Teamwork ain’t always easy. From meetings where everybody has something to say but nothing gets done to poor decisions being made because the most senior or most forceful team member won the argument; sometimes you long for the days of high-walled cubicles and lone ranger coding. Long no more. In this workshop, you will learn about two simple techniques that drastically improve a team’s ability to work together toward common goals with less conflict and more genuine collaboration.

1. Teamwork
Ain’t Always
Easy
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/lifehacker/2010/12/work_with_you.jpg
Michael “Doc” Norton
@DocOnDev

2. Michael “Doc” Norton

3. Michael “Doc” Norton
Groupon
Director of Engineering
doc@groupon.com
@DocOnDev

4. Michael “Doc” Norton
Groupon
Director of Engineering
doc@groupon.com
@DocOnDev
Husband

5. Michael “Doc” Norton
Groupon
Director of Engineering
doc@groupon.com
@DocOnDev
Husband Father

6. GRANDFATHER

7. GRANDFATHER
HE’S SOOO CUTE!!

8. Simple Team Decisions

9. Should we offer Peet’s Coffee?

10. Should we offer Peet’s Coffee?

11. Should we offer Peet’s Coffee?

12. Should we offer Peet’s Coffee?
Disagree. I Needs Desire Not in Total Good Idea, I Will Great Idea, I
Require Discussion. Discussion. Agreement, but Work For It Will Lead the
Changes Have Change Have Minor Will Support Implementation
Suggestions Concerns

13. Now You Try It

14. Should We Move On?

15. Should We Move On?
Disagree. I Needs Desire Not in Total Good Idea, I Will Great Idea, I
Require Discussion. Discussion. Agreement, but Work For It Will Lead the
Changes Have Change Have Minor Will Support Implementation
Suggestions Concerns

16. Does Collaboration Mean
Everyone?

17. What kind of chairs should we
purchase?

18. Top of the line Herman Miller.
Those chairs are a scam. Get the $120 chair from OfficeMart.
What kind of chairs should we
It doesn’t matter to me, but we could each buy our own.
purchase? I like the conference room chairs.
Lumbar support, please.
I don’t really care, but I personally like leather chairs.

19. Wired are better. I like the numeric keypads.
It doesn’t matter to me,
but Those chairs are a scam. Get the $120 chair from OfficeMart.
we could each buy
our own.
What kind of chairs should we
purchase?
I don’t really care, but I
I like the conference room chairs.
Small profile is crap,
personally like leather
chairs.

20. Forming the Right Team

21. Inform Explain Consult Collaborate Advise Inquire Abstain
I will Explain I will Consult I will
I will Inform I will Advise I will Inquire I will Abstain
my reasoning with others Collaborate
you of my the decision about the from this
for this before making with others on
decision maker decision decision
decision this decision this decision
Collaboration Contracts

22. Inform Explain Consult Collaborate Advise Inquire Abstain
I will Explain I will Consult I will
I will Inform I will Advise I will Inquire I will Abstain
my reasoning with others Collaborate
you of my the decision about the from this
for this before making with others on
decision maker decision decision
decision this decision this decision
Joe Alice Thom, Susan Art, Arnie Janet, Frank
Collaboration Contracts

23. Inform Explain Consult Collaborate Advise Inquire Abstain
I will Explain I will Consult I will
I will Inform I will Advise I will Inquire I will Abstain
my reasoning with others Collaborate
you of my the decision about the from this
for this before making with others on
decision maker decision decision
decision this decision this decision
Alice, Thom,
Joe Art, Arnie Janet, Frank
Susan
Collaboration Contracts

24. Inform Explain Consult Collaborate Advise Inquire Abstain
I will Explain I will Consult I will
I will Inform I will Advise I will Inquire I will Abstain
my reasoning with others Collaborate
you of my the decision about the from this
for this before making with others on
decision maker decision decision
decision this decision this decision
Alice, Thom,
Joe Art, Arnie Janet, Frank
Susan
Alice, Thom,
Susan, Art Janet, Joe
Arnie, Frank
Collaboration Contracts

