The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5)

Team efforts

What are the technlogies developed to work 'with' each other in general.

For example for technology, XP methodology is one of them.

Programmer
Thursday, March 11, 2004

Sex

Stephen Jones
Thursday, March 11, 2004

Anything that encourages communication.

But you have to have a team composed of people who believe a successful project is built on a team effort. Most programmers (and their managers) seem to believe that programming is an individual affair. Stick each developer into a cubicle with a computer, tell them what the deadline is, and let them write code. When the deadline arrives, bitch at them for not producing what you wanted on time.

Sorry, getting into a rant here. The real key IMO is to have people that believe in the value of communication. If you don't have that, all the technology in the world won't help you, because they won't use it.

Should be working
Thursday, March 11, 2004

If everyone doesn't have the same goal with the project, then communication is merely a distraction. So often a lack of communication is a SYMPTOM that the team members aren't really in agreement.

For example, you might have a team where everyone agrees that the goal is to make something that a 70 year old grandmother can use to balance her checkbook, and do that with as few features as possible (i.e., as efficiently as possible). And easy to use to minimize the need for tech support or 20 lb manuals.

BUT... I've worked with programmers who may not have that goal: perhaps they are more worried with biases toward writing the software a certain way ("lets use a database because that't the professional way to use it") because they're "fighting the last war". Or they may not "get" the idea that we want it to be easy to use because we get happier customers and less tech support costs.

In the above cases, communication was sometimes a bottomless pit, because we were discussing details and never agreeing on the goals.

We gotta all row in the same direction or it doesn't matter how hard anyone rows.

The real Entrepreneur
Thursday, March 11, 2004

I almost to say it here, but it's called "Management".

Managers are supposed to provide direction, facilitate communication, ensure resources are available, etc. None of that just happens. If your managers are not doing that you need to fix or replace them.

Anonymous Coward
Thursday, March 11, 2004

Beer? ;)

Flamebait Sr.
Thursday, March 11, 2004