Developers are notoriously unhealthy people. They don't exercise enough, don't sleep enough and eat the wrong food. An unhealthy developer is not going to be able to concentrate or put in the hard-yards when required, nor are they going to be very happy. In the office I try to look after them as best I can by:
- Not having chocolate biscuits and instead keeping a bowl of fruit
- Not having coke machines and instead having a purified cold water bottle in the middle of the office
- Encouraging them to do as much exercise as possible. E.g. doing push-ups every day
- And instead of dinners for birthdays where you eat and drink all night, every few months we always do something fun for someone's birthday, like indoor climbing, ten-pin bowling or even a bush walk in the Blue Mountains
I don't encourage developers to stay up all night investigating new stuff, and I take them away for a two weeks every year to work by the beach and get some fresh air into their system, as well some early morning swims. I find that encouraging a healthy life-style really helps my team be more productive and have more fun. I also suggest regular weigh-ins, with incentives to look after yourself. - Adam Cogan
