Team Organization

Question 1

Definition of a Team

Answer 1

A team consists of two or more people working together towards a common goal with task dependencies
Good teams: Greater than the sum of their parts
Bad teams: Less effective than their weakest member.
Most significant software projects require teamwork.

Question 2

Team Size & Structure

Answer 2

Small teams (<=10 members): More informal; leadership emerges naturally. Tasks allocated by skill. Decisions made by consensus.
Large teams (>10 members):
Require formal leadership.
More communication overhead.
Harder to manage & coordinate.

Question 3

Effective Teams

Answer 3

To be effective, a team needs: Clear goals and direction. Good communication, Commitment, Defined individual roles, Mutual respect.

Question 4

Effective Team Managers Must Ensure:

Answer 4

Realism: Set achievable deadlines.
Consistency: Everyone feels valued.
Respect: Acknowledge strengths & weaknesses.
Inclusion: Encourage participation from all members
Honesty: Be transparent about progress & challenges.

Question 5

Ineffective Teams - Causes of Failure

Answer 5

Bad leadership
Lack of cooperation or compromise
Poor participation & procrastination
Missed deadlines & failed deliverables
Poor management = biggest cause of project failure.

Question 6

Types of Team Organization

Answer 6

Task-Oriented Teams (Formal Role-based):
Team Leader: Guides the team.
Development Manager: Manages coding tasks.
Planning manager: Organizes schedule.
Quality Manager: Ensures best practices.
Talent-Oriented Teams (Skill-Based):
Chief Programmer (surgeon): Core decision-maker.
Co-Pilot: Assists main developer.
Tester: Ensures quality
Administrator: Handles documentation/logistics

Question 7

Team Communication

Answer 7

Vital for success: Larger teams need structured communication
Formula for total messages: n*(n-1) messages
Larger teams struggle with communication overhead.
Solution: Use partial communication with managers as intermediaries.

Question 8

Common Issues in Communication

Answer 8

Personality clashes
Poor workspace organization
Dominance by senior members

Question 9

Team Cohesiveness

Answer 9

Cohesive teams perform better.
Members understand each other’s work
Code ownership is shared
Team goals align with individual goals
Potential Issues:
Democracy over leadership - can slow decision making.
Resistance to leadership changes.
Improve Cohesion:
Encourage team bonding (social events).
Take ownership of the project.

Question 10

Recruiting & Staffing

Answer 10

Sometimes, you won’t have a choice in hiring.
High-demand skills cost more (e.g., DBAs, GUI, designers).
Best person = not always the most skilled.

Question 11

Team Motivation

Answer 11

Understanding human needs improves performance:
Social Needs -> Provide spaces for discussion.
Esteem Needs -> Recognize contributions.
Self-Realization -> Assign meaningful tasks.
Mental Stimulation -> Avoid monotonous work.
Basic needs -> Ensure team members rest & recharge.

Question 12

Key Skills to Consider in a Candidate

Answer 12

Domain knowledge
Programming & problem-solving ability
Communication skills
Adaptability & attitude

Question 13

Negative Productivity

Answer 13

Top 5% of programmers are 10x more productive than average.
Worst programmers have negative productivity (slow down the team)

Question 14

Pre-Hire knowledge building

Answer 14

Cvs - Fact-based, but limited.
Interviews - Reveal personality & fit
Recommendations - Often unreliable
Tests - Programming challenges, psychometric profiling, aptitude tests.
Easier to identify bad hires than great ones

Question 15

Key Exam Takeaways

Answer 15

Small teams = better agility & communication
Cohesion & communication are key to success.
Leadership doesn’t = management - both are necessary.
Hiring the right fit is more important than hiring the most skilled.
Bad management = #1 reason for project failure.