Pairing and Sharing, It Can Be Fun!

I don't want to age myself with this video, but anyone else remember this bizarre, whale-shaped goldfish that would sing the Juicy Fruit gum jingle, "Caring and sharing, it can be fun!" It was definitely a head scratcher, but it is now starched in my memory - and thank goodness! - as it seems fitting for today's post regarding PAIRING and SHARING feedback.

Pairing

I'll be honest, pairing is a hassle. Why go through the added effort of promulgating a search for a partner coder, coordinating a time in the midst of everyone’s bustling lives, creating additional need to verbalize all those convoluted thoughts floating around in your head - *deep breathet* whew.

That's the impression I got when Dev Bootcamp mandated pairing sessions. Alongside the seemingly arduous "extra work" mentioned above, a hundred concerns ran through my head: What if it's awkward? What if they are way dumber than I am? What if they are way SMARTER than I am? What if they think I'm dumb? What if they're mean? What if they are really computer-hacking dinosaurs in disguise that are targeting my demise for posting funny memes of them all the time?!

Sure, sure, I exaggerated a bit for dramatic affect, but most of those concerns were truly there! But I wasn't going to let a couple, potentially awkward Google Hangout sessions thwart me from fulfilling my nerd subconscious from graduating Dev BootCamp. And what do you know, it turns out the people at DBC really know what they are doing!

With a little guidance - starting off the pairing asking about each others' day and state, setting expectations of the pairing, and level-setting roles and background knowledge - pairing is just another perfect example of the timeless saying, "Two Heads are Better Than One."" Sure, there are times where it's frustrating to compromise on your approach or repeatedly explain what you’re thinking, but 99.99% of the time, I will take those relatively minute struggles over banging my head against the wall in confusion and frustration alone. From experience, even if a task takes a bit longer during a pairing, there's ALWAYS something new I learn from my partner that will save me much time in the future. (Ah, balance!)

Sharing (Feedback)

Now, let's rewind a bit and address all those concerns I had about people thinking I was innocuous, smelly, or just plain terrible to work with. One of the aspects I most respect about DBC is its targeted focus on feedback and it's aspiration to teach students to be well-rounded, respectable PEOPLE, not just brilliant coding monkeys. We all have perceptions of ourselves, and I not only find it widely interesting, but also incredibly helpful to see how my self-perception aligns with others'. And what better way than sharing feedback?

First let's talk about giving, because you must give to receive (remember that balance I was talking about?). With my past experience in a corporate leadership program, I am very comfortable and willing to provide feedback, though giving valuable feedback is a skill that can constantly be honed as well. Providing feedback not only helps others' improve upon themselves, but also helps me be perspicacious about my attitude, actions, and behaviors. For example, if I REALLY appreciated how my pair constantly asked for my opinion throughout the session, I would note that behavior and try to implement it as well! Surprisingly enough, as much of critics as we usually are, sometimes the hardest part is identifying meaningful and actionable opportunities for improvement; either I’m too engulfed in the task at hand to remember, or I have to really rake my brain to offer a valuable suggestion.

Regardless of my irrational fear of being a hated partner, most of the comments were very positive - *insert huge glean here*. People seemed to like my attitude, amicableness, and clear communication skills, which is always a confidence booster to hear. But there is always room for improvement, and since I am far, far, far (did I say far?) from perfect, I will take this wide array of constructive suggestions moving forward:

Lastly, another huge piece of insight is what is NOT said at all! It seems like I have the communication part down, but as I want to garner more technical skills, I see the absence of commentary regarding me being super resourceful technically as a gap I can work on as well; and hopefully, DBC can give me a little push with this matter :).