Category
team
-
06.12.09About resourcesI recently twitted about my problem with using the word “resource” when referring to people. I have no problem when we use it for other things like printers, projectors, rooms, etc… but it makes me gag in the context of people. Let’s use it in a sentence shall we? “We need more resources to finish this project on time”. There is so much evil on this bit that I am just going to highlight that “resources” here, are not new servers, monitors or keyboards for pairing. “We have allocated our resources to be 50% dedicated to this effort” Wow! Bad, bad, bad. “This printer ...
-
05.15.09Build a team on a 360-degree feedbackMany companies use a 360-degree process to improve the training, development and performance of their employees. Feedback is provided by subordinates, peers, and supervisors to the employee. In my experience, the session is broken down in 2 parts. During the first half, the group breaks apart to gather data about the person receiving the feedback. Then the group comes together to share their feedback in the second half. During the first half, the person receiving the feedback is self-evaluating themselves. They write down areas to improve on and things that they feel they are doing well and would like to continue doing. ...
-
03.31.09Broken windowsAnd I am not talking about the OS. (What a bad joke, I will understand if you decide to stop reading right here) I was introduced to the concept of broken windows a few years ago while reading the pragmatic programmer. Here is the link to the explanation. Some of my highlights from the article: "One broken window, left unrepaired for any substantial length of time, instills in the inhabitants of the building a sense of abandonment—a sense that the powers that be don’t care about the building. So another window gets broken. People start littering. Graffiti appears. Serious structural damage begins." "Don’t leave broken ...
-
03.28.09New team, new canvasIt’s Monday morning and your manager notifies you that you are going to be part of a new team. With mixed feelings, you start thinking about the next assignment. Who’s in the new team? What’s the domain like? What’s the code like? Like a painter finds himself in front a blank canvas, possibilities are endless. But where do you start? The painter is constrained by the canvas and knows how to work within the environment: colors, brushes, style. But you don’t know yours: people, stakeholders, code and physical environment. So you are anxious to start. You want this team to be the ...
-
03.22.09The Posters and Booklet to better OOI haven't done a drawing in months! I guess that's because I am not very talented when it comes to drawing...(not a surprise). Today I found a couple of documents related to those drawings. The idea seemed very good at the time: print some posters with the rules and distribute them through the company. Blast them everywhere: cafeteria, coffee break rooms, bathrooms. Make them visible for people to see, discuss and even get angry at. Here's a preview: So let's download the poster and share it You can also download the booklet. This is the "take-it-with-you" format. If you have a printer that can ...
-
02.25.09It’s all fun and gamesMy team likes to play little silly games. Ok, I admit, I like to play little silly games at work. Why? I like to work in a fun and engaging atmosphere. It enhances collaboration and communication. It builds trust. One cool way to do build a team culture is to make up some games. No single game is going to fit every team. First, you have to observe how your team works: what do they find funny? Annoying? Frustrating? Games are a good way to get those things out in the open instead of waiting for the retrospective that is scheduled ...
-
02.21.09About teamsWhen a group of people is selected to work together on a project, they probably don't know each other. Management puts them in the starting line and off they go toward a goal. With time, they eventually become a team. It can take time, maybe from 6 month to a year. It depends on different factors: collocation, sitting space, pair programming, pair testing, etc…These are factors that can accelerate “the gelling” of a team. Finally, they create a culture. Something that uniquely identifies them. Teams with culture stand out from the crowd. Other people know about them. For some reason or ...