We\'ve all had them, managers who have either come from sales or last looked at

Question

We've all had them, managers who have either come from sales or last looked at code 10 or more years ago but think they know how to write code.

What can I do to give the impression that I'm grateful for his intervention, but keep it as short as possible so I can get on with my work?

Or, should I be engaging more with the manager to educate him/her with modern coding techniques and practices? After all, a manager who understands these will be able to talk sensibly to clients and more senior management when discussing the project and its timescales.

Explanation / Answer

I say, go ahead and try to engage and educate.

If they're honestly trying to help you, the chance to learn something could be valuable to them. If they're just shoving their nose in for ego or political reasons ("See, I'm helping, I'm helping!"), they'll likely get the notion you'll embarrass them if they keep this nonsense up -- or bore them to death with a wall of jargon they're only pretending to understand.

And if you've got the dreaded egomaniac who truly thinks they're an expert at your job no matter what evidence you can bring to the contrary, then smile, nod, and make whatever trivial cosmetic changes will make them go the hell away. And update your resume.

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