Zee Spencer
Congressive Management Techniques: Gardening Your Team
Summarized using AI
Congressive Management Techniques: Gardening Your Team
by Jennifer Tu and Zee SpencerThe video titled "Congressive Management Techniques: Gardening Your Team," presented by Jennifer Tu and Zee Spencer at RailsConf 2019, delves into effective management strategies for engineering teams, using the metaphor of gardening to illustrate the nurturing role of management. The speakers share insights from their experiences as programmers turned engineering leaders and outline six key areas of focus in management:
Phases of Group Development: They discuss Tuckman's stages of team development—forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Each stage represents different dynamics teams experience as they grow, highlighting the importance of not skipping the storming phase, which is essential for effective development.
Hiring Strategies: Instead of seeking the "best and brightest," the speakers recommend hiring based on the specific needs of the team and organization. They stress the importance of understanding the business need, required skills for those needs, and the existing team dynamics.
Developing Team Members: The discussion covers various methods for growing team members' skills, including illuminating growth areas, redirecting unhealthy behaviors, and the importance of addressing unhealthy dynamics without micromanaging.
Glue Work: An essential part of team dynamics, glue work refers to the non-promotional but necessary tasks that help teams coordinate and collaborate effectively. The speakers emphasize the need for everyone in the team to engage in glue work rather than relying on one individual.
Navigating Conflict: Instead of viewing conflicts as negatives, the speakers urge management to reframe conflicts into discussions about tensions. This approach encourages teams to express underlying issues openly and collaboratively work toward solutions.
Cultivating Leader Culture: The final point emphasizes building a culture of leadership rather than heroics. Management should create expectations for individuals to take ownership of problems and support their development into leaders.
In conclusion, Jennifer Tu and Zee Spencer reinforce that effective management is about guiding teams through development stages, fostering trust and collaboration, and nurturing a leadership culture within the team, akin to properly tending to a garden to ensure healthy growth and productivity.
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Hello everyone, my name is Jennifer and my pronouns are she/her, and I'm Zhi Spencer.
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My pronouns are he/him. We are co-founders of Cohere. Our third co-founder is over there.
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Cohere is a small consultancy that specializes in education and training for product and engineering teams.
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Zhi and I both started as programmers who transitioned into engineering leadership roles. I'm more of a typist than a programmer. I can type 200 words per minute sustained.
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Jennifer is the one with the fancy MIT CS degree, so if you have real programming problems, talk to her.
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Together, we're going to talk you through six areas of engineering leadership.
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The first is the phases of group development. You can jump all you want.
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How to hire is second, how to develop your people is third, how to bring them together into a coherent team is fourth, and then how to navigate conflict and grow a leader culture.
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That's a lot, but before we start, we need to get ready to garden.
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Imagine your organization as a garden. There’s soil, benches, and plants.
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People are working in it and coming to see it. There are some things we can't change.
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We can't change the amount of sunlight, the location, the rain, or what kind of garden people want to see.
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We also can’t control if someone secretly sprays Roundup on the roses every Thursday during your weekly deploy.
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However, there are some things that we can change.
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One thing we can do is accept where we are. This means accepting all the conditions I just described.
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We need to acknowledge that some conditions cannot be changed quickly, while others might take time.
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In addition to accepting the conditions and constraints, we must also accept our responsibilities.
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We are responsible for both the state of the garden and for the well-being of the team of gardeners we direct.
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This means we are accountable for their job satisfaction, their job effectiveness, and the degree of growth they are experiencing.
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Once we have accepted our garden conditions, constraints, and responsibilities, we are freed to begin gardening.
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Where should we focus our efforts? First, we focus on trust and, in particular, between people.
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Trust is like fertilizer. It might look like poop, but it’s essential for growth.
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When we build trust among team members, the responsibility for the garden becomes easier.
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Many of us were programmers before becoming managers, and it might be tempting to build trust by doing the dirty work ourselves.
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However, this doesn't help our team become better gardeners.
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Instead, we should build our team's ability to work without us.
