Working in tech is great... until it isn't. Burnout, bias, conflict, and unethical products are all too common. Compassionate Coding helps you avoid these pitfalls by applying emotional intelligence. Here are some tips to help you learn new skills, land a job, and handle conflict effectively, so that you can craft a fulfilling and compassionate career. Delivered by April Wensel at LEARN Academy, March 2019.

1. COMPASSIONATE
CODING FOR
BOOTCAMPERS
@APRILWENSELCOMPASSIONATE CODING

2. 10 YEARS - SOFTWARE ENGINEER & TECHNICAL LEADER
@APRILWENSEL

3. VOLUNTEER CODING INSTRUCTOR AND MENTOR
@APRILWENSEL

4. STRESS
@APRILWENSEL

5. https://medium.com/compassionate-coding/only-
you-can-prevent-tech-burnout-be3f0504c627
BURNOUT@APRILWENSEL

6. BIAS
@APRILWENSEL

7. Animation by Steve Cutts, Music by Moby & The Void Pacific Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VASywEuqFd8
ADDICTIVE PRODUCTS
@APRILWENSEL

8. UNETHICAL
PRACTICES
@APRILWENSEL

9. TEAM
CONFLICT
@APRILWENSEL

10. FAILED
PROJECTS
@APRILWENSEL

11. @COMPASSIONCODE
WHY SOFTWARE PROJECTS FAIL
https://www.developersalliance.org/developer-insights-report-2015/
CHANGING OR POORLY DOCUMENTED REQUIREMENTS
UNDERFUNDING OR UNDER-RESOURCING
POOR TEAM OR ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT
INSUFFICIENT TIME ALLOCATED TO TESTING
DEVELOPER CHURN AND LOSS OF KEY TALENT
MISSED DELIVERY TIMELINE EXPECTATIONS
TIME CONSTRAINTS AND PRE-MATURE SOFTWARE RELEASE
IMMATURE DEV TOOLS & APPLICATION PLATFORMS17%
21%
22%
23%
32%
37%
40%
48%
@APRILWENSEL

12. THE PROBLEMS WE’RE
FACING IN TECH ALL
STEM FROM A LACK OF
CONCERN FOR HUMAN
BEINGS
@APRILWENSEL

13. http://www.businessinsider.com/
programmers-debate-requirements-to-
behave-respectfully-ccoc-2018-5 @APRILWENSEL

14. COMPASSIONATE
CODING
A NEW APPROACH
TO SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT
THAT EMPHASIZES
EMOTIONAL
INTELLIGENCE &
ETHICS(NAME INSPIRED BY MY
VEGANISM 💙)
@APRILWENSEL

15. COMPASSION PRESENTS
AN OPTIMIZATION
PROBLEM:
MINIMIZE SUFFERING
@APRILWENSEL

16. SELF-AWARENESS
CONFIDENCE
EMPATHY
ACHIEVEMENT
COLLABORATION
MOTIVATION
RESILIENCE
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
…
@APRILWENSEL

17. LET’S STOP
CALLING THEM
“SOFT SKILLS”
@APRILWENSEL

18. CATALYTIC
SKILLS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hoo_dIOP8k
Daniel Goleman
@APRILWENSEL

19. YOU ARE
NOT A
ROBOT
@APRILWENSEL

20. THE ABILITY TO
UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE
EMOTIONS IS ESSENTIAL
FOR EFFECTIVE SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT
@APRILWENSEL

21. https://medium.com/compassionate-coding/
confessions-of-a-recovering-jerk-programmer-
b9d531a05ea9
“CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING JERK PROGRAMMER”
@APRILWENSEL

22. https://www.wired.com/story/linuxs-creator-is-sorry-but-will-he-change/

23. “The above code is [BLEEP], and it generates
[BLEEP] code. It looks bad, and there's no
reason for it.
The code could *easily* have been done with
just a single and understandable
conditional…I really see no reason for this
kind of complete idiotic [BLEEP].”
http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1510.3/02866.html

