Becoming a Technical Leader Ch' 3 A ProblemSolving Style

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Becoming a Technical LeaderCh. 3A
Problem-Solving Style

• By Matthew Shapiro

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Understanding The Problem

• Read the specifications carefully
• Encourage Teammates to read the specs
• Resolve arguments by referring back to the
  original problem
• Seek clarifications and additional information
  from customer
• Keep referring back to the specifications

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Managing the Flow of Ideas

• Contribute a clever idea to the team
• Encourage copying of useful ideas
• Elaborate on an idea that a teammate contributed
• Drop your own idea in favor of a team consensus
• Listen to people explaining their ideas

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Managing ideas contd

• Test ideas contributed by other people
• Withhold quick criticism of teammates ideas
• Criticize the idea, not the person
• When low on time, work on current ideas
• Drop ideas that cant be adapted
• Revive a dropped idea when it has value

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Controlling the Quality

• Measure quality as the project proceeds
• Design tools and processes to measure quality
  throughout development
• Measure the speed of implementation
• Step back and reassess the project
• Check ideas with the customer before starting
• Restore morale when an idea collapses