Re: Re: Do C-Level managers, and business drivers really need to know about XP?

On Monday, February 10, 2003, at 5:30:53 PM, Steve Ropa wrote:

>> How are you assigning work? What ways do you use to let 
>> people know what
>> you'll see as success? What are your styles of offering help? 
>> What are your
>> approaches to receiving, and even inviting questions? What 
>> ways do you use
>> to be sure that people have opportunity to ask questions and get the
>> direction they need?

> I started by putting up a list of opportunities and asking people to sign
> up for work. I did it in "unattended mode" and came back to find a lot of
> blank stares and nothing signed up for...so I then went back to the more
> old fashioned way of finding someone who is available, then discussing
> the project with them. I made it very clear that it was their decision to
> accept or decline the work, but nobody ever declined.

If all the necessary work for the next short period is on the board, what
would happen if you called a meeting and said: "There's all the work we
have to do. Any questions about any of it?" and then answered questions.

Then, with questions answered, what would happen if you asked them to
estimate how much time each thing would require? Observe quietly who seems
to know about the various areas.

Then, with estimates made, what if you said said "OK, please everyone sign
up for these things, picking whatever you want to work on, until everything
is signed up for", and then just waited?

If no one moves, what would happen if you asked "OK, who is capable of
working on this one", with that hand raising gesture that means you want to
see hands? When a couple of hands go up, what would happen if you said
"John? Dave? Would it make sense for one of you to take this one?"

> My approaches to recieving and inviting questions: I have used the
> Management By Walking Around(MBWA), until it seemed to some folks that I
> was hovering, so I backed off. In other companies that was the most
> successful form. I would never ask "how is project x" or even "how are
> you doing?". I always started with some sort of conversation not about
> work. It was received very well, and when someone had something about
> work they wanted to discuss, they new I was there to offer them the
> opportunity to bring it up.

I think it's OK to ask how things are going. It may be better to have
tangible ways of knowing, such as Big Visible How Are Things Going Charts.

> We are in cubeville, so we don't have to
> worry about closed doors or anything. I would prefer open space, but
> there isn't much acceptance to that idea here. I offer help either on a
> "stop by any time" or by visiting. Some folks are more comfortable with
> email.

Yes. I am, in fact. I think I do better the less I rely on it.

Sometimes folks do need privacy to talk about things.

> My definition of success was that they enjoyed what they were doing, did
> it the best they could, and grew in the process. Before I got here, it
> was drilled into their heads that success was defined by the number of
> billable hours they worked. The bonus structure was based on how much
> overtime they worked.

I might add delivering some software, tested, predictably to my definition
of success ...

> In essence, I came into the organization planning on migrating it to XP.
> The resistance I received was from the programmers, not the c-levels. I
> tried allowing the team to self organize, until they asked me to please
> just tell them what to do. Obviously, while I thought I was being
> empowering, I was being percieved as abdicating. One guy went as far as
> saying "stop trying to sell us on XP. Just tell us that's how we have to
> do things, and what the penalties are for not doing them that way."

Kill him as an example to the others. Then say: "When I say I want you to
be empowered, you WILL be empowered. Any questions?" ;->

> Therein lies my dilemna. How do you strike the right balance? Is it
> entirely determined by the team? They want high command and control,
> because that is their current comfort zone. I am not particularly
> comfortable running a development shop like a military department. Should
> I have rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty?

As Dale suggests, balance probably isn't the right word. I'd suggest that
it isn't dynamic enough. People do need to be clear on what it takes for
them to succeed.

I myself come across as more commanding than I really am, so I can't get
much closer than the above to your situation. I'll babble anyway, of
course.

Ron Jeffries
www.XProgramming.com
Don't confuse more exact with better.  -- Brian Marick


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