4 ms·

Have you actually asked your team if they feel the same way, though? (and I mean actually asked, not just "hey bud, you're happy with coming into the office, ri

Have you actually asked your team if they feel the same way, though? (and I mean actually asked, not just "hey bud, you're happy with coming into the office, right?") I used to whiteboard out problems with the whole team. I loved it. We had a couple of star employees who were really good at coming up with ideas and sketching them out. Being able to get the whole team on-side for a problem and understanding the answer was great. Then I discovered (overheard conversation at a social function) that half the team absolutely hated them. I followed up in 1-to-1 meetings, and yes, over half the team didn't enjoy them, didn't feel they could contribute, and saw them as a waste of everyone's time (and saw them as me ego grandstanding). The couple of "stars" did enjoy them, and thought they were great. During my MBA, I discovered this is common. Introverts don't enjoy this kind of interaction, and don't benefit from it. Some people don't come up with ideas by "vibing" off others - they come up with ideas by themselves. Some people can't talk about an idea until it's complete - the whole idea of "talking through" an idea to completion gives them the shudders, and doesn't work for them. You may find, after digging, that (like me) you're doing what you love, and not what the team benefits from.

katbyte 5y ago
Everyone on my team is different from goals to what makes them happy to how they work, cant expect them all to work the same and management is figuring out what’s best for each one
- pdimitar 5y ago
  That's too wide a generalization. I believe your parent poster simply outlined the two polar opposites and that if somebody doesn't thrive in an environment where ideas are "bounced back and forth" then you shouldn't mandate them attending such sessions. Nothing else.
  - doctor_eval 5y ago
    If they don't thrive in that environment, maybe they are in the wrong environment? Is it important that the org bends to the will of a subset of workers with specific preferences, or is it important that we get a group of people who are going to get the work done? I suppose I'm firmly in the latter group. I have goals that I need to achieve; I need a crew that can achieve them; and whoever I pick necessarily has to be aligned with the way that I work, because it's on me - and only on me - if I fail.
    - marcus_holmes 5y ago
      I really suggest you read up on management styles and leadership. Again, you sound a lot like I did before I got my eyes opened. And the leadership stuff in my MBA really helped me to see where I got this so badly wrong.
      - doctor_eval 5y ago
        I appreciate your advice but I’m a bit of an old hand now. I appear to be coming across more forcefully than I actually act. It’s really important to me that my team is happy, and with half the team following me from a previous job I’m fairly confident that they are happy with my style. But that’s an assumption of course, and it’s always better to get evidence.
        marcus_holmes 5y ago
        fair enough :) good luck with it :)
    - pdimitar 5y ago
      > Is it important that the org bends to the will of a subset of workers with specific preferences Huh? Where did this come from? Why "bend"? You can just post on Slack: "The 'Ideation' event is coming, attendance is not mandatory, come if you want to hang out and discuss ideas about tasks X and Y!" Whoever wants to -- and loves that way of work -- will come. Everybody else will keep on digging on their own tasks and job will still get done. Win-win, no? > or is it important that we get a group of people who are going to get the work done? I don't understand why are you conflating "not willing to spend an hour with people enthusiastically discussing ideas" with "I can't get dev work done"? Too much polarization and "us vs. them", dude. Your colleagues are not your enemies.
doctor_eval 5y ago
I'm not going to say you're wrong, but you are making assumptions that don't necessary apply to me. I don't generally do huge whiteboarding sessions with the whole team. Typically I write detailed technical documentation about what I'm trying to achieve, and how I think it should be done, which I share with the team who are implementing it. It's typically only when they don't understand something that I jump on the whiteboard. And it's typically the more junior people that don't understand things. It's not that I love huge, didactic whiteboarding sessions; I don't. What I do enjoy is explaining ideas in small whiteboard sessions with just one or two other people, or with small teams who have specific questions, and I feel that these sessions are much more productive in person than they are remotely.
- marcus_holmes 5y ago
  I get that, I'm not saying that you might be making the same specific mistake that I did (large whiteboarding sessions). I'm saying you might be making the same generic mistake I did (assuming that because I enjoy something, and no-one is complaining, the whole team enjoys it). And that's purely because when you described it, you sound a lot like I did before I learned that lesson. As you say, I'm making assumptions. If you're sure that you're not making this mistake, I believe you. Well done, you're doing better than I did :)
  - doctor_eval 5y ago
    Oh I’d never say I’m sure of anything! In fact your comment did affect me, and I’ll be thinking about it a bit over the next few days. It’s like the old saying, that it’s difficult for us to see ourselves as others do.

