How do I explain to my team members I can't debug their code all the time?












2















Background: I was hired along with 6 other people to help clean up internal webpages. A couple of months later, the manger and the people above him decided that when we're done with the internal cleanup, they will pay and train us to learn Python. In one meeting, the manager tried to introduce us to Python to give us an idea of what it's like. I have a background of working with Python (I'm self-taught, and build and maintain Python projects on my Github). Rather than announce that I already know Python, I stayed humble and kept my month shut, because I might learn something I didn't know.



During the managers tutorial, he ran into some trouble with the IDE and code he was demonstrating. He told everyone to come back in a few minutes, while he worked on fixing the code. I offered to help him and in less than 5 minutes he was up and running. When the meeting resumed, he gave me a thanks in front of everyone, and moved forward.



During the training, we're given exercises to complete with a review process afterward.



Problem:



I don't know if it was the "thanks" I received or if the manager told the team without letting me know, but they keep coming to me to help them debug their code. At first I didn't mind, I showed them what was wrong, how to fix it, and how to use the IDE to help them debug. The problem is, they don't care to do it themselves.
The issues aren't all that difficult to understand (wrong variable names, calling functions that don't exist, or with the wrong number of arguments).



I'm getting work from the manager, plus the training we have to go through (I asked, and the manager stated I have to go through the training, regardless of what I know), it's too much.



How do I politely explain that I'm not the team's debugger/problem fixer? There is a review process afterward, and to learn from that?










share|improve this question

























  • Do you have aspirations to become a lead on the dev team?

    – UnhandledExcepSean
    5 mins ago
















2















Background: I was hired along with 6 other people to help clean up internal webpages. A couple of months later, the manger and the people above him decided that when we're done with the internal cleanup, they will pay and train us to learn Python. In one meeting, the manager tried to introduce us to Python to give us an idea of what it's like. I have a background of working with Python (I'm self-taught, and build and maintain Python projects on my Github). Rather than announce that I already know Python, I stayed humble and kept my month shut, because I might learn something I didn't know.



During the managers tutorial, he ran into some trouble with the IDE and code he was demonstrating. He told everyone to come back in a few minutes, while he worked on fixing the code. I offered to help him and in less than 5 minutes he was up and running. When the meeting resumed, he gave me a thanks in front of everyone, and moved forward.



During the training, we're given exercises to complete with a review process afterward.



Problem:



I don't know if it was the "thanks" I received or if the manager told the team without letting me know, but they keep coming to me to help them debug their code. At first I didn't mind, I showed them what was wrong, how to fix it, and how to use the IDE to help them debug. The problem is, they don't care to do it themselves.
The issues aren't all that difficult to understand (wrong variable names, calling functions that don't exist, or with the wrong number of arguments).



I'm getting work from the manager, plus the training we have to go through (I asked, and the manager stated I have to go through the training, regardless of what I know), it's too much.



How do I politely explain that I'm not the team's debugger/problem fixer? There is a review process afterward, and to learn from that?










share|improve this question

























  • Do you have aspirations to become a lead on the dev team?

    – UnhandledExcepSean
    5 mins ago














2












2








2








Background: I was hired along with 6 other people to help clean up internal webpages. A couple of months later, the manger and the people above him decided that when we're done with the internal cleanup, they will pay and train us to learn Python. In one meeting, the manager tried to introduce us to Python to give us an idea of what it's like. I have a background of working with Python (I'm self-taught, and build and maintain Python projects on my Github). Rather than announce that I already know Python, I stayed humble and kept my month shut, because I might learn something I didn't know.



During the managers tutorial, he ran into some trouble with the IDE and code he was demonstrating. He told everyone to come back in a few minutes, while he worked on fixing the code. I offered to help him and in less than 5 minutes he was up and running. When the meeting resumed, he gave me a thanks in front of everyone, and moved forward.



During the training, we're given exercises to complete with a review process afterward.



Problem:



I don't know if it was the "thanks" I received or if the manager told the team without letting me know, but they keep coming to me to help them debug their code. At first I didn't mind, I showed them what was wrong, how to fix it, and how to use the IDE to help them debug. The problem is, they don't care to do it themselves.
The issues aren't all that difficult to understand (wrong variable names, calling functions that don't exist, or with the wrong number of arguments).



I'm getting work from the manager, plus the training we have to go through (I asked, and the manager stated I have to go through the training, regardless of what I know), it's too much.