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We can do this by shifting our focus from how the work is done to understanding why it's done, and more importantly, by whom.
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This leads us to ask ourselves questions about what drives the individuals doing the work.
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We can refer back to previous keynotes about what gives them meaning and happiness. Great managers understand that performance is not individual; it is systemic.
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Exceptional work is done not by exceptional people but by organizations designed to empower individuals.
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Just like an excellent software system continues functioning even when no one is at the keyboard, effective management allows teams to thrive.
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Let's jump into our first topic: the stages of engineering team development.
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Tuckman's stages of group development asserts that groups go through five overlapping phases: forming, storming, norming, performing, and eventually, adjourning.
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Forming is where the group meets. We learn about the opportunities and challenges, and we agree on some of the goals and how to tackle the work.
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An example of this could be having a sprint kickoff. Storming is when the group begins to notice the wear and tear caused by working together.
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This is a scary place to be. It can be tempting to protect your team or stakeholders from the consequences of their decisions and behaviors.
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But storming is natural; it’s not something to avoid. It's an opportunity to learn more about the team.
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If you remain too long in this stage, it will slow you down, but trying to skip it completely will hinder the building of the effective team you desire.
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An example of storming: after the kick-off, two developers might find themselves working on the exact same ticket alone.
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They realize they are independently reproducing each other's work, leading to feelings of frustration.
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This indicates that they have begun to enter the storming phase.
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Norming occurs as the group collaborates to navigate the storm. They start to establish habits and structures for working together.
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However, they’re not quite finalized just yet; they’re working on the details of those habits and norms.
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For instance, our two collaborators decide that whenever they start a ticket, they will claim it and communicate with each other about what they are working on.
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As these habits and structures stabilize, teams move into the performing stage.
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Less time is spent on habit formation, allowing more time for work.
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The difference between norming and performing is that during norming, significant changes are being made.
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Yet when performing, the team is making smaller adjustments and improving processes.
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For our team, after discussing starting new work at the daily stand-up, when they are performing, they might make a small adjustment.
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If they begin in the middle of the day, they send a group message to inform each other.
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This learning of new habits remains valuable; opportunities for change arise every time we notice our rough edges.
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By addressing these, we can safely implement significant changes without re-entering the storming phase.
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For example, a team may decide, now that they are communicating effectively, to automate how patches are pushed directly to production.
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While that sounds substantial, it reflects a maturing process.
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In this journey, we may end up forming two brand new teams as we adjust our structure.
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Now let’s move to topic number two: adding new team members, or simply, hiring.
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We want to hire more people because we have more work than we have people to handle it.
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We also have the funds available to bring on someone new.
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One common approach when starting to hire is to recruit the best and the brightest, but does that actually serve your true goals?
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Our primary responsibility is not just hiring top talent but enabling the team to accomplish required tasks.
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There’s a crucial first step in building a great team: determining the team’s needs.
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Is your team undertaking a lot of greenfield work? Then do not recruit someone who is primarily focused on legacy projects.
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If you do, do not expect them to perform at the same level as someone who has been continuously engaged in greenfield work.
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If your team has diverse skill sets, you should be hiring individuals who can both mentor and be mentored.
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So instead of solely looking for the best and brightest, here are three elements to consider instead.
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First, focus on what your business needs. What problem is your company attempting to solve?
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For instance, we need to decrease our user hosting costs – while that sounds mundane, it could free up $10,000 a month.
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This could, in turn, increase our financial runway by 10%, allowing us to hire another person for more work.
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Write down this business need and make it widely known.
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Refer back to it during every decision point in your hiring process.
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If you’re on the fence about a candidate, read your business need aloud and consider how that candidate helps achieve it.
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The second consideration is what skills or abilities are necessary to meet this business need.
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This assessment should extend well beyond technical skills; consider the whole picture.
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Do you need a candidate able to strictly adhere to specifications, or someone who can innovate?
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Is your work environment stable or changing? Those who thrive in a stable setup may struggle in a rapidly changing one.
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Take time to analyze who has been successful in your organization, and identify the non-technical abilities that help them create value.
