Teamwork Ain't Easy - RailsConf 2014

Teamwork Ain’t Always EasyDoc Norton @DocOnDev

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Doc Norton

Doc Norton!

Global Director of Engineering Culture !doc@groupon.com @DocOnDev

Doc Norton!

Global Director of Engineering Culture !doc@groupon.com @DocOnDev

Husband

Doc Norton!

Global Director of Engineering Culture !doc@groupon.com @DocOnDev

Husband Father

Grandfather

3 Things

3 Things

1. Simple Team Decisions

3 Things

1. Simple Team Decisions2. Forming the Right Team

3 Things

1. Simple Team Decisions2. Forming the Right Team3. Thinking in Parallel

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Simple Team Decisions

Should we offer Peet’s Coffee?

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Should we offer Peet’s Coffee?

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Should we offer Peet’s Coffee?

Fist To Five

Should we offer Peet’s Coffee?

Disagree. I Require Changes

Needs Discussion.

I Have Change!

Suggestions

Desire Discussion. Have Minor Concerns

Not in Total Agreement,

but Will Support

Good Idea, I Will Work

For It

Great Idea, I Will Lead

the Charge

Fist To Five

Now You Try It

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Disagree. I Require Changes

Needs Discussion.

I Have Change!

Suggestions

Desire Discussion. Have Minor Concerns

Not in Total Agreement,

but Will Support

Good Idea, I Will Work

For It

Great Idea, I Will Lead

the Charge

Should We Move On?

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Does Collaboration Mean Everyone?

What kind of chairs should we purchase?

Top of the line Herman Miller.

Those chairs are a scam. Get the $120 chair from OfficeBarn.

I like the conference room chairs.

Lumbar support, please.

It doesn’t matter to me, but we could each buy our own.

I don’t really care, but I personally like leather chairs.

What kind of chairs should we purchase?

Top of the line Herman Miller.

Those chairs are a scam. Get the $120 chair from OfficeBarn

I like the conference room chairs.

Lumbar support, please.

What kind of chairs should we purchase?

It doesn’t matter to me, but we could each buy our own.

I don’t really care, but I personally like leather

chairs.

Forming the Right Team

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Collaboration Contracts

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Collaboration Contracts

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Explain Consult Agree Advise InquireI will Explain

my reasoning for this

decision

I will Consult with others

before making this decision

I will Agree with others on this

decision

I will Advise the decision maker

I will Inquire about the decision

Collaboration Contracts

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Explain Consult Agree Advise InquireI will Explain

my reasoning for this

decision

I will Consult with others

before making this decision

I will Agree with others on this

decision

I will Advise the decision maker

I will Inquire about the decision

Joe Alice Thom, SusanArt, Arnie,

Janet, Frank

Collaboration Contracts

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Explain Consult Agree Advise InquireI will Explain

my reasoning for this

decision

I will Consult with others

before making this decision

I will Agree with others on this

decision

I will Advise the decision maker

I will Inquire about the decision

JoeAlice, Thom,

SusanArt, Arnie,

Janet, Frank

Collaboration Contracts

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Explain Consult Agree Advise InquireI will Explain

my reasoning for this

decision

I will Consult with others

before making this decision

I will Agree with others on this

decision

I will Advise the decision maker

I will Inquire about the decision

JoeAlice, Thom,

SusanArt, Arnie,

Janet, Frank

Alice, Thom, Arnie, Frank

Susan, Art Janet, Joe

Collaboration Contracts

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Explain Consult Agree Advise InquireI will Explain

my reasoning for this

decision

I will Consult with others

before making this decision

I will Agree with others on this

decision

I will Advise the decision maker

I will Inquire about the decision

JoeAlice, Thom,

SusanArt, Arnie,

Janet, Frank

Susan, ThomAlice, Art, Arnie,

FrankJanet, Joe

Now You Try It

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Start-Up Software Company

Agilistration

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Make a Name Card

1.Facilitator

2.CEO

3.HR Manager

4.Engineering Lead

5.Office Administrator

6.Project Manager

7.CFO

8.QA Engineer

9.Engineer

10.Designer

11.Engineer

12.GOTO 8

Make a Name Card

Explain Consult Agree Advise InquireI will Explain

my reasoning for this

decision

I will Consult with others

before making this decision

I will Agree with others on this

decision

I will Advise the decision maker

I will Inquire about the decision

1.Choose Conference Room Chairs

2.Create an Engineering Recruiting Process

3.Marketing Plan for Agilistration

4.Select a Testing Strategy & Tools

Run Some Contracts

10 minutes

We’ve got the right team…

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Why are decisions so difficult?

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ExtroversionSensing

ThinkingJudging

Introversion

IntuitionFeeling

Perception

Different Personalities

Myers Briggs Types

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Different Personalities

Can’t we all just get along?

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Different Personalities

Can’t we all just get along?

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Different Personalities

Can’t we all just get along?

Different Perspectives

Different Perspectives

Different Perspectives

Different Perspectives

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And I blame these dudes.

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Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Next

Trend % Profit

Combine all this and …

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I’ve seen this before. Let’s try ...

As a matter of fact...

Yes, but Ifeel...

That will never work because...

This is an AWSOME opportunity!

We’re Doomed

Combine all this and …

Neutral, objective, only concerned with facts and

figures

The emotional view,

just what you feel, no

justification needed

Careful and cautious, the

“devil’s advocate”, points out the

weakness in ideas

Sunny and positive, covers

hope and positive thinking

Associated with fertile growth, creativity and

new ideas

Cool, the color of the sky, above

everything else, the organizing hat

Six Thinking Hats

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Six Thinking Hats

Sequence Example

Now You Try It

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Open a new office for sales and development of Agilistration in Palo Alto.

!

We have $2.4M !

Additional funding from employees, then friends and family.

Proposal

Neutral, objective, only concerned with facts and

figures

The emotional view,

just what you feel, no

justification needed

Careful and cautious, the

“devil’s advocate”, points out the

weakness in ideas

Sunny and positive, covers

hope and positive thinking

Associated with fertile growth, creativity and

new ideas

Cool, the color of the sky, above

everything else, the organizing hat

Six Thinking Hats

Palo Alto Sales and development

office for Agilistration.

!

We have $2.4M !

Additional funding from employees, then friends and

family.

Parting Thoughts

“[Argument] completely lacks a constructive, creative or design element. It was intended only to discover

the 'truth' not to build anything.” Edward DeBono

“No one person, no one alliance, no one nation, no one of us is as smart as all of us thinking together.”

James Stavridis (Navy Admiral)

Parting Thoughts

Teamwork Ain’t Always EasyDoc Norton @DocOnDev

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/lifehacker/2010/12/work_with_you.jpg

Thank You