How do you keep motivation up during long haul programming projects?

Question

We've been going at it for several months and we stopped implementing new features so we can enter the alpha program. Now, it is all about bug fixing until we reach a reasonable level at which point we will let a few customers test the application and of course, finally release to all our customers.

How do you keep the motivation high during those long haul phases?

As a developer, there are some times where the job felt repetitive and honestly boring. As a development manager, I don't want my developers to get bored because we are closer to the goal.

How do you keep the fun going in the phases where it is all about debugging and not about implementing new features?

EDIT: We have been using Scrum until we entered the Alpha program. At which time we are working on the defects with the highest score (function of severity, priority, and effort).

Answer 1

two answers -

1. for the next project, use XP/Agile so that the fun continues the whole time

2. for this project, try a burndown chart (c.f. SCRUM) with specific goals and rewards at reasonable/obtainable milestones, e.g. Free Beer Day when the number of bugs drops by half, etc.

Answer 2

Have team celebrations when you reach milestones. Beer is a must have at such functions.

No one likes long periods of debugging but it's all part of the job. Besides, the more you hate it the more motivation you should have to write better code.

Answer 3

Almost a duplicate here

Answer 4

Come to office before they arrive and leave office after they all leave. Make sure you are in touch with them throughout the working day and not just in status meetings. Once in a while have a chat other topics than any project related.

Reward a programmer by notifying all the team members that he has fixed a critical and challenging bug.

Go for a team lunch. Spend for the lunch.

Answer 5

Working several hours per day/week demands onsite food. :)

Bring food to the office, and let the developers feel you appreciate what they're doing. There is nothing more frustrating that being all alone at 1 a.m. debugging code and have the next day some saying you're late.

As a manager, my work is to make the developers work. And none works well with empty stomach.

Vary the food!!

Answer 6

Listen.

You should keep your ears open for even the slightest complaints and try to get rid of the causes. It does not need to be done in a pompous manner (i.e. brag about buying newer, faster machines or installing an improved version of some essential software), but if there are problems that come up during meetings, lunch breaks, whatever, then they are present and need to be fixed until they cumulate into a big road block.

Answer 7

If you are using Scrum, you most likely would be giving or showing the software builds to customer or management quite frequently. Their feedback would be adequate to break the boredom. Manage their feedback.

Even if you are just fixing defects, there will always be certain levels of stability and some other milestones (non-functional) that you are trying to maintain/achieve.

I would never consider defect-fixing as a boring activity if the goals and objectives of the project are in front of everyone in the team. It is a professional software development team, and not sophomore students working on a course project.

Answer 8

Company funded parties or outings - nothing that requires them to put a penny down (except for maybe gas). Make it optional, but make it fun too.

Drinking, always allow for drinking.