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

Content preview from Debugging Teams

Appendix B. Further Reading

We created this book based on our experiences writing software with numerous teams and people, but we’ve also read many books and articles that have helped us formulate the thoughts that we laid out on these pages. Here are a few of the books and articles that influenced us along the way:

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams, 2nd Edition, by Tom DeMarco (Dorset House)
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink (Riverhead)
“You and Your Research” by Richard Hamming
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely (HarperCollins)
The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering, 2nd Edition, by Frederick P. Brooks (Addison-Wesley Professional)
Startup Engineering Management by Piaw Na (self-published)
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson (Crown Business)
Apprenticeship Patterns: Guidance for the Aspiring Software Craftsman by Dave Hoover and Adewale Oshineye (O’Reilly)
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain (Crown)
Fearless Change: Patterns for Introducing New Ideas by Mary Lynn Manns (Addison-Wesley)
The Art & Adventure of Beekeeping by Ormond Aebi (Rodale Press)
“Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule” by Paul Graham
The Art of Readable Code by Dustin Boswell and Trevor Foucher (O’Reilly)
Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment by George Leonard (Plume)
“The Significance of Task Significance: ...