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If you hire someone capable of writing great code but cannot prioritize effectively, then the business need will not be fully met.
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Relatedly, consider the constraints present within your existing team.
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If your team thrives on pairing up, then hiring someone who strongly prefers working independently may not be a great fit.
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Understand how your engineers interact with each other and with coworkers, so you can find individuals who will complement that.
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This consideration is specific to each team – be honest about where your team is.
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If you wish for a more collaborative pairing approach but your team isn’t on board, hiring for that perceived culture will lead to disappointment.
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Recognizing your team’s present state allows gradual transitions rather than pretending reality is different.
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Once you have evaluated your three steps and know what you need in your next hire, you can start talking to candidates.
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Tell candidates clearly what you are seeking and the characteristics of a successful applicant.
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While this may feel intimidating, it can lead to deeper insights.
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Rather than asking a yes or no question, encourage candidates to share specific stories. For example: what was the last piece of feedback you gave to someone?
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What was a contentious patch or pull request that involved you?
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How candidates respond to these questions will reveal if they can give constructive feedback.
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When we don’t make our expectations clear, we risk missing out on candidates who may not guess correctly what we require.
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We also miss opportunities to show potential hires what our team values.
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That's all the time we have to discuss hiring and interviewing. Please feel free to reach out after this talk as it's a vast topic.
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Now, let’s move on to the next section: growing your people.
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This might come as a surprise, but programmers are often not experts at managing people.
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That’s okay; we can learn from psychologists, neurologists, social scientists, and philosophers about how our invisible and visible norms shape behavior.
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Daniel Kahneman discusses in "Thinking Fast and Slow" the distinction between System 1 (fast thinking) and System 2 (slow thinking). Fast thinking inspires gut reactions, while slow thinking involves careful analysis.
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To develop our people, we can help them recognize and adjust when their fast thinking overrides their more deliberate evaluations.
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Let’s explore four options on how to do this.
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First, you might choose to ignore minor issues. For instance, a team member might take longer to analyze a feature before coding.
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Consider allowing your team the flexibility to optimize their approach—even if their habits differ from yours.
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Allowing for small inefficiencies can foster trust and boost overall team effectiveness.
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The second option is to illuminate growth areas. If behavior must be addressed, provide clearer perspectives.
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For example, if one team member monopolizes discussions during retrospectives, privately bring this to their attention.
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This awareness allows them to adjust behavior, ensuring everyone can participate meaningfully.
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The third option is to redirect contextually unhealthy behaviors. When someone excessively blocks merges due to design concerns without offering solutions, it can drain the team.
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In such cases, discuss the issue privately, guiding them to deliver their insights earlier in the process.
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This approach can enhance their skills while positively shaping the team's functioning.
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Some behaviors, however, must be directly addressed because they are fundamentally unhealthy.
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This is particularly critical when significant power dynamics are involved.
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For instance, if someone makes offhand remarks about political correctness, it can signal an acceptance of discrimination.
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Publicly set clear expectations that such behavior is unacceptable within the workplace.
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Shifting team behaviors can lead to a more sustainable and engaging work atmosphere.
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By encouraging team ownership, we enhance engagement and quality of work while freeing up time for strategic initiatives.
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A common challenge is how individual work styles influence collective efforts.
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Even with good intentions, individual communication patterns can create gaps.
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This may manifest when one team alters an API affecting another team’s functionality or adjustments to shared styles.
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Thus, identifying ownership for long-term tasks is critical, as clarity can often be overlooked.
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Tanya Riley refers to this as glue work—the unrecognized but essential tasks that allow teams to function smoothly.
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When glue work goes unacknowledged, your carefully nurtured team may struggle to function effectively together.
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To address this, we could alternatively have a single individual manage all glue work. However, this approach isn’t sustainable.
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Recognizing valuable glue workers can lead to resentment if their contributions go unseen.
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Your talented contributors will eventually look to other opportunities if they feel their roles are undervalued.
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Instead, teach all team members how to handle glue work. Encourage broader communication beyond their immediate colleagues.