How do I politely explain that I'm not the team's debugger/problem fixer? There is a review process afterward, and to learn from that?










share|improve this question
















Background: I was hired along with 6 other people to help clean up internal webpages. A couple of months later, the manger and the people above him decided that when we're done with the internal cleanup, they will pay and train us to learn Python. In one meeting, the manager tried to introduce us to Python to give us an idea of what it's like. I have a background of working with Python (I'm self-taught, and build and maintain Python projects on my Github). Rather than announce that I already know Python, I stayed humble and kept my month shut, because I might learn something I didn't know.



During the managers tutorial, he ran into some trouble with the IDE and code he was demonstrating. He told everyone to come back in a few minutes, while he worked on fixing the code. I offered to help him and in less than 5 minutes he was up and running. When the meeting resumed, he gave me a thanks in front of everyone, and moved forward.



During the training, we're given exercises to complete with a review process afterward.



Problem:



I don't know if it was the "thanks" I received or if the manager told the team without letting me know, but they keep coming to me to help them debug their code. At first I didn't mind, I showed them what was wrong, how to fix it, and how to use the IDE to help them debug. The problem is, they don't care to do it themselves.
The issues aren't all that difficult to understand (wrong variable names, calling functions that don't exist, or with the wrong number of arguments).



I'm getting work from the manager, plus the training we have to go through (I asked, and the manager stated I have to go through the training, regardless of what I know), it's too much.



How do I politely explain that I'm not the team's debugger/problem fixer? There is a review process afterward, and to learn from that?







team teamwork






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edited 7 mins ago









Ernest Friedman-Hill

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asked 53 mins ago









EmilyScottEmilyScott

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  • Do you have aspirations to become a lead on the dev team?

    – UnhandledExcepSean
    5 mins ago



















  • Do you have aspirations to become a lead on the dev team?

    – UnhandledExcepSean
    5 mins ago

















Do you have aspirations to become a lead on the dev team?

– UnhandledExcepSean
5 mins ago





Do you have aspirations to become a lead on the dev team?

– UnhandledExcepSean
5 mins ago










1 Answer
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Make sure in every instance it takes them longer to ask you than to do it themselves. Don't just fix their code, inflict a long-winded lecture on them in the process, demonstrate how to use the tools, inflict long philosophical discussions on development etc. Painstakingly find and show them the relevant documentation for every statement they get wrong, and then read it aloud to them, in a droning monotone. Aim to waste at least half an hour of their time per (simple) question.



Not answering would just get you labeled as a nasty, unhelpful person. But making it painful will have the opposite effect, while ensuring that they start thinking twice about whether it's worth the pain.





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    Make sure in every instance it takes them longer to ask you than to do it themselves. Don't just fix their code, inflict a long-winded lecture on them in the process, demonstrate how to use the tools, inflict long philosophical discussions on development etc. Painstakingly find and show them the relevant documentation for every statement they get wrong, and then read it aloud to them, in a droning monotone. Aim to waste at least half an hour of their time per (simple) question.



    Not answering would just get you labeled as a nasty, unhelpful person. But making it painful will have the opposite effect, while ensuring that they start thinking twice about whether it's worth the pain.





    share




























      0














      Make sure in every instance it takes them longer to ask you than to do it themselves. Don't just fix their code, inflict a long-winded lecture on them in the process, demonstrate how to use the tools, inflict long philosophical discussions on development etc. Painstakingly find and show them the relevant documentation for every statement they get wrong, and then read it aloud to them, in a droning monotone. Aim to waste at least half an hour of their time per (simple) question.



      Not answering would just get you labeled as a nasty, unhelpful person. But making it painful will have the opposite effect, while ensuring that they start thinking twice about whether it's worth the pain.





      share


























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        Make sure in every instance it takes them longer to ask you than to do it themselves. Don't just fix their code, inflict a long-winded lecture on them in the process, demonstrate how to use the tools, inflict long philosophical discussions on development etc. Painstakingly find and show them the relevant documentation for every statement they get wrong, and then read it aloud to them, in a droning monotone. Aim to waste at least half an hour of their time per (simple) question.



        Not answering would just get you labeled as a nasty, unhelpful person. But making it painful will have the opposite effect, while ensuring that they start thinking twice about whether it's worth the pain.





        share













        Make sure in every instance it takes them longer to ask you than to do it themselves. Don't just fix their code, inflict a long-winded lecture on them in the process, demonstrate how to use the tools, inflict long philosophical discussions on development etc. Painstakingly find and show them the relevant documentation for every statement they get wrong, and then read it aloud to them, in a droning monotone. Aim to waste at least half an hour of their time per (simple) question.



        Not answering would just get you labeled as a nasty, unhelpful person. But making it painful will have the opposite effect, while ensuring that they start thinking twice about whether it's worth the pain.






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        answered 9 mins ago









        George MGeorge M

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