24. “…hey, I need to change some of my
behavior, and I want to apologize to the
people that my personal
behavior hurt and possibly drove away from
kernel development
entirely.
I am going to take time off and get some
assistance on how to understand people’s
emotions and respond appropriately.”
-Linus Torvalds
https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/
CA+55aFy+Hv9O5citAawS+mVZO+ywCKd9NQ2wxUmGsz9ZJzqgJQ@mail.gmail.com/

25. 1. REDUCED STRESS
2. IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY
3. BETTER RELATIONSHIPS
4. HAPPINESS!
PERSONAL BENEFITS
greatergood.berkeley.edu @APRILWENSEL

26. 1. LEARNING
2. FINDING A JOB
3. MANAGING CONFLICT
SCENARIOS
@APRILWENSEL

27. LEARNING
@APRILWENSEL

28. @APRILWENSEL

29. @APRILWENSEL

30. @APRILWENSEL

31. DISCOURAGING
SELF-TALK HOLDS
US BACK
@APRILWENSEL

32. “WHEN OUR BRAINS ARE OPENED BY
POSITIVE EMOTIONS LIKE JOY, WE
CAN BETTER SEE CONNECTIONS AND
MORE OPTIONS TO SOLVE WORK
PROBLEMS.”
Shawn Murphy
The Optimistic Workplace@APRILWENSEL

33. SELF-COMPASSION
@APRILWENSEL

34. “SELF-COMPASSION ENTAILS BEING WARM
AND UNDERSTANDING TOWARD OURSELVES
WHEN WE SUFFER, FAIL, OR FEEL
INADEQUATE, RATHER THAN IGNORING OUR
PAIN OR FLAGELLATING OURSELVES WITH
SELF-CRITICISM.“
Kristin Neff
Self-Compassion
@APRILWENSEL

35. @APRILWENSEL

36. GROWTH MINDSET
@APRILWENSEL

37. MAINTAINING
MOTIVATION IS
ESSENTIAL TO
DEVELOPING NEW
CODING SKILLS
@APRILWENSEL

38. FINDING (AND
KEEPING!) A
JOB @APRILWENSEL

39. CORE
VALUES
@APRILWENSEL

40. "CONNECTING TO A DEEP SET OF VALUES…
FUELS A UNIQUELY HIGH-OCTANE SOURCE
OF ENERGY FOR CHANGE. IT ALSO SERVES
AS A COMPASS FOR NAVIGATING THE
STORMS THAT INEVITABLY ARISE IN OUR
LIVES.”
–Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz
The Power of Full Engagement
@APRILWENSEL

41. @APRILWENSEL

42. RESILIENCE
@APRILWENSEL

43. "ALL VOICES OF CRITICISM,
AT ALL TIMES, ARE HUMAN
AND SUBJECTIVE.”
Candy Paull
The Art of Encouragement@APRILWENSEL

44. 1. TEAM ORIENTED
2. SEEKS HELP
3. HELPS OTHERS
http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~bieman/Pubs/turleyBiemanCSC94.pdf
ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS
“Identifying Essential Competencies of
Software Engineers,” Turley & Bieman, 1994
@APRILWENSEL

45. 1. GIVE EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK IN
CODE REVIEWS
2. NAME VARIABLES
3. DESIGN APIS
4. NEGOTIATE WITH DESIGNERS
5. RALLY SUPPORT FOR A NEW TOOL
6. MOTIVATE YOURSELF
7. INTERVIEW CANDIDATES
8. MENTOR NEW HIRES
@APRILWENSEL

46. “IT IS POSSIBLE TO BE TOO SMART FOR
PROGRAMMING—IF THE PERSON IS NOT
SMART ENOUGH TO USE HIS INTELLIGENCE TO
MODIFY HIS SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND METHODS
OF CONVERSATION.”
Jerry Weinberg
The Psychology of Computer Programming
@APRILWENSEL

47. MANAGING
CONFLICT
@APRILWENSEL

48. @APRILWENSEL

49. @APRILWENSEL

50. “[O]UT-OF-CONTROL
EMOTIONS CAN MAKE SMART
PEOPLE STUPID.”
Daniel Goleman
Working With Emotional Intelligence
@APRILWENSEL

