Agile:MK 'May' - Rien Sach: The surprising truth about Motivation

Presenter: Rien Sach, PhD. Product Development Manager

Software is created by people. Sounds obvious doesn't it? Yet often our efforts towards improving software development are devoted to improving tools, using better technology, or enhancing process. Perhaps instead we could consider focusing on the people that develop software. Unfortunately even when we do get around to focusing on our people we can often do more damage than good by using an out-dated 20th-century stick and carrot approach to motivation.

In this session I'll share with you what I know from my PhD research investigating motivation in software engineering. I'll combine findings from behavioural science, biology, and psychology and identify where research in all three of these fields is complimentary.

I'm a product development manager with a background in research where I investigated motivation in software engineering with high-performing software development teams. My research has been published at several prestigious conferences and I have completed a PhD with my thesis entitled "The Impact of Feedback on the Motivation of Software Engineers".

I now spend most of my time trying to create an environment where developers feel motivated and can deliver truly exceptional results, and actually enjoy coming to work. Sometimes, I succeed.