E172 Maximizing Individual and Team Productivity

1
E172Maximizing Individual and Team Productivity
John D. Olson Senior Software
Consultant Developower, Inc. john_at_developower.com
2
John D. Olson

• Credentials
• Charter member of Team Sybase
• Recognized as industry expert
• Author and speaker
• Editor-in-Chief of PowerBuilder Developers
  Journal
• System architect/tech lead/management consultant

3
Maximizing Individual Team Productivity

• Goals
• Convey experiences and observations
• Provide practical solutions
• Give opportunities for discussion
• Send you out with a better understanding of the
  personal dynamics of software development

4
Maximizing Individual Team Productivity

• Key Points and Caveats
• All things should be considered with these
  important points and caveats in mind
• Management is everything of others and self
• Self awareness
• Be purposeful
• Caveats
• This is not scientific
• One size does not fit all

5
Target Audience

• Programmers - to improve your productivity and
  the productivity of those around you
• Tech Leads to learn how to improve the quality
  and performance of your development team
• Tech Managers to learn how to hire better
  staff, equip, manage, and know how to more
  accurately gauge their potential
• Managers to gain a better understanding of the
  complex machine below you
• Everyone to see self and subordinates as
  individuals on a continuum

6
Maximizing Team and Individual Productivity

• Defined
• Long Term vs. Short Term
• Measuring/Programs
• Individual
• Team
• Outside help
• Johns Rules of Software Development
• Discussion

7
Productivity - Defined

• Productivity, n.
• The quality or state of being productive
  productiveness.
• (Websters Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1998)
• The rate at which goods or services are produced
  especially output per unit of labor.
• (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
  Language, 4th edition, 2000)

8
Productivity - Defined

• Productive, adj.
• 3. Yielding favorable or useful results
  constructive.
• (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
  Language, 4th edition, 2000)

9
Productivity - Defined

• For Software Development
• The quality or state of producing software which
  meets the stated requirements, has a high level
  of quality, and is maintainable.
• Productivity output quality maintainability

10
Maximizing Team and Individual Productivity

• Defined
• Long Term vs. Short Term
• Measuring/Programs
• Individual
• Team
• Outside help
• Johns Rules of Software Development
• Discussion

11
Productivity Long Term vs. Short Term

• The most important decision of all?
• Long term view may appear to be unproductive in
  the short term
• Short term productivity may turn out to have been
  unproductive in the long term

12
Maximizing Team and Individual Productivity

• Defined
• Long Term vs. Short Term
• Measuring/Programs
• Individual
• Team
• Outside help
• Johns Rules of Software Development
• Discussion

13
Productivity Measuring

• Did you meet your stated goals?
• Were your goals reasonable?
• It may take years to measure
• Dont mistake short term productivity for long
  term
• Best measured in hindsight
• Measure individual and team productivity
• Break it down

14
Productivity Measuring

• Break it down
• Big processes are made up of many small processes
• One bad small process can ruin your whole day
• Identify and review each process
• Measuring is work
• Judgments cant be made without measurements
• Measuring successes requires tracking
  opportunities

15
Productivity Programs

• Break it down
• TQM
• ISO9000
• 6 Sigma
• numerous others

16
Productivity Programs

• High failure rate
• Seen as programs
• No buy-in
• No personal application
• Few or no dedicated resources
• Orderly but not systematic
• Focus on plan rather than on execution

17
Productivity Programs

• 6 Sigma People Power Process Power
• Focus on efficiency rather than new
  get-rich-quick ideas
• Improving quality doesnt cost money it saves
  money but youve got to spend money to save
  money
• Dedicate resources
• Identify Champions

18
Productivity Programs

• 6 Sigma
• Methodical and systematic
• Clearly define roles
• Clear structure and direction
• Known consequences and rewards

19
Productivity Programs

• 6 Sigma
• Address one problem at a time
• Define the problem
• Measure where you stand
• Analyze where the problem starts
• Improve the situation, be willing to reinvent
• Control the new process and confirm that the
  problem is fixed
• The Power of Six Sigma by Subir Chowdhury

20
Maximizing Team and Individual Productivity

• Defined
• Long Term vs. Short Term
• Measuring/Programs
• Individual
• Team
• Outside help
• Johns Rules of Software Development
• Discussion

21
Productivity - Individual

• Psychology of the individual
• Work Environment
• Development Style
• Management Style
• Training and Education
• Misuse of Time

22
Productivity Individual

• Psychology of the individual
• Trusted
• Given personal attention
• Given limits
• Given freedom
• Challenged
• Appreciated
• Dedicated to one focus, infrequent change
• Held accountable
• Valued (more than just )

23
Productivity Individual

• And the number one thing developers need to do
  Buy-in
• Believable
• Challenging
• Enabled
• Hardware, software
• Training
• Guidance
• Supported technically, monetarily, from management

24
Productivity Individual

• Never tell them how to do things. Tell them what
  you want done and they will surprise you with
  their ingenuity in getting there
  General George Patton
• Assumes they are equipped
• Gives them ownership

25
Productivity Individual

• Work Environment
• Comfortable
• Homey
• Professional
• Sufficient

26
Productivity Individual

• Development Style
• Science vs. Art
• Structured vs. Creative
• Organized vs. Disorganized

27
Productivity Individual

• Management style
• mid-level managers hold the most important
  positions in the enterprise
• A bad manager can ruin a whole company
• A good manager can ensure success for a small
  part of the business
• Managers who rise up often understand the
  technology but not the business
• Placement

28
Productivity Individual

• Correct Placement

Manager
Management skills
Programmer
Technical skills
29
Productivity Individual

• Management Style
• Enforcer vs. Pal
• Commander vs. Requestor
• Micro vs. Macro
• How vs. What
• Customize to each individual!

