Transparency is better than simple honesty, but the combination of the two is even better.
Rather than only revealing selected details, elaborate and clarify. This will help to deter future problems and ill feelings caused by feelings of deception or betrayal. One can too easily interpret the absence of an important detail (which may not be important to another) as the intentional misrepresentation of facts.
Money should never be the first priority
When greed is the primary factor in any decision, judgment is often clouded and seldom produces a positive outcome. In terms of software, money should never take priority over the adherence to standards of quality, much less the specifications set forth by the customer. In terms of employment, the work environment, in all aspects, often has much more impact on one’s happiness than financial security.
It is always better to ask too many questions than to remain in doubt
If something is uncertain, then it is impossible for any permanent solution to be implemented. If anything is unclear, be it plan, motive or specification, the first and only reasonable action that can be taken is to resolve the doubt. Failure to resolve a doubt as soon as possible will only result in wasted time and efforts that could have been properly spent pursuing the correct goal if one had only bothered to ask more questions.
Time is not to be used as an excuse
When working on a project, time is too often used as a scapegoat in situations where the developer either failed to accurately evaluate his or her workload or was unable to properly manage their own schedule. By using time as an excuse, one automatically assumes that he or she is the only one who is affected by its influences, which is obviously as incorrect as it is conceited.
It is better to be wrong some of the time than to be right all of the time
No one is right all of the time – it’s just a fact of nature. The sooner this is accepted, the sooner one is able to achieve a better perception of their environment and their own fallacies. Coworkers will go out of their way to avoid someone who unable to accept input because they believe their own opinion to be superior to those of others.
A belief is the result of past experiences, not the end result of an extended proof
The fact that someone does not share one’s beliefs only means that they have had different and unique experiences over the course of their life. It does not mean that they oppose you personally, even if their beliefs seem to directly contradict one’s own. Taking such an antagonistic approach to other viewpoints can only result in missed friendships.
