Collaborating on Vision

How do you build a great product with a team? Do you need a luminary? Or can you work together to decide on a collective vision? Let’s explore what team vision looks like, how it can work, and what needs to be in place to allow it to happen correctly.

Transcript

1. COLLABORATING Collaborating on Vision
   Deciding what to do together, together. Steve Smith • @orderedlist
2. Let’s talk about WHY vision needs collaboration.
3. WHY? People on a team have areas of expertise.
4. WHY? People on a team have areas of responsibility.
5. WHY? But, the idea and the project belong to everybody.
6. WHY? Your coworkers deserve to feel empowered.
7. WHY? Everyone needs to know what why they’re building.
8. WHY? Spirit vs. the letter of the law.
9. WHY? After all, our work is intended for people.
10. WHY? We use the term audience.
11. WHY? If we have an audience, our work is a performance.
12. WHY? Like music, our work is more than just notes and words.
13. WHY? A good performance needs soul and emotion.
14. WHY? It requires understanding, not just knowing the song.
15. WHY? Our work is the performance of an idea, a collaboration on a purpose.
16. WHY? Knowing why is empowering It gives a collective sense of direction
17. WHY? Quality is everyones job Understand the purpose to judge quality
18. WHY? Empowered people care They make things better
19. Great, but HOW do we do it?
20. HOW? Talk to each other. All the time.
21. HOW? Brainstorming is different than collaboration.
22. HOW? Brainstorming is working on a problem.
23. HOW? Brainstorming can happen organically.
24. HOW? Collaboration is working on a solution.
25. HOW? Collaboration must happen intentionally.
26. HOW? Collaborate over a proposed solution, not a vague idea.
27. HOW? Favor text over voice for making decisions.
28. HOW? Keep a record of how you made the decision.
29. HOW? Allow everyone to participate in refining an idea.
30. HOW? That does not mean it’s a free-for-all.
31. HOW? Respect your teammates experience.
32. HOW? Respect your teammates voice.
33. HOW? Respect your teammates.
34. HOW? Ask the right questions.
35. HOW? Why are we doing it this way? BAD
36. HOW? Why are we doing it this way? GOOD
37. HOW? Allow the idea to evolve.
38. HOW? Allow initial assumptions to be proven incorrect.
39. HOW? Allow yourself to be wrong. It’s OK. I promise.
40. HOW? What’s that process look like?
41. HOW? At GitHub, it’s constantly changing
42. HOW? For initial conversations, we use Pull Requests
43. HOW?
44. HOW?
45. HOW?
46. HOW? But in reality, use what works for you
47. HOW? Communicate with people Mind your words, they are important
48. HOW? Document your decisions People need context
49. HOW? Be flexible Adapt the idea as you work and learn
50. HOW? Encourage real feedback Let others make your work better
51. Together we can make GREAT things. Thank you!