Not sure my readership numbers warrant any expectations that I'll get enough answers to this question but, hey, what have I got to lose. I'm hoping the theory of seven degrees of separation means that through my modest audience I have access to ever human on the planet.
I'm on the hunt for other Development Managers who are active bloggers interested in sharing ideas and experiences in their role.
While developers make up the vast majority of IT blogs these days I don't hear much from people blogging about the challenges and rewards of being a Development Manager. Not sure why this is the case - perhaps most DM's who do blog don't advertise themselves as such and would rather write about software development instead.
Since there's always a bit of confusion around what particular roles mean I'll give you my definition of a Development Manager.
As Development Manager you are ultimately responsible for the quality of output delivered by the Development Team. This is achieved through establishing and maintaining coding standards and best practice, recruiting the right people, managing performance and career aspirations and providing leadership to ensure a vision of success is shared amongst the team.
As leader of the Development Team you will also be responsible for participating in and improving the communication with other teams in the organisation.
Your role distinguishes yourself from a Development Team Leader who provides leadership for an individual project(s) - you are responsible for all projects your team is involved in and will often delegate specific responsibilities to others in your team.
I have come across a few blogs through a quick google session but I can't believe there aren't more out there.
- Ed Gibbs is one of the few bloggers who identifies themselves as a DM - http://edgibbs.com/
- Mike J. Berry from Red Rock Research writes about DM stuff although I'm not sure if he is currently one - http://redrockresearch.org/
- Jurgen Appelo - although Jurgen describes himself as a CIO his role bares many similarities to what I have described as a Development Manager - http://www.noop.nl/
So if you are a Development Manager or know anyone else who is then let me know. It would be great to hear from you all - wherever you are!