice to questions no one even asked. He's a good coder and he works really hard and he often puts out nice solutions. It's difficult for me to use them or even look at them b/c I don't see a tool. I see a smug know-it-all-who-doesn't-jerkwad winning. I'd almost rather re-write what he did from scratch for myself. Emotions make people do and think irrational things. So your interplay with your office might be worth examining. But mabye not. :)

I do think there is one thing particularly that you could do no matter what the problem is: coach to the top 10%.

If you get buy in from even one developer who the office sees as "guru" or "answer guy," I guarantee others in the office will look over and say: "What's that you're doing there? Say that's nice. Lemme try that."

Unfortunately, the one who knows the most about a thing is often the worst salesman for it.