30
Productivity Individual

• Managers
• Active rather than Fire and Forget
• Hold accountable rather than trust short
  deadlines
• Overcommunicate
• Dont be passive aggressive
• Be realistic
• Fight for your team
• Action Coaching by David Dotlich Peter Cairo

31
Productivity Individual

• Training and Education
• Seek empirical evidence of skills through testing
• Gauge self learning capabilities
• Set goals and follow up on them
• Follow training with application
• PBDJ July focuses on education

32
Productivity Individual

• Misuse of Time
• eMail,Internet
• Face monitor to public area
• Consider blocking access to private email
  accounts
• Allow private use during lunch hour and
  preplanned breaks
• Be aware of addictions
• Ban headphones
• Phone
• Share phones among one or more
• Locate programmers within audio range of others

33
Productivity Individual

• Misuse of Time
• Tinker time
• Not directed
• Not following directions
• Spinning
• Incapable
• Frequently sick
• Be aware of drugs, destructive behavior, family
  problems, poor work ethic

34
Productivity Individual

• Misuse of Time
• Telecommuting
• Set environment and work rules
• Visit site
• No kids!
• High accountability

35
Productivity Individual

• Hiring
• Ask specific technical questions, scripted, dont
  deviate much
• Watch and analyze everything, body movements,
  attitude
• Long term or short term hire
• Look for
• Problems solving skills
• Background vs. current knowledge (especially
  tools)

36
Maximizing Team and Individual Productivity

• Defined
• Long Term vs. Short Term
• Measuring/Programs
• Individual
• Team
• Outside help
• Johns Rules of Software Development
• Discussion

37
Productivity - Team

• Group psychology
• Work Environment
• Culture
• Franchise Players
• Process
• Tools

38
Productivity Team

• Group psychology
• Shepherds and Sheep
• Personal relationships, camaraderie
• Group mentality
• Self preservation (knowledge hiding)
• Conflict between groups

39
Productivity Team

• Work environment
• Communication
• Location
• Group meetings
• Team building

40
Productivity Team

• Culture
• Trust
• Security based on merit
• Teamwork
• Buy-in vs. who cares
• Optimistic or pessimistic
• Discipleship
• Layoffs
• Reorganizations

41
Productivity Team

• Franchise Players
• The best get all the work and keep getting all
  the work
• Hit by a bus principle
• Identify
• Determine value
• Pay on merit (keep it quiet?)
• Reduce reliance through
• Documentation
• Cross training
• Reassignment

42
Productivity Team

• Process
• The bigger the group the more important and time
  consuming process becomes
• Standards
• Documentation
• Design
• Development
• Reviews
• Testing

43
Productivity Team

• Tools
• Documentation
• Design
• Efficiency
• Quality
• Knowledge sharing
• Project management

44
Maximizing Team and Individual Productivity

• Defined
• Long Term vs. Short Term
• Measuring/Programs
• Individual
• Team
• Outside help
• Johns Rules of Software Development
• Discussion

45
Outside Help

• Educators and Consultants
• Underutilized
• Misunderstood
• Thief or savior?
• Valuable resources
• Should work toward obsolescence
• Higher level of accountability
• Watch for slugs

46
Maximizing Team and Individual Productivity

• Defined
• Long Term vs. Short Term
• Measuring/Programs
• Individual
• Team
• Outside help
• Johns Rules of Software Development
• Discussion

47
Johns Rules of Software Development

• Build vs. Buy Buy!
• Its easier to save money than to earn money
• Get buy-in!
• Manage actively, methodically, proactively
• Leave your egos at the door
• If you make a bad decision then change it
• If it works, do it
• Order is better than disorder
• Too much and too little order results in reduced
  productivity

48
Johns Rules of Software Development

• Keep your franchise players do whatever it
  takes
• Remove the bad apples from the barrel
• Take on one problem/goal at a time
• Try new things No Risk No Reward

49
Maximizing Team and Individual Productivity

• Defined
• Long Term vs. Short Term
• Measuring/Programs
• Individual
• Team
• Outside help
• Johns Rules of Software Development
• Discussion

50
Areas Not Included

• Multi-lingual environments
• Multi-cultural environments
• Labor Laws
• Substandard pay and work environment
• Many more

51
Discussion

• Rules
• Organized discussion will provide the most
  benefit
• Controlled floor
• Stay on topic until the topic is changed
• One size does not fit all so dont act like it
  does
• We will run out of time but can move the
  discussion elsewhere

52
Discussion

• Potential Topics
• Confirmations
• Contrary points
• Areas not included in this material
• Psychology
• By request

53
E172Maximizing Individual and Team Productivity
John D. Olson Senior Software
Consultant Developower, Inc. john_at_developower.com