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Once you provide them with strategies, incentivize their participation in glue work.
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When promoting individuals, highlight the glue work they have contributed to underline its importance.
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Set expectations that everyone should excel in glue work to be considered for promotion.
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This will ensure capable leaders rather than simply individual contributors.
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Now, moving on to an illustrative scenario that outlines differing testing philosophies.
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Let’s say Alice values micro-tests with stubs as system boundaries, while Bob prefers integration tests that safeguard user analytics.
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Initially, this alignment might seem fine. Testing is being conducted, work is completed.
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However, through discussions, it becomes clear that Alice is disengaged and contributing fewer tests, feeling their addition slow down progress.
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In such cases, avoidance becomes concerning. The rough edges will evolve into sharper ones if ignored.
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When unchecked, disengagement impacts not just individual contributions but also the entire team's morale.
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As Alice's manager, you should foster an environment of constructive feedback.
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Conflict might arise from differing perspectives; however, it’s vital we engage openly.
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Let’s consider three steps to effectively navigate these tensions.
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First, expose the sources of tension. Encourage team members to share underlying factors contributing to friction.
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Just as an iceberg reveals only a small section of itself, much of the tension lies below the surface.
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Each employee's contributions to tensions must be analyzed comprehensively for effective resolution.
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Second, share needs clearly. For instance, Alice needs assurance that her changes won’t introduce unrelated issues.
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She values competency, and when things go awry, it undermines her confidence.
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Similarly, Bob requires confidence when making incremental changes.
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By articulating what they need, both can find common ground to focus on shared goals.
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Finally, step three involves exploring available resources, both internal and external.
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Alice and Bob discover they can conduct workshops leveraging their individual strengths.
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Shared resources can transform conflict into developmental opportunities.
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Recognizing that tensions can indicate areas ripe for improvement can lead to a more collaborative environment.
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Now moving to a real-life perspective, let’s take a moment to consider a case of hero culture.
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You encounter a situation where a single engineer saves the day during a production outage.
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While such heroics can be inspiring, making it a regular occurrence indicates larger issues.
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Hero culture often exacerbates minor issues, allowing them to escalate into larger problems.
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Instead of solving root causes, hero culture opts for reactive solutions, hindering long-term success.
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So if hero culture is to be avoided, what should be our alternative?
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We need to cultivate a leader culture. When someone performs heroics, hold a retrospective.
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Thank the individual, but also task the team with determining how to prevent future incidents.
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By acknowledging and valuing such heroics but promoting proactive change, we ensure continuous improvement.
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Organizational culture shifts begin at the top; your behaviors will influence your team's behaviors.
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Showing your team what leadership looks like helps them model that behavior.
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For instance, if you engage with work when you’re unwell, team members might follow suit.
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These patterns reflect a team functioning outside its capacity rather than a passionate and engaged culture.
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As a manager, you should focus on empowering your team rather than becoming a centralized problem-solver.
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Your role is to support your people in becoming leaders rather than perpetuating a culture of heroes.
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Address issues that require your input but encourage your team to take charge of their own dynamics.
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Foster autonomous communication among team members, but engage when issues arise from outside the team.
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Finally, be vigilant against any negative dynamics, like experienced team members trying to dominate less experienced ones.
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Promote a balanced and respectful team environment as you leverage collective strengths.
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In summary, growing a robust team requires nurturing leadership rather than hero culture.
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Recapping the main points we discussed: forming, storming, norming, and performing—these are stages of natural team development.
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Hiring should focus on filling business needs rather than just recruiting the best and brightest.
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Growing your people involves understanding their needs, helping them engage, and fostering broader communication.
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Glue work is crucial; cultivate an environment where all members feel responsible for it.
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When tensions arise, engage collaboratively and focus on exploring underlying needs.
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Commit to growing a leader culture where proactive solutions are valued.
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Thank you for attending our talk on gardening your team!
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We will stick around for an off-mic Q&A, and you can also find us on Twitter.
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I am at JTu, and my company is at Cohere.
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We’ll post our slides later for those watching on YouTube.
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