Why Slow Processes Impact Developer Productivity and Performance

Explores how inefficient processes, not individual shortcomings, hinder developer productivity and performance, highlighting the need for systemic improvements.

Published on 14 March 2025

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/CkgnD5GYbI8

I once heard a leader say, “This developer is too slow.” No, the process was slow.

If someone on your team is struggling, it’s not a personal failing—it’s a system failure. Maybe they weren’t given the right training. Maybe work sits in review for weeks. Maybe the handoffs between teams are a mess.

Nigel Thurlow puts it perfectly:
“You never measure a person, ever. You only ever measure a process. You improve the system, never the people within it.”

People don’t fail in a vacuum. The system sets them up for success or failure. If you’re spending time trying to fix the person, you’re missing the real problem.

Want better performance? Fix the process.

Have you ever seen someone get blamed for a system failure?

Also published on: LinkedIn

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