Characteristics of High Functioning Software Development Teams Dont

Characteristics of High Functioning Software Development Teams Don’t you want to be on one of these? How to help it along. Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Introduction • It is a joy to work on a high functioning team – You feel like you are making a difference – You feel valued – You like coming to work • The opposite is a dysfunctional or ineffective team – Makes you want to polish the resumé • What makes the difference Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Basics • Strangely, it is not about technical competence – Technical competence can be grown – The presumption is that Human Resources has supplied enough competence to get by • It is mostly about psychology – What we call soft skills Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Areas • • • We want to consider the following areas Psychological Safety Good Hygiene Building Experience Communication Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Psychological Safety • The ability be open without fear of retribution • The ability to show and employ one's self without fear of negative consequences of self-image, status or career • Psychological safety is about removing fear from human interaction and replacing it with respect and permission Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Four Stages in Teams • Inclusion Safety – To connect and belong to a group • Learner Safety – To ask question and receive answers and feedback • Contributor Safety – To produce and make a difference • Challenger Safety – To be able to question whether things could be better – challenging the status quo Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Benefits • Improves likelihood that an attempted process innovation will be successful • Increases amount members learn from mistakes • Boosts employee engagement • Improves team innovation Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Google Study • There’s no team without trust – Paul Santagata, Head of Industry at Google – Part of a study at Google of their teams • The common factor for their highest performing teams was psychological safety Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Tips • Collaborators defuse conflict, adversaries enflame it • Speak with positively and with respect • Think about how audience will respond to the message • People respond much better to curiosity rather than blame • Show vulnerability by asking for feedback • Measure group safety by asking how people feel Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Measurement • Observe the psychological safety by asking members to agree or disagree with these: – Making a mistake on this team is held against you – Members of this team are able to bring up problems and tough issues – People may reject others for being different – It is safe to take a risk on this team – It is difficult to ask members of this team for help – No one on this team would deliberately act in a way that undermines my efforts – Working with members of this team, my unique skills and talents are valued and utilized Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Desirable Team Behaviors • Team retrospectives that take up the topic of what is not going well – Putting up a good front to management or the team is dishonest – discourages honesty • There is a time limit on being stuck – This time should be neither too long or too short – Being able to ask for help should be expected and not result in negative perception Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

More Behaviors • Do not connect value and output – There should be no resentment that your own code was modified or removed – Software development is a process of continual modification – this should not bruise the ego • A deliberate effort to avoid confrontation – People are not the problem Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Team Development • Teams do not usually start off as high performing – They must grow into it • Consider all-star teams of sports • Teams usually go through about four stages – Forming – Storming – Norming – Performing Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Stages 1 and 2 • In the forming stage people are getting acquainted – There is a more formal politeness – There is also anxiety concerning the unknowns of the others • In the storming stage there is friction resentments and personality conflicts emerge – If the team cannot get past this stage it is doomed to mediocrity – People will leave if they can Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Stages 3 and 4 • In the norming stage these conflicts are generally resolved – People get to know the strengths and weaknesses of each other – They also gain respect and appreciation for each other • The performing stage is the sweet spot – The group knows how to work together and be productive Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Management • Management can facilitate team development • Identify the stage • Figure out what can be done to move to the next stage • Coach or move people who are slowing down the process Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Good Hygiene • Not what you are thinking – Although a smelly developer never helped anything • Good hygiene for people includes those habits that keep us healthy: – Exercise – Brushing your teeth – Regular doctor and dentist appointments – Wear a mask in a pandemic Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Hygiene Pros and Cons • Does the application of hygienic habits guarantee good health – Of course not • Does the neglect of hygienic habits guarantee bad health – Of course not • However, the probabilities don’t lie • The hygienic ones tend to suffer less problems than the non-hygienic ones Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

What is Good Software Development Hygiene? • Those habits that contribute to good software development • These are habits – We do them without asking why or even thinking about it • High performing teams build and enforce these kinds of habits – Kindly, to promote psychological safety – Firmly as well, since they are important Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

What Habits? • • Unit and many other forms of testing Code reviews Meaningful variable names Meaningful comments Meaningful commit messages Logging important information Paying off technical debt Of course, there are more Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Habit Development • Our personal health hygiene habits did not just start immediately • Usually our parents made us do these – It became a part of socialization • Gradually, it became second nature – We felt bad when we did not • In the same way the software development habits are often started by teachers, managers and coworkers – not to make you miserable Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Building Experience • Consider a sports team, such as basketball • The team is composed of mostly experienced professionals except one green rookie • You and everyone else knows where the weak link is – what do you do? • Trade your star for two experienced players or build up the weak link Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Application • Change happens – People retire, get better jobs, win the lottery or are promoted into management • Good teams build their weaker members – They give them as much help as they can handle – They give them tasks that will grow them • The good teams believe in the potential of their people Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Sports Analogy • There are two kinds of professional baseball teams • The large market teams can buy the talent they need on the free agent market • The small market teams need to develop their own talent in their farm system • The NY Yankees spent $113 M in 2020 – They were beat by Tampa Bay ($28 M) Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Generous Communication • Be charitable of the person to whom you are speaking • This means the presumption that they are intelligent, but lack the experience and context – They have done the research but cannot find what they actually need • This may be corollary of the practices of psychological safety Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Ungenerous Communication • Talks down to the person • Shows resentment at being asked at all • Makes demeaning assumptions about the person’s abilities that show in the conversation • The other person leaves feeling bad about even asking Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Generous Communication • Believes the best about the person • Tries to perceive their viewpoint and thus question • Takes the time to do the conversation well • Be conservative in what you send, but liberal in what you accept Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.

Summary • The most important thing is to establish an environment of psychological safety • The common thread in all of these is having respect for each other and treating people right • The golden rule covers it all: Treat others as you would want to be treated Creative Commons License – Curt Hill.