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What can fighting goblins teach us about working together? How can going on a perilous journey guide us through our careers? What if I told you I sit in a 4-hour meeting online every Friday night for fun? Having played Dungeons and Dragons for almost a decade and playing remotely for half that time, I have learned lessons that have taught me how to interact as a developer on a distributed team. From general online etiquette to building great teams, I will discuss tips and tricks of roleplaying that can make someone a better coworker.
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The video titled "Dungeons and Collaboration" by Rolen Le, presented at RubyConf 2021, draws parallels between the game Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) and collaborative work in software development, especially among distributed teams. The talk explores lessons learned from years of playing tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and how these experiences can enhance teamwork and communication in a professional setting. Key points discussed in the video include: - **Understanding Tabletop RPGs**: Rolen describes what tabletop role-playing games are, emphasizing that they are forms of collaborative storytelling governed by rules, with players taking on roles in a shared narrative facilitated by a game master (GM). - **Finding the Right Game and Group**: Success in RPGs, much like in workplace settings, depends heavily on the right combination of game and people. Rolen highlights the importance of establishing a good company culture to ensure a positive career experience. - **Setting Expectations**: The importance of a ‘session zero’, similar to kick-off meetings in projects, is discussed. This involves defining personal goals and shared visions for the game or project to prevent misunderstandings later. - **Empathy and Adaptability**: Rolen emphasizes the necessity of being adaptable in conversations, promoting a culture of creativity that welcomes diverse opinions, and encourages problem-solving discussions rather than shut-downs. - **Safety Tools for Communication**: Techniques like establishing ‘lines and veils’ (topics to avoid or tone down) and utilizing the ‘X card’ (a tool for players to signal discomfort) create a safe environment for players, paralleling it to maintaining a healthy work environment. - **Team Dynamics and Respect**: The speaker shares his experiences of playing with a diverse group across different time zones and highlights the necessity of being culturally aware, which reflects the dynamics of distributed teams in the tech industry. - **Active Listening and Follow-up**: Rolen discusses the importance of active listening in both RPGs and software development, demonstrating how paraphrasing helps ensure everyone is aligned. - **Examples from Gameplay**: The talk includes narratives from actual gameplay experiences that resonate with team collaboration and the repercussions of various actions taken by characters, illustrating how different styles of play can engage others or lead to disengagement. In conclusion, Rolen Le advocates using lessons from strategic role-playing to enhance collaboration in software development. Key takeaways include valuing the right team composition, establishing common goals, promoting a safe and open dialogue, and recognizing the diverse influences each team member brings to the table. Understanding these parallels can lead to better communication, teamwork, and overall project success in distributed environments. Overall, the presentation highlights the importance of strategic collaboration and communication techniques derived from RPGs, recommending these approaches for improving dynamics within distributed software teams.
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