# Professional Development Prework

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### Pick out 3 behaviors that resonate with you in the list and describe why they resonate with you in a reflection (4-6 sentences)

*6. Understand that “code is cheap.”*
This behavior resonates with me because I have often found that when learning something new, or by going through the steps of the familiar, one often finds better and more intuitive ways of doing things. It is important to learn and evolve as you understand processes and structures, thus developing better iterations. When you have "leveled up" in this way, often that which you have been working on can now be replaced by something even better and more efficient. Therefore, scrapping your previous work and refashioning it more coherently creates a more comprehensible and often faster result. This mindset also allows for mental plasticity and mettle understanding that in order to move forward you often have to let go of the past. "By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond the winning." ~ Lao Tzu

*8. Say “I Don’t Know.”*
The socratic paradox, "I know that I know nothing" epitomizes this unstoppable programmer behavior. Knowledge is virtue, and this virtue cannot be attained without admitting that you lack knowledge. Refusing to acknowledge you do not understand something only holds you back from learning. In my experience, the faster I admitted that I did not understand something, or that I needed help, the faster I gained said knowledge and improved my aptitude relative to those who refused to admit they were stuck.

*29. Move Fast and Break Things*
One of my favorite aphorisms is stated in this article's paragragraph, "Perfect is the enemy of good". Striving for perfection is not efficient and often ruins the outcome. In society, we have been mislead that perfection is what we need to strive for, and winning is best. However, losing and mistakes are where we learn the most and what we should embrace. Failure allows us to avoid mistakes in the future, and learn better processes. Hard work and learning from error, as well as being satisfied with an excellent outcome, rather than dawdling over extraneous issues, is the key to a productive environment and conclusion.

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### After reading, consider the idea of checklists. Write a reflection (4-6 sentences) on the benefits of a checklist and how an organizational system such as a checklist might help you first as a student and later as a full-time developer.

The idea of a checklist is not foreign to me. Infact, I have been an obsessive and compulsive user of checklists for most of my life. I carry around sharpies just to write on my hand, and have lists and sticky notes everywhere. Unfortunately, I do not have a photographic memory. Checklists are a memory aid, and the only way in which I can insure I forget nothing. In a way, checklist make me smarter than I really am, allowing me to remember things more clearly and accurately than I would otherwise. I completely agree with Gawande, that checklists allow me to remember critical steps and information, however, I had not realized how important they can be regarding teamwork. Thus, another asset I can add to my addiction to checklists.

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### What is your impression of strengths-based development? What questions do you have about this kind of development?
The strength-based development assessment is a breath of fresh air! Many companies expect the whole package up front, disregarding the concept of developing and growing with employees; which seems counter intuitive to me. Rather than fostering an environment for growth, most companies want a mindless drone that simply does what they are told and passes audits. This causes attrition, often leading to the employee seeking work elsewhere. Strength based development fosters the growth of the employee, and uses both talent and weakness as an advantage to develop complementary teams and improve lasting relationships. Why isn't the concept of strength based development more common in other businesses and practices!?

### What do you feel are your top strengths? How do you know?
Once I am focused on something, I tend to pursue it vigorously. I take pride in my work and own my mistakes and circumstances. I believe in radical self reliance and depending on one's inner resources. I know that these are my strengths because, through self reflection and feedback, I realize they can also be my weaknesses. I can focus on something so intensely I become introverted, developing tunnel vision and losing my field of view of the relationships and factors around me. My focus on hard work and self reliance can lead me to a lack of empathy for those who make excuses or lack independence. I hope to balance my strengths with my flaws in the future, and maybe strength based development and teamwork will be the key.

### How do you hope to develop your strengths for your new career in software development?
I hope to benefit from Turing's strength based assessment, emphasis on teamwork, and propensity towards empathy to further develop my strengths and diminish my weaknesses. Using my self discipline and focus to learn new skills and develop relationships that will make me an effective software developer and team member.