The Power Of We: Unleashing the Collective Strength of Your Team

Slides from a talk given at the first edition of the Friendly.RB conference, held in Bucharest in September 2023.
In this talk, we explore various aspects of building a strong team and company culture. Why bother? Because building cohesive team is as important as updating your gems regularly or acquiring new skills and technologies, for example. Why comparing your company to a family can be toxic? What are the pitfalls of remote work? What challenges do teams face? What strategies and tools can they use? We will look for answers to these questions and more.

Transcript

1. The Power of We: Unleashing the Collective Strength of Your Team F R I E N D L Y . R B G A B R I E L A L U H O V A
2. Gabriela Luhova E-mail gabriela.luhova@gmail.com Github /luhova LinkedIn /gabriela-luhova Twitter @gabriela_luhova Bio.Site /gabrielaluhova
3. Rails Girls Sofia
4. Crocheting
5. Foreword
6. Remote Work COVID PANDEMIC REMOTE WORK
7. Remote Work ISOLATION EPIDEMIC REMOTE WORK
8. SUPPORT TEAM LEADER ORGANIZING THINGS Planning
9. TURNING POINT RESEARCH Taking Initiative
10. The Book
11. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
12. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
13. Absence of Trust
14. Great teams do not hold back with one another. They are unafraid to air their dirty laundry. They admit their mistakes, their weaknesses, and their concerns without fear of reprisal. Absence of Trust – Patrick Lencioni The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
15. In the context of building a team, trust is the confidence among team members that their peers' intentions are good and that there is no reason to be protective or careful around the group. Absence of Trust – Patrick Lencioni The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
16. Fear of Conflict
17. Most reasonable people don’t have to get their way in a discussion. They just need to be heard, and to know that their input was considered and responded to. Fear of Conflict – Patrick Lencioni The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
18. Lack of Commitment
19. It's as simple as this. When people don't unload their opinions and feel like they've been listened to, they won't really get on board. Lack of Commitment – Patrick Lencioni The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
20. Avoidance of Accountability
21. Members of great teams improve their relationships by holding one another accountable, thus demonstrating that they respect each other and have high expectations for one another's performance. Avoidance of Accountability – Patrick Lencioni The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
22. Inattention to Results
23. And so, like a chain with just one link broken, teamwork deteriorates if even a single dysfunction is allowed to flourish. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team – Patrick Lencioni The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
24. The Changes
25. 16 Personalities Test
26. 12 Types of Underappreciated Software Developer
27. 12 Types of Underappreciated Software Developer
28. Workflow WEEKLY TEAM MEETING COFFEE CHATS RETROSPECTIONS MONTHLY DINNERS DAILY REPORTS
29. Teambuildings ESCAPE ROOM CITY QUEST GAME COOKING TOGETHER VOLUNTEERING BOARD GAMES MOVIE NIGHT KARAOKE CONFERENCE TRIPS
30. However you decide to do it, I can't recommend enough committing to doing meetups as part of the deal for making remote work work. They might seem expensive at first glance, but you're likely to pay far more for neglecting the value of direct, human connection without them. - DHH Team Meetups
31. Company Culture
32. It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy At Work
33. It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy At Work Long hours, excessive busyness, and lack of sleep have become a badge of honor for many people these days. Sustained exhaustion is not a badge of honor, it’s a mark of stupidity. - Jason Fried, DHH It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work
34. The best companies aren’t families. They’re supporters of families. Allies of families. They’re there to provide healthy, fulfilling work environments so when workers shut their laptops at a reasonable hour, they’re the best husbands, wives, parents, siblings, and children they can be. - Jason Fried, DHH It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy At Work
35. Ways of Working
36. Ways of Working
37. Conclusion TEAM MEETUPS COMMUNICATION COMPANY CULTURE ROUTINE OPEN DEBATES IDENTIFY & OVERCOME DYSFUNCTIONS
38. If this sounds simple, it's because it is simple, at least at theory. In practice, however, it is extremely difficult because it requires levels of discipline and persistence. Conclusion – Patrick Lencioni The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
39. THANK YOU! GABRIELA LUHOVA FRIENDLY.RB