25. Inform Explain Consult Collaborate Advise Inquire Abstain
I will Explain I will Consult I will
I will Inform I will Advise I will Inquire I will Abstain
my reasoning with others Collaborate
you of my the decision about the from this
for this before making with others on
decision maker decision decision
decision this decision this decision
Alice, Thom,
Joe Art, Arnie Janet, Frank
Susan
Thom, Arnie,
Alice, Susan Janet, Joe
Frank, Art
Collaboration Contracts

26. Now You Try It

27. Form Teams

28. We Need a Facilitator
(for each team)

29. You are Members of a
Start-Up Software
Company

30. Roles
(start left of facilitator)
1. CEO 7. Designer
2. HR Manager 8. Engineer
3. CFO 9. Office Administrator
4. QA Engineer 10.Engineer
5. Engineering Lead 11.Project Manager
6. Engineer 12.Engineer

31. Inform Explain Consult Collaborate Advise Inquire Abstain
I will Explain I will Consult I will
I will Inform I will Advise I will Inquire I will Abstain
my reasoning with others Collaborate
you of my the decision about the from this
for this before making with others on
decision maker decision decision
decision this decision this decision
Choose At Least Two Topics
1.Choose Conference 4.Marketing Plan for
Room Chairs Agilistration
2.Plan the Next 5.Select Beer for the
Company Outing Kegerator
3.Create an Engineering 6.Select a Testing
Recruiting Process Strategy & Tools

32. Parallel Thinking

33. But first...
a wee bit
pseudo-
psychology
http://thepeoplesmarketing.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/dude.jpg

34. Myers / Briggs
EXTROVERSION INTROVERSION
SENSING INTUITION
THINKING FEELING
JUDGING PERCEPTION

36. CAN’T WE
ALL JUST
GET ALONG?

37. I blame these dudes.
http://www.mwg-bayreuth.de/tl_files/bilder_allg/Fach%20Religion%20und%20Ethik/ethik_fachschaft.png

38. Trend % Profit
40
30
20
10
0
-10
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Next

39. We’re Trend
As
a matter of
% Profit
fact...
Doomed
40
30
Yes, but I
20
I’ve seen this feel...
before. Let’s try ...
10
0 This isn’t
That will never work
-10
a problem, it’s an
because...
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Next
AWSOME opportunity!

40. Six Thinking Hats

41. Neutral, objective, only The emotional view, Careful and
concerned with facts just what you feel, no cautious, the “devil’s
and figures justification needed advocate”, points
out the weakness in
ideas
Sunny and positive, Associated with fertile Cool, the color of the
covers hope and growth, creativity and sky, above everything
positive thinking new ideas else, the organizing
hat
Six Thinking Hats

42. Six Thinking Hats

43. Six Thinking Hats

44. Six Thinking Hats

45. Six Thinking Hats

46. Six Thinking Hats

47. Six Thinking Hats

48. Six Thinking Hats

49. Six Thinking Hats

50. Six Thinking Hats

51. Six Thinking Hats

52. Six Thinking Hats

53. Now You Try It

54. Proposal:
Open a new office for sales and development
of Agilistration in Palo Alto.
We have $1.2M
Additional funding from employees, then
friends and family.

55. Neutral, objective, only The emotional view, Careful and
concerned with facts just what you feel, no cautious, the “devil’s
and figures justification needed advocate”, points
out the weakness in
ideas
Sunny and positive, Associated with fertile Cool, the color of the
covers hope and growth, creativity and sky, above everything
positive thinking new ideas else, the organizing
hat
Six Thinking Hats
Palo Alto Office with $1.2M & additional
funding from employees, friends & family.

57. “No one person, no one alliance, no one
nation, no one of us is as smart as all of us
thinking together.”
~ James Stavridis
(Navy Admiral)
“[Argument] completely lacks a constructive,
creative or design element. It was intended
only to discover the 'truth' not to build
anything.”
~ Edward DeBono

58. Thank You!
Teamwork
Ain’t Always
Easy http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/lifehacker/2010/12/work_with_you.jpg
Michael “Doc” Norton
@DocOnDev