Comments on: Creating a Culture of Responsibility http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/ Just another LosTechies site Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:26:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: www.lostechies.com http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/#comment-186 www.lostechies.com Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:06:21 +0000 /blogs/scottcreynolds/archive/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility.aspx#comment-186 Creating a culture of responsibility.. OMG! :) Creating a culture of responsibility.. OMG! :)

]]> By: Jon Kruger http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/#comment-43 Jon Kruger Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:24:27 +0000 /blogs/scottcreynolds/archive/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility.aspx#comment-43 I've had a lot of problems on past projects with devs who try to turn our project into a development contest where they try to outperform the other team members based on certain metrics that they perceived to be important (in our case, how many features they could get done in an iteration). I realized that this was partially encouraged by our agile wall where we display all of the features by developer. Said developer sacrificed quality, good design, and testing in order to check off as much work as possible. This is one reason why I like Lean and Kanban. My new Kanban wall will not be grouping things be developer anymore, because we are a TEAM and many people are involved with getting a feature done (the developer who writes the code, everyone who answers their questions, BAs, QA, etc.). I'm going to make sure that my planning wall emphasizes how the TEAM is doing, so as to not encourage these stupid competitions. I’ve had a lot of problems on past projects with devs who try to turn our project into a development contest where they try to outperform the other team members based on certain metrics that they perceived to be important (in our case, how many features they could get done in an iteration). I realized that this was partially encouraged by our agile wall where we display all of the features by developer. Said developer sacrificed quality, good design, and testing in order to check off as much work as possible.

This is one reason why I like Lean and Kanban. My new Kanban wall will not be grouping things be developer anymore, because we are a TEAM and many people are involved with getting a feature done (the developer who writes the code, everyone who answers their questions, BAs, QA, etc.). I’m going to make sure that my planning wall emphasizes how the TEAM is doing, so as to not encourage these stupid competitions.

]]> By: Chris Tavares http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/#comment-42 Chris Tavares Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:19:19 +0000 /blogs/scottcreynolds/archive/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility.aspx#comment-42 I would agree with you, almost. The thing is that unless you also get authority, responsiblity is just scapegoating. So you need to not only make everyone feel responsible, you need to actually give them the authority to go in and fix things. That's sometimes a lot harder. I would agree with you, almost. The thing is that unless you also get authority, responsiblity is just scapegoating. So you need to not only make everyone feel responsible, you need to actually give them the authority to go in and fix things. That’s sometimes a lot harder.

]]> By: paul cowan http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/#comment-41 paul cowan Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:47:49 +0000 /blogs/scottcreynolds/archive/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility.aspx#comment-41 Believe it or not, it is my attempt at satire. I'm looking forward to the response. Cheers!!! Believe it or not, it is my attempt at satire.

I’m looking forward to the response.

Cheers!!!

]]> By: Scott C Reynolds http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/#comment-40 Scott C Reynolds Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:00:05 +0000 /blogs/scottcreynolds/archive/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility.aspx#comment-40 I consider it less a "take on lean" and more a "lashing out at some stuff I don't like about agile and lean in a minor scope" but, it has prompted me to make a considered response. Stay tuned ;) I consider it less a “take on lean” and more a “lashing out at some stuff I don’t like about agile and lean in a minor scope” but, it has prompted me to make a considered response. Stay tuned ;)

]]> By: Paul Cowan http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/#comment-39 Paul Cowan Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:48:00 +0000 /blogs/scottcreynolds/archive/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility.aspx#comment-39 I am guessing you won't like my take on lean: http://the-software-simpleton.blogspot.com/2009/01/lean-mean-consulting-machine.html I am guessing you won’t like my take on lean:

http://the-software-simpleton.blogspot.com/2009/01/lean-mean-consulting-machine.html

]]> By: Cat Schwamm http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/#comment-38 Cat Schwamm Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:50:00 +0000 /blogs/scottcreynolds/archive/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility.aspx#comment-38 Despite the length, I believe this was your best blog post to date. As a sidenote...do people really get paid by -lines of code-?? That made me laugh, and then hurt my head. "Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft building progress by weight" - (one of my favorite quotes from) Bill Gates Despite the length, I believe this was your best blog post to date.

As a sidenote…do people really get paid by -lines of code-?? That made me laugh, and then hurt my head.

“Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft building progress by weight” – (one of my favorite quotes from) Bill Gates

]]> By: Lisa Crispin http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/#comment-37 Lisa Crispin Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:57:18 +0000 /blogs/scottcreynolds/archive/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility.aspx#comment-37 So true and so well said! I've just been thinking and writing about something similar - why we tend to teach process instead of values and culture, when it's the latter that effects change. It's my experience too that it's not always possible to change a company's culture. If people aren't feeling pain, they won't see any reason to change. BTW, love your mascot donkey also. So true and so well said! I’ve just been thinking and writing about something similar – why we tend to teach process instead of values and culture, when it’s the latter that effects change.

It’s my experience too that it’s not always possible to change a company’s culture. If people aren’t feeling pain, they won’t see any reason to change.

BTW, love your mascot donkey also.

]]> By: Brad Mead http://lostechies.com/scottreynolds/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility/#comment-36 Brad Mead Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:52:21 +0000 /blogs/scottcreynolds/archive/2009/01/07/creating-a-culture-of-responsibility.aspx#comment-36 A much needed attention area. I identify in particular with Anti-collaborative Tendencies. It's sometimes unnerving to live part-time as an eager recipient-observer (MBA, ALT.net) of progressive professional practices; step tentatively into promotional role of the same where entrenched interests (Silo'ing, short shrift domain discovery, putting-the-brunt-on-the-code-typist-heads, fiefdom-protectionism) are allied against shedding the posture and getting on with formative change. Posts like these, with lucid, experience-grounded positions are IMO effective tools to make a case for change/improvement where traditionally accepted organizational change agents (management) are resistant to see the forest for the tress. I can think of at least two previous jobs where I could have simply given them this post as the totality of my exit interview :-) A much needed attention area. I identify in particular with Anti-collaborative Tendencies. It’s sometimes unnerving to live part-time as an eager recipient-observer (MBA, ALT.net) of progressive professional practices; step tentatively into promotional role of the same where entrenched interests (Silo’ing, short shrift domain discovery, putting-the-brunt-on-the-code-typist-heads, fiefdom-protectionism) are allied against shedding the posture and getting on with formative change.

Posts like these, with lucid, experience-grounded positions are IMO effective tools to make a case for change/improvement where traditionally accepted organizational change agents (management) are resistant to see the forest for the tress.

I can think of at least two previous jobs where I could have simply given them this post as the totality of my exit interview :-)

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