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I'm a senior lead on a team that had massive turnover and now has all new people. We support many large and complex web stacks. As a result the guys on my tea
by dsmithatx 9y ago
I'm a senior lead on a team that had massive turnover and now has all new people. We support many large and complex web stacks. As a result the guys on my team don't always know how we do things. Many will agree to commitments they can't fill.
A 15 minute standup means our team leader and I do not have to wonder what they might be doing or creating. They say what they are working on and we guide them. Daily we catch issues where they overly complicating something, or scared to ask for help, or doing any number of crazy things.
We are very laid back and don't have huge timelines. If someone doesn't show up or have much to say we don't even talk about it. We know they work hard when they do and standup is never about finding out if they are working or not. In a large enterprise the team leader has meetings all day and can't know what is going on when they have 10-15 people under them. The standup solves that issue.
It works great for us and no one has any issues. I'd much rather talk about what I work on for a few minutes each day than be micro-managed.
- js8 9y agoI don't understand why you cannot ask your newbie members casually each day, what they are doing and if they have any problems? That way you can actually dig deeper than you can in standup - because standup is not to resolve technical issues. And if they seem to be competent, you can ask them less and less. Why do you need one-size-fits-all approach? I recommend this presentation: https://www.infoq.com/presentations/Developing-Expertise-Dave-Thomas https://www.infoq.com/presentations/Developing-Expertise-Dav...
- davidcbc 9y agoBecause it is helpful for the new members to hear about what everyone else is working on as well. I started on a new team a couple months ago and if it wasn't for the daily stand-up I would have no idea what was going on outside of the limited scope I've had a chance to work on.
- dsmithatx 9y agoThere are 10 of them and some work remote often. It's easier to get everyone in one place than to try and track down 10 people. I'm very busy getting work done myself as I'm not the actual boss of anyone, just a lead.
- mikepurvis 9y agoAren't you basically advocating for the dreaded shoulder-tap? As bad as a standup might be, I'd still rather attend something at a scheduled time than have someone randomly hovering at my desk for "quick sync up".
- js8 9y agoYes. If they are beginners they shouldn't mind that. You can schedule a regular 1:1 meeting with them, why not, I just think that shoulder tap (or maybe a wink in the hallway) is easier. I should add: Maybe they will even appreciate it. Maybe they are not sure if they should talk to you because they worry they will rob you of your time. My point was that what to do really depends on person.
- H1Supreme 9y agoThis is a good point. If your new, some 1 on 1 guidance is definitely appreciated.
- ThrustVectoring 9y agoEngineers in general probably know what they're about to do when they're about to begin things. Why not just have them habitually send updates on completed work and intended direction as things change, and intervene/help immediately when appropriate?