How to improve collaboration while working from home

When the pandemic hit us, everybody started working from home. Things disappeared, like quick alignments at the coffee machine and spontaneous discussions at the whiteboard. This can lead to a decreased shared understanding, quality, engagement and buy-in. It became even more obvious that explicit actions are needed and moments to collaborate need to be created. In this talk I will share what I have learned in the past 1,5 year. On how important it is to do it together. On what you can do to understand the problem better. On ways to design together. And on how you can improve working together while developing. After this talk you can look at your own team with new insights on how to improve collaboration and build great products together.

Transcript

1. HOW TO IMPROVE COLLABORATION WHILE WORKING FROM HOME 1 Paul van der Slot
3. 3 How to improve collaboration, now we don’t coincidentally work together?
4. Who am I? Paul van der Slot • Freelance Software Engineer • Fan of a lot of software practices and techniques like: DDD, Collaborative Modelling, Clean Code, Hexagonal Architecture, Refactoring, Agile, XP, TDD, Pair Programming, and way more 4
5. Collaborative Design Developing Together 5 Benefits of collaboration Under- standing the problem
6. 6 Why should we collaborate?
7. 7 Why should we collaborate? More Joy
8. 8 Why should we collaborate? More Joy Higher Quality
9. 9 Why should we collaborate? Increased Shared Understanding More Joy Higher Quality
10. 10 Why should we collaborate? Increased Shared Understanding More Joy Higher Quality Increased Learning
11. 11 Why should we collaborate? Increased Shared Understanding More Joy Higher Quality Increased Learning More Engaged
12. 12 Why should we collaborate? Increased Shared Understanding More Joy Higher Quality Increased Learning More Engaged Increased Buy-In
14. Treat others the way you want to be treated • Open attitude 14
15. Treat others the way you want to be treated • Open attitude • Listening 15
16. Treat others the way you want to be treated • Open attitude • Listening • Respecting other ideas - Involving others 16
17. Treat others the way you want to be treated • Open attitude • Listening • Respecting other ideas - Involving others • Trustworthy 17
18. Collaborative Design Developing Together 18 Benefits of collaboration Under- standing the problem
19. Responsibilities of a software engineer 19
20. Responsibilities of a software engineer 20
21. Responsibilities of a software engineer “Silicon Valley- like” companies think of engineers as value generators, and creative problem solvers. Traditional companies think of them as factory workers. - Gergely Orosz 21
22. Responsibilities of a software engineer • Understanding needs (Business analist/Product Owner) • Designing solution (Architect) • Developing (Developer) • Testing (Tester) • Deploying (Operations) • Monitoring (Operations) • Maintaining (Operations) 22
23. Responsibilities of a software engineer • Understanding needs (Software Engineer) • Designing solution (Software Engineer) • Developing (Software Engineer) • Testing (Software Engineer) • Deploying (Software Engineer) • Monitoring (Software Engineer) • Maintaining (Software Engineer) 23
24. Responsibilities of a software engineer • Understanding needs (Software Engineer) creative problem • Designing solution (Software Engineer) solving • Developing (Software Engineer) • Testing (Software Engineer) • Deploying (Software Engineer) • Monitoring (Software Engineer) • Maintaining (Software Engineer) 24
25. Role of the Product Owner (PO) PO as a requirements machine VS PO as a passionate visionair 25
26. Challenge your PO to be more like a passionate visionair • Start with why 26
27. Challenge your PO to be more like a passionate visionair • Start with why • Roadmap with big milestones 27
28. Challenge your PO to be more like a passionate visionair • Start with why • Roadmap with big milestones • Challenge the Roadmap and milestones 28
29. Challenge your PO to be more like a passionate visionair • Start with why • Roadmap with big milestones • Challenge the Roadmap and milestones • Split up the milestones together 29
30. Challenge your PO to be more like a passionate visionair • Start with why • Roadmap with big milestones • Challenge the Roadmap and milestones • Split up the milestones together 30 Monthly meeting about the roadmap, with focus on the ‘why’. Make it visual, make it open for participation
31. Example – without why Requirement As a finance employee I want download a report in excel so I can judge if we are on schedule with received payments 31
32. Example – with why Requirement As a finance employee I want download a report in excel so I can judge if we are on schedule with received payments 32
33. Collaborative Design Developing Together 33 Benefits of collaboration Under- standing the problem
34. 34 How to collaborate online?
35. Miro and Mural Realtime working together Stop at any time, continue at any time A lot of features and templates to help with any situation 35
38. Milestone design sessions 38
39. Milestone design sessions What worked for me? • Just start drawing • Ask questions and make them visible • Seek shared understanding • Update drawing with new insights 39
41. Milestone design sessions 41 Plan time for this on a regular basis with dev team (once a week/sprint)
42. Milestone design sessions 42 Plan time for this on a regular basis with dev team (once a week/sprint) Test your design with concrete examples
43. Milestone design sessions 43 Plan time for this on a regular basis with dev team (once a week/sprint) Test your design with concrete examples Split the work up in product backlog items / user stories
44. Milestone design sessions 44 Plan time for this on a regular basis with dev team (once a week/sprint) Test your design with concrete examples Split the work up in product backlog items / user stories Use it as a living artifact during implementation
45. Techniques • Event Storming • Event Modeling • Example Mapping • Domain Storytelling • Etc. 45 Example Mapping Event Storming Domain Storytelling Event Modeling
46. Collaborative Design Developing Together 46 Benefits of collaboration Under- standing the problem
48. Unexpected problems will occur 48
49. Unexpected problems will occur 49
51. Making pair programming work 51 Blocking agendas to do pair programming multiple times a week
52. Making pair programming work 52 Blocking agendas to do pair programming multiple times a week Switching pairs regularly
53. Making pair programming work 53 Blocking agendas to do pair programming multiple times a week Switching pairs regularly Switching roles during a session (driver/navigator)
54. Making pair programming work 54 Blocking agendas to do pair programming multiple times a week Switching pairs regularly Switching roles during a session (driver/navigator) Use online tooling
55. Pair programming online Tooling is getting better and better 55
56. Be a teammate that is easy to collaborate with Design together using tools like MIRO and MURAL Focus on why you are building something Make Pair programming work 56 Take aways
57. 57 Thank you!