Windows Developer Power Tools

13.9 For More Information

Team collaboration is a broad topic, and good information is available from many sources. One of the best places to get an understanding of why collaboration is so important is this notable classic:

• Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams, Second Edition, by Tom Demarco and Timothy Lister (Dorset House)

Steve McConnell’s great book, mentioned in many other places throughout this book, also has some good discussions on communication and collaboration:

• Code Complete, Second Edition, by Steve McConnell (Microsoft Press)

Communication is critically important in any team. The Agile community (rightly) puts tremendous emphasis on team communication—with the “team” including developers, management, and customers. Good reading on communication in the Agile environment includes:

• Practices of an Agile Developer: Working in the Real World, by Venkat Subramaniam (Pragmatic Bookshelf)

• Managing Agile Projects, by Sanjiv Augustine (Prentice Hall)

Blogging might strike some companies as a risk and a waste of time. It’s actually neither—blogging can, in fact, be a tremendous enabler for teams, as well as doing great things for a company’s public image. It’s not all roses, but the potential benefits are tremendous. Robert Scoble and Shel Israel’s book offers a great nontechnical view on the pros and cons of companies blogging:

• Naked Conversations: How Blogs Are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers, by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel (Wiley)

Ross Hamiltion has a thought-provoking ...