General discussion
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Topic
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Beware “The Arrogance within IT”
LockedOver the years I have seen talented, driven, proud software dev-squads self destruct
due to IT-Arrogance. When individuals position themselves as greater than the sum of the dev-squad, negative results such as demotivation, apprehension and non compliance creeps in putting the overall project delivery at risk. Recommended management of this risk is to cultivate a culture of “sharing and growth” within the team and set the following practice technique expectations on the dev-squad as a whole.Senior Member Responsibility
Without getting all airy-fairy/touchy-feely, IT is
up to the senior members to demonstrate humility, coaching desire and effective
communication skills for a dev-squad to operate efficiently.Defined Contribution Areas
Within a software dev-project there are set number of roles and responsibilities
to be fulfilled. By defining these “contribution areas” and allocating them
to team members, over and above the dev-project requirements, with SMART
goals set to be achieved. This will ensure a dev-squad is geared and steered
in a direction that covers the bases and measures achievement.Distributed QA Accountability
Whether it be code, design, architecture or as critical a project plan/schedule
that is ready for distribution it is imperative to practice “Distributed
QA Accountability”, which can be achieved with a mandatory request process
for a peer QA review. The process ensures a level of trust and respect is being
exercised within the dev-squad. A dev-squad that practices this process will
work well together, due to the high expectations and criticality of each others
work ensures thoroughness and pride.Delivery Proud
Most IT specialists are passionate about what they do. Passion on IT’s own
does not ensure delivery success, as it is most often selfish passion. The specialist
who instills “pride” in their work will deliver quality consistently.The acknowledgment of “Arrogance within IT” and the application of the above into a dev-squad will improve quality and secure client acceptance.
Of course every project varies, a well
structured team that has shared past project experiences, have respect for
each other will kick “The Arrogance outof IT” from within.