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The Psychology of Software Teams

routledge.com

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Re: The Psychology of Software Teams

#41

Post by NoGravitas »

smiggels10 wrote: post #20

I really do not recommend to buy the ebook in this web shop. Its the worst UX I have ever seen in an online shop. Normally you would pay and then receive a link to download. Here it goes like this: - you receive an email: Please create an account on our website, you will benefit a lot from it - then another email: If you want to get the book you just payed for, you must register first and then enter this code: #20 di…

I preordered the paperback through bookshop.org the day before it was released. Received it in the mail a day or two after it was released. No bad/unexpected UI.

Re: The Psychology of Software Teams

#42

Post by CuriousSkeptic »

onion2k wrote: post #15
Aurornis wrote: post #8

I feel like there could be a lot of value in understanding the psychology of teams and using it to build an environment where they can thrive. However, every person I've worked with who was into these workplace-psychology books started thinking of themselves as expert diagnosticians of other people's psychology. Every personality or problem got mapped back to a scenario from a book they read, even when it wasn't a go…

Working with someone who thinks Team Topologies is an instruction manual is not fun .

Try handing them a copy of “10X Org”

(the authors tries to abstract over team topologies, adding some additional design dimensions)

Re: The Psychology of Software Teams

#43

Post by skeeter2020 »

StilesCrisis wrote: post #40
krystalgamer wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

co-worker started reading "Extreme Ownership" and it improved his mindset and approach to problems. at the same time became extremely unbearable towards own team. if someone was complaining it was hard to get follow-up on a task from someone external he'd jump in and say "you're not owning it". the tipping point for me was when he started preaching "Never Split the Difference". he'd gotten so cocky to the point he'd…

The problem is when someone writes one viral blog post, then decides to pad it out and sell it as a book. If you can find the original post, you get the entire substance for free in ten minutes.

It's funny when popular blog writers get criticised for turning blog posts into books (usually while leaving the original posts accessible) when I feel this is way more honest than doing exactly what you say. Resilient Management by Lara Hogan and An Elegant Puzzle by Will Larson do the former and are two of the most useful SW Management books I've ever read.

Re: The Psychology of Software Teams

#44

Post by harryf »

krystalgamer wrote: post #36
Aurornis wrote: post #8

I feel like there could be a lot of value in understanding the psychology of teams and using it to build an environment where they can thrive. However, every person I've worked with who was into these workplace-psychology books started thinking of themselves as expert diagnosticians of other people's psychology. Every personality or problem got mapped back to a scenario from a book they read, even when it wasn't a go…

co-worker started reading "Extreme Ownership" and it improved his mindset and approach to problems. at the same time became extremely unbearable towards own team. if someone was complaining it was hard to get follow-up on a task from someone external he'd jump in and say "you're not owning it". the tipping point for me was when he started preaching "Never Split the Difference". he'd gotten so cocky to the point he'd…

Wow. The book we need should be titled something like "Of Software Teams and Cargo Cults"

"... a book had washed up on the shore... 'Extreme Ownership' ... soon the tribe was worshipping the book"

It happens over and over again in software history. I remember people running around panicking about TDD "But we only have 99.8% test coverage" until eventually it started to get shot down by "Show me the ROI on tests"

Re: The Psychology of Software Teams

#45

Post by vjvjvjvjghv »

krystalgamer wrote: post #36
Aurornis wrote: post #8

I feel like there could be a lot of value in understanding the psychology of teams and using it to build an environment where they can thrive. However, every person I've worked with who was into these workplace-psychology books started thinking of themselves as expert diagnosticians of other people's psychology. Every personality or problem got mapped back to a scenario from a book they read, even when it wasn't a go…

co-worker started reading "Extreme Ownership" and it improved his mindset and approach to problems. at the same time became extremely unbearable towards own team. if someone was complaining it was hard to get follow-up on a task from someone external he'd jump in and say "you're not owning it". the tipping point for me was when he started preaching "Never Split the Difference". he'd gotten so cocky to the point he'd…

Reminds me of my sister doing a course in Nonviolent Communication and then for a while violently forcing all communication with her to follow these principles or she would get really angry.

Re: The Psychology of Software Teams

#47

Post by neilk »

I haven’t read this book, but I noticed the author makes much of their empirical research available with a CC license.

https://catharsisinsight.com/ , scroll way down to “Developers deserve science.”

I found this one interesting. The authors note that often, developers avoid code reviews, and engage in a lot of unproductive behavior around them. They claim that a pretty simple one-session cognitive-behavioral intervention can dramatically change that.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10664-024-10550-9

Anyway, the longer I work in this field the more I see psychology as the dominant factor in team productivity. Assuming the job is doable, and you’ve hired good people, and the team has adequate control over their own work, that’s what’s left. You might argue that tool use or team practices are more important, but what stops you from adopting them or using them correctly? What stops you from learning from your mistakes? Usually something about your group psychology.

Re: The Psychology of Software Teams

#48

Post by ambicapter »

vjvjvjvjghv wrote: post #45
krystalgamer wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

co-worker started reading "Extreme Ownership" and it improved his mindset and approach to problems. at the same time became extremely unbearable towards own team. if someone was complaining it was hard to get follow-up on a task from someone external he'd jump in and say "you're not owning it". the tipping point for me was when he started preaching "Never Split the Difference". he'd gotten so cocky to the point he'd…

Reminds me of my sister doing a course in Nonviolent Communication and then for a while violently forcing all communication with her to follow these principles or she would get really angry.

Hahaha my only experience with an "NVC" adherent was their absolutely terrible communication and workplace productivity habits.

Re: The Psychology of Software Teams

#49

Post by ambicapter »

norome wrote: post #24
Aurornis wrote: post #8

I feel like there could be a lot of value in understanding the psychology of teams and using it to build an environment where they can thrive. However, every person I've worked with who was into these workplace-psychology books started thinking of themselves as expert diagnosticians of other people's psychology. Every personality or problem got mapped back to a scenario from a book they read, even when it wasn't a go…

I'd say it's a reflection of an earlier stage of interpersonal maturity to try and put people into categories. More socially attuned people realize the complexity of other people and situations and synthesize all the available information to make a decision that is truly reflective of reality.

I would even go so far as to say this is the general pattern of individuals learning models with explanatory power for dealing with reality. First, you learn the model, you try to apply it absolutely everywhere even in places where it won't work, you learn its limits, you then synthesize it into your holistic understanding along with every model you've learned thus far.

Re: The Psychology of Software Teams

#50

Post by ambicapter »

joshcsimmons wrote: post #35

yikes. this is very out of touch with current trends. i respect writing a book - ive written three, but if there’s a time when most tech leadership cared LESS about understanding software team psychology, i havent seen it. truly a sad state of things. i love this topic and plan to read the book but i dont expect most people to care - the only mantra in software rn is to go as fast as possible on shitty features and b…

Why is that a "yikes"? You don't always have to be "trendy".
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