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Chapter 2. Unleash Your Enthusiasm
Craftsmen take on only eager apprentices who are willing to learn the craft of software development.
Apprentices are an essential part of software craftsmanship because they bring an enthusiasm and drive for learning that infect everyone else.
Context: You have an insatiable excitement and curiosity toward the craft of software development.
Problem: You find yourself holding yourself back, conscious of how much excitement you have for the craft relative to your colleagues.
Solution: Despite your inexperience, you bring some unique attributes to your team, namely an infectious enthusiasm. Do not allow anyone to dampen your excitement for the craft, it is a precious commodity and will accelerate your learning.
As a software developer, you will inevitably work on a team. In any group setting, there is a tendency to conform to the norm, particularly for newcomers. Most teams are not hyper-passionate or overly enthusiastic about technology. Predictably, they are focused on delivering their next project or improving on the aspects of their development life-cycle that are causing them pain. Therefore, an enthusiastic apprentice can often succumb to the urge to fly under the radar. They either repress their enthusiasm or allow it to manifest itself outside of their day job.
There is certainly risks to Unleashing Your Enthusiasm on an established team. If morale is low or if the team is not welcoming of newcomers, you will likely get some eyes rolling behind your back. You could certainly make a poor impression on people who value competence more than learning ability, particularly when you Chapter 4, Expose Your Ignorance. Like any pattern, Unleash Your Enthusiasm should not be applied blindly. Team dynamics should always be considered. If you find yourself on a team that does not accept your excitement, you will need to find ways to Chapter 12, Nurture Your Passion.
On a team that is open to the excitement and contributions of an apprentice, you will provide some unique qualities that more experienced developers rely upon: unfettered imagination and enthusiasm. This is the time in your career when it makes the most sense to take risks and speak your mind. You have very little to lose. Your ideas and passions will add intelligence and diversity to your team. In James Surowiecki's [wisdom_of_crowds], he repeatedly points to diversity of thought as a key ingredient of collective intelligence.
An intriguing study on the collective mind of aircraft carrier crews showed that newcomers played an important role in the complex, coordinated group activities required to safely operate an enormous boat with fighter jets constantly coming and going. They found that it is actually healthier for a team to consist of people with varying levels of experience.
Comprehension can be increased if more levels of experience are connected, as when newcomers who take nothing for granted interrelate more often with old-timers who think they have seen it all.
Ultimately, Unleashing Your Enthusiasm is one of the relatively few responsibilities of the apprentice. You may not bring deep knowledge or hyper-productivity, but it is your duty to inject some excitement into your team and question everything. You are in the unique (and temporary) position of having a fresh perspective, which should allow you to offer some useful suggestions for improvement.
Craftsmen learn from the apprentices, even as the apprentices learn from them. Enthusiastic beginners not only renew the craftsmen, but also challenge the craftsmen by bringing in new ideas from the outside. A well chosen apprentice can make even a master craftsman more productive.
