last day (15 days later) » 

14:14
25
Q: How much can I get away with making management happy but irritating co-workers?

InsefelZhanI'm a software developer on a Scrum team and my actions make me a favorite of upper management but seemingly frustrate my co-workers. Now, I don't really care if they are unhappy, but rather I am looking for a strategic risk assessment. Here is why I am having issues with my co-workers: I am ...

Kaz
Kaz
You seem like you're doing very well so far. Only advice I can offer is a) Don't be a dick. This is by far the most important rule. And then b) Try to be likeable and helpful towards your coworkers when it doesn't otherwise interfere with your corporate goals.
If you are going to advance, as a manager, a software architect, a product manager etc., anything other than as an individual contributor. you are going to need skill at bringing out the best in others and getting their non-grudging cooperation. Your technical skills seem to be fine, but you may not be promotable without work on your people skills. This may be a good time to practice, when helping others advance is not a formal part of your job.
Agile doesn't have documentation.... wow... I think you should get the entire team retrained from scratch.
@Shadowzee I have yet to meet an Agile/Scrum supporting developer who doesn't also agree with the 0 documentation stance. Those who want documentation also tend to like specs.
"I don't need infantry level allies." If you become a commander, who do you think is going to work under you? You should probably read up on some war history to find out what happens to commanders who are hated by their unit
14:14
Did you ever get feedback from your team? Your post sounds like you have no clue why they don't like you and therefore think they are just jealous, because you're faster, smarter and younger. At least that's my impression.
" I am the only person to never miss a sprint goal. " The sprint goal is the goal of team. Either the team succeed or the team fail, not individuals. Or it means you're a one man team. Or that you (your team/organisation) is just not working in scrum
I upvoted your question because it is a very interesting one - but to be really honest, if you don't feel like being a team player, perhaps you should consider working on projects that don't work in Agile. Agile is meant to be the tight collaboration of a team, not a competition of individuals, which seems to be part your philosophy of work, from how I understand your post.
@PatriciaShanahan fair point. This experience pushes me away from that management path, but definitely worth considering.
@Shadowzee they honestly just don't want to do it. One guy just doesn't want to write at all. Another views it as job security for bug solutions to reside only in his head. I just gave their official reason as I already come across as not a team player.
@Mars haha, true, although I am not a leader at this point and I am not sure if I would be willing to take a management job given the frustrations of my manager.
@JayZ they are trying to implement Scrum in an organization that rewards and organizes absolutely nothing else in teams. You are correct in that it is technically a team goal. But everyone from our product owner (who has a notepad of who's work gets completed and who misses the goal) to our project management software (which keeps track of points completed per person per sprint) doesn't view it that way.
@TheOnce-ler I am not necessarily competitive, but rather just extremely sensitive to incentives. Our individual Velocity score seems to be how we are judged. A team member who spent their sprint unblocking people but not completing their own work would hear about it from the project owner.
Up to 10 hours a week overtime, but have you tallied how much OT you do/did in total? Please note that your colleagues have family and kids to juggle. You didn't mention your family or kids, so I guess you don't have that additional burden. If you are doing more than 5 hours OT on average and your superiors then "call out the slackers", you may be destroying your colleagues spirits, possibly their families, but at least your team and thereby your company.
@InsefelZhan ooh, I see! Perhaps you should add this part to your question? Your post makes you seem like you are the one deciding to play on your own, but from your reply, I get that your management partly leads you to adopt this behavior. At first I thought that you were not exactly in the Agile mindset, but now I feel it is more like your managers are not. :)
14:14
@TheOnce-ler Agile is messy here. It started with the project getting treated as an all you can order buffet, with every department ordering piles of everything without regard to cost because "Agile makes things cheap." An deadline was set and given without regard for what was ordered. We then calculated the project to take about 3.5 years with existing resources, not including deployment. That obviously didn't square with deployment in late 2020. While Agile includes dropping features as a way to meet deadlines, that causes infighting as people protect their own stuff.
@TheOnce-ler so there is a mentality of seeing how much can be stuffed in.
If you're just wondering what risks might exist for me going forward , that's quite simple: you'll resign and find a new job. No-one going to fire you, no-one is going to go against you directly, but you will not be happy. Because, like it or not, if the team's not happy with you, you're not happy with your job
Mandatory read: mythical man month. Software development is mostly communication with human beings, not with your computer. See also Joel test. Think of the bus factor for the software project you are paid to work on. And remember that there should be life after work
Consider contributing (at home) to some open source project (e.g. on github.com ...) if you are that much passionate about coding

last day (15 days later) »