I don't have time to skill up and work on projects as a developer

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Hey folks, I'm just driving to the office. We're doing a a two-part question here. Um, this was submitted at codemute.com and that's where you can go to submit questions anonymously. Otherwise, just leave below in the comments. This individual, in the first video, we were just talking through uh level setting expectations, having this feeling of being compared to like another new hire. Um, how to navigate that. So, if you're interested, that's the previous video. Uh this one we're going to be talking about um sort of like time and what's a good way to say this? They said it's not a time management thing per se. Uh but like how to focus on skilling up, improving learning uh when they have like more restricted time at home. So like outside of work. Okay. Uh so there's definitely a bunch of videos on this channel about this kind of thing.

But I'm happy to go like, you know, talk through it again. I always think that it's helpful. Like this channel is going to have repeat topics like crazy and I think that's totally fine. I hope you guys don't mind. I think the reality is the more that we talk about these things the more different perspective even if it's just me blabbing cuz I read your comments after by the way and like that helps me form different perspectives and opinions too. Maybe sometimes I'm talking about something and I see the comments and I'm like, "Oh, like did I maybe I didn't convey that clearly or I'm like, I never thought about it that way. Maybe I'll address it a different way." So, I think we might have some of that going on here. But, um, this person was saying they have some some life changes that have kind of happened and that's kind of taking up some time.

And I hope I'm not misrepresenting that. I don't want to pull out my phone. If I if I finish this video when I get to work and I check the email and it's not quite right, I'll just film another one. Um hopefully it's helpful regardless. Um but if you don't have time, okay, so they're in a newer role and they are interested in doing like, you know, side projects and learning and that kind of stuff, but they're feeling like they don't have um the capacity to kind of do that right now outside of work. First of all, I would say that life happens, right? Um, it's like you could put as much effort into trying to structure like a perfect routine where you go do learning on the side. You're going to dedicate x hours a week to side projects or to lead code practice for interviews or whatever.

Like, you can do all this kind of stuff. And if that works well for you, like then I would highly encourage you to do that to put some structure into your life so that you can adhere to things. But the reality is that we're always going to have that happens in life that's not what we planned for that disrupts things. And that's I I mean we have to have a little bit of grace and a little bit of uh you know empathy towards oursel for that kind of to happen. So, I would say that for this individual, I know they're saying in their email, they said it's not really a time management uh kind of issue. Um, I I need to double check. So, maybe I do owe this person another uh video.

Um, but if it's really about like clarifying that with their their manager, like because they're in a new role, like, hey, I don't have time to go learn about these extra things outside of work, that might just be a clearing up expectations thing with their manager. That's kind of what we talked about at the tail end of the last video, but that might be something to incorporate here, which is like, hey, usually I'm able to do that right right now because I have whatever going on at home. If you're not comfortable with your manager sharing details and stuff like that, don't. Um, I've always said that I try to make people feel as comfortable as possible. Um, I have employees that have shared like pretty personal stuff with me that like stays with me because they just felt that that would help explain, you know, stuff that's going on in their life.

um you know if that means that they can't attend certain meetings or work's taking a little bit longer or whatever it happens to be right I just I just try to make sure people feel as comfortable as possible to share whatever they feel is is relevant if you don't feel that level of comfort with your manager to explain the details of what's going on in your personal life then don't but you could mention to them hey there's some stuff going on at home that's um you know that's kind of uh disrupting what I would normally have for some extra learning capacity and um just wanted to be transparent with you so that you know over this next little bit I can be upfront about that we can be on the same page for like the the pace at which I'm learning and ramping up and

uh and then you know you can maybe say like your expectations from your side you know like I don't think this is something that's going to be lasting x period of time like you Oh, here's, you know, I I don't know how much detail you want to go into, but kind of just letting them know this is something that you do like to do. It's just that right now you're unable to. And they might say like, "Thanks for sharing, but like that's totally fine." They might say, "Thanks for sharing. That's going to make it kind of tricky for the next little bit, but like we'll figure it out." They might be able to offer you some extra resources at work to if it's, you know, like a programming language to skill up on or a tech stack. They might say, "Okay, well, great." You know, maybe maybe spend a little bit more time with Billy on the team, he can help you uh, you know, get some questions answered and stuff like that.

Or he might have some resources that um, you know, you can I don't know, some people like doing this like watching like talks or stuff like as you're working like kind of have it in the background so you can try to pick up on things. Everyone's different, right? but they might be able to recommend some resources for you. Um, but I would that's how I would approach that part is just like hopefully you feel that you can have a open conversation with your manager about that. Um, from my perspective um just you know full transparency I don't have the expectation that my employees are taking extra time outside of work to learn. I try to make sure that work is structured in a way where they don't have to do that. Let's switch lanes here. Sorry.

And um and then it's like, you know, cherry on top if they like learning stuff outside of work and they want to go build things and learn tech stacks and patterns or whatever and then, you know, be able to bring that back and apply it at work. like awesome. That's super cool, but not my expectation. Um, at least in the environment that I'm operating in, it's not I'm trying to think back at a startup still wasn't the same. Um, I think the difference is like this is probably what I would say. I would I don't have that expectation of individuals that they need to be going to learn outside of work to be able to keep up with the pace of work because I would like to make sure that I can structure the work that I'm giving them that's level appropriate. You know, if they're brand new to it, I should know that when they're coming in and being hired, right?

