Comments on: Breaking Up The Team http://www.anexperimentinscotch.com/2009/05/breaking-up-the-team/ "I write to discover what I believe." Michael Lopp on Twitter Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:31:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Scotch Drinker http://www.anexperimentinscotch.com/2009/05/breaking-up-the-team/comment-page-1/#comment-10178 Scotch Drinker Fri, 15 May 2009 20:11:38 +0000 http://www.anexperimentinscotch.com/?p=1045#comment-10178 I agree that people don't typically WANT to fail. However, I have worked with people who seriously wanted other people to fail, even people that were on their supposed team. Also, for a variety of reasons, I've been around people who do want the project to fail and will do small things to foster that failure. Luckily I don't have to deal with that anymore but it's certainly out there. I don't think the overall structure of software development could ever be geared towards long term teams. There are too many Pointy Haired Bosses for that to happen. But even at enlightened shops, it almost always seems like teams are put together for projects versus given projects to existing teams. I think that's a mistake for the reasons outlined in my post. If we look at the NBA as an extreme example, I can't imagine there are many teams that don't lose a player or two over the course of the year to a trade, injury or retirement. Yet, they are successful as teams (not including the Clippers or the Kings, they are awful). I think if you have the structure in place to foster teams, teams can succeed even when team members are disappearing on you. I agree that people don’t typically WANT to fail. However, I have worked with people who seriously wanted other people to fail, even people that were on their supposed team. Also, for a variety of reasons, I’ve been around people who do want the project to fail and will do small things to foster that failure. Luckily I don’t have to deal with that anymore but it’s certainly out there.

I don’t think the overall structure of software development could ever be geared towards long term teams. There are too many Pointy Haired Bosses for that to happen. But even at enlightened shops, it almost always seems like teams are put together for projects versus given projects to existing teams. I think that’s a mistake for the reasons outlined in my post.

If we look at the NBA as an extreme example, I can’t imagine there are many teams that don’t lose a player or two over the course of the year to a trade, injury or retirement. Yet, they are successful as teams (not including the Clippers or the Kings, they are awful). I think if you have the structure in place to foster teams, teams can succeed even when team members are disappearing on you.

]]> By: sirfwalgman http://www.anexperimentinscotch.com/2009/05/breaking-up-the-team/comment-page-1/#comment-10174 sirfwalgman Fri, 15 May 2009 13:57:36 +0000 http://www.anexperimentinscotch.com/?p=1045#comment-10174 I do not think teams or groups of people consciously want to fail. I mean who wants to be a loser. They may not have the skills, cohesion, or social abilities to succeed but most people want to have success. Perhaps I am just putting my moral standards on other people in assuming people would want to succeed but that is how I feel. I also think in some ways Software Technology is a tough field to build long term teams in. Not all of it can be blamed on offices breaking up teams, and things like that. We work in a fast paced field and people tend to stay in jobs far shorter periods of time than they used to. In some ways this contributes to the difficulty of keeping good people together. The days of huge incentives for people to stay are long gone. Nice article. I agree with the concept even if I do not totally agree with all the points. I do not think teams or groups of people consciously want to fail. I mean who wants to be a loser. They may not have the skills, cohesion, or social abilities to succeed but most people want to have success. Perhaps I am just putting my moral standards on other people in assuming people would want to succeed but that is how I feel.

I also think in some ways Software Technology is a tough field to build long term teams in. Not all of it can be blamed on offices breaking up teams, and things like that. We work in a fast paced field and people tend to stay in jobs far shorter periods of time than they used to. In some ways this contributes to the difficulty of keeping good people together. The days of huge incentives for people to stay are long gone.

Nice article. I agree with the concept even if I do not totally agree with all the points.

]]> By: Wil Bloodworth http://www.anexperimentinscotch.com/2009/05/breaking-up-the-team/comment-page-1/#comment-10172 Wil Bloodworth Fri, 15 May 2009 11:31:07 +0000 http://www.anexperimentinscotch.com/?p=1045#comment-10172 Excellent read Brett! Great stuff indeed! Excellent read Brett! Great stuff indeed!

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