Discussion:
[xpe2e] Re: Practice: Sit Together - on-site customer?
rachelclairedavies
2004-10-16 14:12:08 UTC
Permalink
In this Sit Together practice, do you include the wider project team
including other roles such as Customer, Testers and perhaps even
Project Manager? Or does this only apply to Developers?

Rachel
Develop in an open space big enough for the whole team. Meet the
need for privacy and "owned" space by having small private spaces
nearby or by limiting work hours so team members can get their
privacy needs met elsewhere.
I was called to consult at a floundering project on the outskirts
of
Chicago. Why the project was floundering was a mystery, because
the
team consisted of the best technical talent in the company. I
walked
from cubicle to cubicle trying to figure out what was wrong with
their computer program.
After a couple of days, it struck me: I was walking a lot. The
senior people of course had corner offices, one in each corner of
a
floor of a substantial building. The team interacted only a few
minutes each day. I suggested that they find a place to sit
together. When I returned a month later, the project was humming
along. The only space they could find to sit together was in the
machine room. They were spending four to five hours a day in a
cold,
drafty, noisy room; but they were happy because they were
successful.
I took two lessons from that experience. One is that no matter
what
the client says the problem is, it is always a people problem.
Technical fixes alone are not enough. The other lesson I took was
how important it is to sit together, to communicate with all our
senses.
You can creep up on sitting together, if necessary. Put a
comfortable chair in your cubicle to encourage conversation. Spend
half a day programming in a conference room. Ask for a conference
room for a one-week trial of a more open workspace. All of these
are
steps towards finding a workspace that is effective for your team.
Tearing down the cubicle walls is not the place to start with XP.
If
the team members' sense of safety is tied to having their own
little
space, removing that sense of safety before replacing it with the
safety of shared accomplishment is likely to produce resentment
and
resistance. With a little encouragement, teams can shape their own
space. A team that knows that physical proximity enhances
communication and that has learned the value of communication will
put two and two together and begin to open up their own space.
Does the practice of sitting together mean that multisite teams
can't "do XP"? Chapter 21, "Purity", explores this question in
more
depth; but the simple answer is no, teams can be distributed and
do
XP. Practices are theories, predictions. "Sit Together" predicts
that the more face time you have, the more humane and productive
the
project. If you have a multisite project and everything is going
well, keep doing what you're doing. If you have problems, think
about ways to sit together more, even if it means traveling.
Copyright (c) 2004, Kent Beck and Cynthia Andres
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Ken Boucher
2004-10-16 16:10:44 UTC
Permalink
If the team members' sense of safety is tied to having their own
little space, removing that sense of safety before replacing it
with the safety of shared accomplishment is likely to produce
resentment and resistance.
We're currently relocating which means rediscovering people's
personal needs. It makes for some interesting reflection.

When I moved in with the team, there were public work areas and
everyone still had their personal space.

Then we redesigned the office to it's current form. People still had
personal space, but a lot of people realized they needed less and
it could be across the hall.

Now we're asking what people need again. Answers vary from "a place
to plug in a phone and a filing cabinet" to "a shared cubicle area" to
"a personal cube". It's interesting to see that even after years of
shared space, some people still need a little private space that's
theirs.

One of the spaces I hardly use but greatly appreciate is the
"relaxation room". A room with a very comfortable chair, a simple
music system with some relaxtion CDs, and the ability to turn off
all lights (wonderful for stopping headaches and migraines before
they start). It's also perfect for nursing mothers to pump, reading
regaltory specifications, or just being able to sit down and deal
when bad news comes over the phone.





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Jeff Grigg
2004-10-16 20:03:13 UTC
Permalink
Now we're asking what people need again [in terms of private
space]. Answers vary from "a place to plug in a phone and
a filing cabinet" to "a shared cubicle area" to "a personal
cube". It's interesting to see that even after years of
shared space, some people still need a little private space
that's theirs.
("Mine!" says I, in a verry possessive tone. ;-)

I find that with cubes, I still sometimes need a much more private
space: People need to yell at their kids, talk to their doctor
about something private, have a long and supportive conversation
with their significant other, do a phone interview with a recruiter
(or as a recruiter), etc. I don't need to *OWN* this space. But,
from time to time, I need to wonder off to a small office somewhere,
close the door, and talk (or think or sleep ;-) for a while. With
cell phone technology, it doesn't even need a phone; it just needs
to be *private*. (And the bathrooms aren't very private, really. ;-
)





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Paul Karsten
2004-10-19 13:25:04 UTC
Permalink
On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 14:12:08 -0000, rachelclairedavies
Post by rachelclairedavies
In this Sit Together practice, do you include the wider project team
including other roles such as Customer, Testers and perhaps even
Project Manager? Or does this only apply to Developers?
Rachel
It applies to anyone with a vested interest in the outcome of the project.


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Doug Swartz
2004-10-20 03:15:56 UTC
Permalink
Post by Paul Karsten
On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 14:12:08 -0000, rachelclairedavies
Post by rachelclairedavies
In this Sit Together practice, do you include the wider project team
including other roles such as Customer, Testers and perhaps even
Project Manager? Or does this only apply to Developers?
Rachel
It applies to anyone with a vested interest in the outcome of the project.
Which definitely includes Customer, Testers and Project
Manager! Our practice is to reserve a cube (and workstation,
if they don't use a laptop) for our customer even if they
can't be on-site all the time. It turns out they are much
more likely to show up and stay longer on-site if they know
there is always a place available for them.
--
Doug Swartz
daswartz-***@public.gmane.org



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Eric Tiongson
2004-10-20 16:03:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by Doug Swartz
Our practice is to reserve a cube (and workstation,
if they don't use a laptop) for our customer even if they
can't be on-site all the time. It turns out they are much
more likely to show up and stay longer on-site if they know
there is always a place available for them.
That works for us as well.

Had several customers who initially resisted the Sit Together practice
but after a while found themselves appreciating it more and more as we
progressed with the project. The value dawned on them after the
second iteration when they started seeing the system take shape
according to their growing understanding of their needs.

Hmmm.... or maybe it's just the Starbucks Frap and free snacks that we
keep on bribing them with. ;-)


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