51. @APRILWENSEL

52. @APRILWENSEL

53. 1. SLOW DOWN
2. TEND TO YOUR NEEDS
3. OFFER EMPATHY
4. PROCEED CALMLY
@APRILWENSEL

54. 1. SLOW DOWN
2. TEND TO YOUR NEEDS
3. OFFER EMPATHY
4. PROCEED CALMLY
@APRILWENSEL

55. https://frogenvironmental.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Water-Lynx-sediment-control.jpg

56. WHAT DO YOU REALLY
NEED IN THIS MOMENT?
@APRILWENSEL

57. WHAT MIGHT THE
OTHER PERSON BE
FEELING, VALUING,
AND NEEDING?
@APRILWENSEL

58. MORGAN: Alex, I saw that you set the points on a story by yourself
again. We’re supposed to vote as a team.
ALEX: I never agreed to that. The story was just a quick task. What
does it matter?
MORGAN: We have a process in place, and we’re supposed to stick to
it.
ALEX: You ALWAYS do that—bring up process. We waste SO much
time talking about process. I just want to get things done!
MORGAN: And you’re always being reckless and breaking things! We
have processes in place for a reason. If you can’t stick to them,
maybe you shouldn’t be on this team!
ALEX: Yeah, maybe I shouldn’t!
@APRILWENSEL

59. MORGAN: Alex, when I saw that you set the points on a story without
consulting anyone, I felt concerned because I need to trust that we
share responsibility as a team. Can you explain what happened?
ALEX: The story was just a quick, one-point task. What does it matter?
MORGAN: It seems like you value moving quickly and feel that process
sometimes gets in the way. Is that right?
ALEX: Well, yeah. I don’t want to talk about process. I just want to get
things done!
MORGAN: I also want to get things done. It’s also important to me that I
feel a sense of order. Would you be willing to send a quick note to the
team when you point a story on your own so that we at least know?
ALEX: Yeah, I guess I can do that.
@APRILWENSEL

60. TAKES PRACTICE
@APRILWENSEL

61. @APRILWENSEL

62. WASTE OF
TIME?
@APRILWENSEL

63. 1. SLOW DOWN
2. TEND TO YOUR NEEDS
3. OFFER EMPATHY
4. PROCEED CALMLY
@APRILWENSEL

64. 1. LEARNING
2. FINDING A JOB
3. MANAGING CONFLICT
SCENARIOS
@APRILWENSEL

65. THE ABILITY TO
UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE
EMOTIONS IS ESSENTIAL
FOR EFFECTIVE SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT
@APRILWENSEL

66. CATALYTIC
SKILLS
@APRILWENSEL

67. SOFTWARE MAY BE
BUILT ON MACHINES,
BUT IT’S BUILT BY AND
FOR HUMAN BEINGS
@APRILWENSEL

68. CATALYZE YOUR
CAREER
@APRILWENSEL

69. CREATE A BETTER
TECH INDUSTRY
@APRILWENSEL

70. @APRILWENSEL
http://www.encinitastemple.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/meditation-gardens-ocean-view.jpg

71. http://www.encinitastemple.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/meditation-gardens-ocean-view.jpg
“WHEN PEOPLE SPEAK OF ‘POLITICAL,’
‘SOCIAL,’ OR ‘INTERNATIONAL’ PROBLEMS,
THEY OFTEN DO NOT REALIZE THAT THESE
CONDITIONS ARE NOTHING MORE THAN THE
ACCUMULATED THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS OF
MILLIONS OF INDIVIDUALS. AND THE ONLY WAY
TO CHANGE WORLD CONDITIONS IS TO CHANGE
OURSELVES.”
—MEDITATION GARDENS BOOKLET
@APRILWENSEL

72. FREE RESOURCES & NEWSLETTER
COMPASSIONATECODING.COM
@COMPASSIONCODE
@APRILWENSEL
APRIL@COMPASSIONATECODING.COM
THANK YOU!