book

Debugging Teams

by Brian W. Fitzpatrick, Ben Collins-Sussman

October 2015

Intermediate to advanced

190 pages

4h 54m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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From FitzFrom BenAbout the Authors
Who Is This Book For?Warning: This Is Not a Technical ManualThe Contents of This Book Are Not Taught in SchoolThe Pitch
Help Me Hide My CodeThe Genius MythHiding Is Considered HarmfulIt’s All About the TeamThe Three PillarsHRT in PracticeLose the EgoLearn to Both Deal Out and Handle CriticismFail Fast and IterateLeave Time for LearningLearn PatienceBe Open to InfluenceNext Steps
What Is Culture?Why Should You Care?Culture and PeopleCommunication Patterns of Successful CulturesHigh-Level SynchronizationThe Mission Statement—No, ReallyEfficient MeetingsWorking in a “Geographically Challenged” TeamDesign DocsDay-to-Day DiscussionsMailing ListsOnline ChatUsing an Issue TrackerCommunication as Part of EngineeringCode CommentsPutting Your Name on Your WorkRequire Code Reviews for Every CommitHave Real Test and Release ProcessesIt Really Is About Your Product, After All
Nature Abhors a VacuumManager Is a Four-Letter Word“Leader” Is the New “Manager”The Only Thing to Fear Is…Well, EverythingThe Servant LeaderAntipatternsAntipattern: Hire PushoversAntipattern: Ignore Low PerformersAntipattern: Ignore Human IssuesAntipattern: Be Everyone’s FriendAntipattern: Compromise the Hiring BarAntipattern: Treat Your Team Like ChildrenLeadership PatternsLose the EgoBe a Zen MasterBe a CatalystFailure Is an OptionBe a Teacher and a MentorSet Clear GoalsBe HonestTrack HappinessOther Tips and TricksPeople Are Like PlantsIntrinsic Versus Extrinsic MotivationFinal Thoughts
Defining “Poisonous”Fortifying Your TeamIdentifying the ThreatLack of Respect for Other People’s TimeEgoEntitlementImmature or Confusing CommunicationParanoiaPerfectionismRepelling the PoisonRedirect the Energy of PerfectionistsDon’t Feed the Energy CreatureDon’t Get Overly EmotionalLook for Facts in the BileRepel Trolls with NicenessKnow When to Give UpFocus on the Long TermA Final Thought
The Good, the Bad, and the StrategiesHow Things Ought to BeThe Ideal Employee ExperienceHow Things Usually AreThe Bad ManagerThe Office PoliticianThe Bad OrganizationManipulating Your Organization“It’s Easier to Ask for Forgiveness Than Permission”6If You Can’t Take the Path, Make the PathLearn to Manage UpwardLuck and the Favor EconomyYour Political Bank AccountGet Promoted to a Position of SafetySeek Powerful FriendsHow to Ask a Busy Executive for Anything…via EmailPlan B: Get OutAll Is Not Lost
Managing Public PerceptionPay Attention to First ImpressionsUnderpromise and OverdeliverWork with Industry Analysts RespectfullyHow Usable Is Your Software?Choose Your AudienceConsider Barrier to EntryMeasure Usage, Not UsersDesign MattersPut the User FirstSpeed MattersDon’t Try To Be All ThingsHide ComplexityManaging Your Relationship with UsersRespect Users’ IntelligenceBe PatientCreate Trust and DelightRemember the Users

A Final Thought

Overview

In the course of their 20+-year engineering careers, authors Brian Fitzpatrick and Ben Collins-Sussman have picked up a treasure trove of wisdom and anecdotes about how successful teams work together. Their conclusion? Even among people who have spent decades learning the technical side of their jobs, most haven’t really focused on the human component. Learning to collaborate is just as important to success. If you invest in the "soft skills" of your job, you can have a much greater impact for the same amount of effort.

The authors share their insights on how to lead a team effectively, navigate an organization, and build a healthy relationship with the users of your software. This is valuable information from two respected software engineers whose popular series of talks—including "Working with Poisonous People"—has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers.