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If you or someone on your team ran away to join the circus, how stressful would it be for the rest of the team? How can we minimize that? After a year+ in a pandemic, many are considering taking new roles or extended PTO. It's more important than ever to invest in minimizing our "circus factor" and building resilient teams so that everyone can unplug and do what's best for them with as little stress as possible. In this talk, we'll discuss low-friction changes you can make today so that if you join the circus tomorrow your team is empowered and enabled for continued success.
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In the talk 'Minimize Your Circus Factor: Building Resilient Teams', Mercedes Bernard, a principal engineer at Cloud City, discusses strategies for building resilient teams amidst high turnover rates prevalent in the tech industry, particularly highlighted during the 'great resignation' post-pandemic. The concept of 'circus factor' is introduced, replacing the morbid 'bus factor' to emphasize the importance of preparing teams for sudden departures. Key points include: - **Understanding Circus Factor**: This term signifies the potential disruption to a team if one member leaves unexpectedly, urging leaders to support their teams in maintaining stability and quality work. - **Resilience in Teams**: A resilient team displays high trust and psychological safety, allowing adaptation to changes without overwhelming stress. Key indicators include a culture of open communication, mutual appreciation, and shared accountability. - **Low-Friction Strategies**: Mercedes provides actionable insights for leaders on how to empower teams without overextending themselves. Suggested strategies involve: - **Documentation**: Maintain thorough and accessible documentation to prevent knowledge loss, especially before team members leave. - **Developer Practices**: Encouraging automated testing, descriptive commit messages, and comprehensive PR descriptions to ensure ongoing team productivity. - **Mentorship**: Coaches should focus on teaching decision-making and sharing the rationale behind choices, thus fostering future independence among team members. - **Visibility**: Leaders should enhance transparency within the team by sharing calendars and administrative tasks to prepare others for continuity in their absence. - **Transition Plans**: Planning for potential departures by identifying successors and ensuring they have the skills to take on additional responsibilities. - **Cultural Shifts**: Encourage a workplace atmosphere where taking PTO is normalized, allowing for a healthier work-life balance and reducing the stress for remaining team members. Concluding, Bernard emphasizes that even amidst high turnover, implementing low-effort strategies can significantly improve team resilience, creating an enjoyable work environment for all. By caring for team members and establishing a supportive culture, teams can thrive regardless of organizational changes.
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