If their res like I'm just going to give you an example. If we program in C and their resume is like I only have uh Python, right? I'm like, okay, they can probably program in C. Like, it's not going to be rocket surgery for them. But in the beginning, they're not going to know the syntax. That's going to take some time. That's fine. So, I would try to structure work for them that's not like, hey, I need you to go refactor the entire codebase because good freaking luck if they don't know the syntax, right? Like, um, so give them work that they're going to be able to chip away at, ramp up, and get comfortable at. But um one sec. But um I I think the reality is if I have set up an environment like that for someone and we are having a conversation at the pace at which they're working and that's still not working, then I will have a conversation with them to be like, "Okay, like what else?

What else do you need from me to help you kind of like ramp up and learn more effectively? We'll try some things out and it will reach a point where I'm like, "Hey, look, like I'm kind of tapping out with my my ability to support here." So, like what what needs to happen, right? Like if there's a truly a skill issue, what needs to happen? Um, and I've had in some cases people are like, "Hey, you know, I'm trying to I I do have time outside of work. I'm trying to like play around and like learn some stuff. Um I've had people in the past that have said that, tried doing it, didn't really pan out. I've had people um you know where that has helped. But I the skill I I don't have like enough data to back this up. In my experience, the sort of air quote skill issue has been more just like people not putting in the initiative.

unfortunately. So, it it ends up looking like a skill issue, like I can't get the work done. But what ends up happening is like they're kind of just hitting a wall where they're like, I'm not I'm actually not doing stuff. And if you're not doing stuff, then you're not actually practicing the thing that you're trying to learn. Like, so it ends up, you know, the symptom looks like skill issue. and there probably is a skill issue, but the the reality is like there isn't actually effort going into skilling up despite uh their you know their intentions to do so. So, um I would I would just say in general like have this conversation with your manager so that you're on the same page as them. Um, but the other thing that I just wanted to kind of round out in this conversation is like um there's I think most people, maybe not most people, probably a lot of people who watch YouTube videos have probably seen Alex Hermoszi.

Um, some people hate him, whatever. That's totally fine. Um, I there's some things that he says that I really appreciate. And I think him and his wife have talked about this like I've said it on this channel before, this idea of like your life being in seasons. Sometimes there's a busy season and I would say back to what I said near the beginning of this video, life happens, right? So instead of looking at things like I had, you know, I tried to perfect this schedule and like I got to get my learning time in and here's what I'm going to be doing for side projects and then all of a sudden it doesn't work and you're like, well now everything's ruined. Just acknowledge like there's there's always going to be curve balls in life, right? There's always going to be curve balls. I was just telling my wife this when we were um we were just at a concert in Las Vegas over the weekend, which is super cool, by the way.

Went to go see a festivals called When We Were Young. So, it was like, you know, emo and rock bands from when we were kids. That was pretty fun. And um I was saying to her like I I don't think I actually said this out loud, but um I'm like not feeling comfortable with my body anymore, even though I've been doing CrossFit for just over a year now. Uh coming from like a bodybuilding world, like I I actually don't feel comfortable taking my shirt off. And I don't think I said that to her, but that's kind of what I was thinking. Like I don't feel good about about my body. And um so like something's got to change, right? And one of the things that's had an impact on that is my on call rotation. My on call rotation, uh, for some of the on call rotations, I have to do a 6:00 a.m.

till noon on call rotation, and that's for 2 weeks, but CrossFit is at 6:00 a.m. So that means 2 weeks where I can't go to CrossFit classes. And then, well, my backup plan is I still have a public gym membership. Is that an Acura NSX behind me? Very nice. Um, but the problem is that on those days I end up working like it's not 6:00 till noon that I'm working. It's like 6 to 6 because I have meetings in the evening. So, by the time I finish the 12-h hour day, I don't want to do anything. That's also why like I didn't have YouTube videos going out on my main channel over the past couple weeks because I can't be bothered to do anything when I've worked for 12 hours. So I said like something's got to change. So I need to figure out like for myself um when when I can make sure that I'm like walking on a treadmill, I can still go to the the public gym.

Like I have to be more conscious about planning this stuff. But something has to change, right? This isn't a the rest of my life isn't like negatively impacted because of this. It's not something that I need to panic about, but it's something where I'm like, "Hey, look, like I don't like how this is going and what are the things that are in my control?" And I would say the same thing to this individual, right? Like, hey, something came up in your life and I'm sorry if there's uh, you know, some some heavy stuff going on. I'm not trying to minimize that, of course, but what parts are in your control? If you don't have time outside of work to go learning and that kind of stuff right now, so be it. That's a that's a temporary thing. Or maybe maybe there's other things you can look at in your priorities and you're like, I don't need to go to play frisbee on a team every week or play soccer.

Maybe I do want to go practice programming and stuff and stuff. Like, you can go revisit those priorities. cuz I have no idea what this person does. Um, but you know, I think the point is like kind of be kind to yourself and if you have a a busy season, then you have a busy season. So, um, hope that helps. I'm going to check after to see if I missed uh some of the other details they were asking for. This person might get three videos out of their question, but hope that helps. A little bit of framing and, uh, if you have questions, leave them below in the comments. Otherwise, code.com. You can submit anonymously. And then check out Dev Leader on YouTube. I got a bunch of YouTube channels and hopefully something that I make helps you. Take care.