katbyte 5y ago

Everyone on my team is different from goals to what makes them happy to how they work, cant expect them all to work the same and management is figuring out what’s best for each one

pdimitar 5y ago
That's too wide a generalization. I believe your parent poster simply outlined the two polar opposites and that if somebody doesn't thrive in an environment where ideas are "bounced back and forth" then you shouldn't mandate them attending such sessions. Nothing else.
- doctor_eval 5y ago
  If they don't thrive in that environment, maybe they are in the wrong environment? Is it important that the org bends to the will of a subset of workers with specific preferences, or is it important that we get a group of people who are going to get the work done? I suppose I'm firmly in the latter group. I have goals that I need to achieve; I need a crew that can achieve them; and whoever I pick necessarily has to be aligned with the way that I work, because it's on me - and only on me - if I fail.
  - marcus_holmes 5y ago
    I really suggest you read up on management styles and leadership. Again, you sound a lot like I did before I got my eyes opened. And the leadership stuff in my MBA really helped me to see where I got this so badly wrong.
    - doctor_eval 5y ago
      I appreciate your advice but I’m a bit of an old hand now. I appear to be coming across more forcefully than I actually act. It’s really important to me that my team is happy, and with half the team following me from a previous job I’m fairly confident that they are happy with my style. But that’s an assumption of course, and it’s always better to get evidence.
      - marcus_holmes 5y ago
        fair enough :) good luck with it :)
  - pdimitar 5y ago
    > Is it important that the org bends to the will of a subset of workers with specific preferences Huh? Where did this come from? Why "bend"? You can just post on Slack: "The 'Ideation' event is coming, attendance is not mandatory, come if you want to hang out and discuss ideas about tasks X and Y!" Whoever wants to -- and loves that way of work -- will come. Everybody else will keep on digging on their own tasks and job will still get done. Win-win, no? > or is it important that we get a group of people who are going to get the work done? I don't understand why are you conflating "not willing to spend an hour with people enthusiastically discussing ideas" with "I can't get dev work done"? Too much polarization and "us vs. them", dude. Your colleagues are not your enemies.

doctor_eval 5y ago

I'm not going to say you're wrong, but you are making assumptions that don't necessary apply to me. I don't generally do huge whiteboarding sessions with the whole team. Typically I write detailed technical documentation about what I'm trying to achieve, and how I think it should be done, which I share with the team who are implementing it. It's typically only when they don't understand something that I jump on the whiteboard. And it's typically the more junior people that don't understand things. It's not that I love huge, didactic whiteboarding sessions; I don't. What I do enjoy is explaining ideas in small whiteboard sessions with just one or two other people, or with small teams who have specific questions, and I feel that these sessions are much more productive in person than they are remotely.

marcus_holmes 5y ago
I get that, I'm not saying that you might be making the same specific mistake that I did (large whiteboarding sessions). I'm saying you might be making the same generic mistake I did (assuming that because I enjoy something, and no-one is complaining, the whole team enjoys it). And that's purely because when you described it, you sound a lot like I did before I learned that lesson. As you say, I'm making assumptions. If you're sure that you're not making this mistake, I believe you. Well done, you're doing better than I did :)
- doctor_eval 5y ago
  Oh I’d never say I’m sure of anything! In fact your comment did affect me, and I’ll be thinking about it a bit over the next few days. It’s like the old saying, that it’s difficult for us to see ourselves as others do.