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Build teams not superstars

Apr 1, 2016 - 3 minute read

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Matthew Weaver Consultancy Director

I’ve worked in the IT industry for the last 20 years with almost half of that time in my current role as Consultancy Director. At Objectivity, I’ve met some exceptionally talented people that share similar views and ambitions to my own. I realise now that building great software starts by building great teams. I spend my spare time learning how little I know about my passion for photography. And when the weather doesn’t permit, you’ll find me rolling back the years writing code on various platforms and updating my blog.

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2988 HC Digital Transformation 476X381

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Finding talented individuals is the easy part. Building a great team is a bigger challenge but the rewards can be extraordinary.

We all have heroes that we look up to, people that inspire and impress us in equal amounts. It may be the lead guitarist from the rock band we still dream of touring with. Perhaps it’s the striker that scored the winning goal in the dying seconds of the cup final. We admire them because they are exceptional people doing extraordinary things. Men and women that have fire in their bellies and the world at their feet. They make us smile, they give us hope, and we feel empowered by their success.

In reality, our superstars are members of a finely-tuned team where everyone plays an important role. They will be first to insist that success comes from teamwork and not just individual effort. You don’t have to look far, for example, to find the talent and commitment that a world-class athlete possesses. Look a little deeper and you’re also likely to find a dietician, personal trainer, sports psychologist and other specialists that help them on their road to success.

I help to build software and software development is most definitely a team sport. It is the team that designs, builds and delivers working systems for our clients. It is the team that organises itself to do the right things at the right time. Making decisions should not depend on seniority, pulling rank or taking sides. Everyone simply helps everyone else to do the best job that they can. We are all human, and we like to be appreciated. That’s fine as long as we don’t overlook anyone else or seek personal gain at the expense of others. It really is amazing what we can achieve when we’re not concerned with who takes the credit.

Isolating individuals for praise, or criticism, can be unfair and it’s not always objective. For example, is a low bug count the result of great development or poor testing? There will be times when people problems occur. In an open, self-empowered team, these issues often take care of themselves. You just have to trust everyone to do the right thing. Occasionally, someone just doesn’t fit in, no matter how hard they try or how much support you give them. If there’s nothing else that can be done, then the only option may be to move them elsewhere. When this happens, they will usually be the first to know that things aren’t working out. Handle it sensitively and try to find a solution that suits everyone concerned.

There will always be people that outshine their team members in one area or another. Use this talent wisely, make sure everybody gains from his or her experience and expertise. If you have a truly indispensable team member, then that is often as much of a problem as it is a benefit.

When things go well, reward the whole team rather than specific individuals. When things go wrong, blame the process rather than the people. Learn from the experience and make the next time a little better than before. Recognise that the best work comes from a joint effort, and you may well end up with an all-star team. After all, nobody is better than everybody.

2988 HC Digital Transformation 476X381
Matthew Weaver Consultancy Director

I’ve worked in the IT industry for the last 20 years with almost half of that time in my current role as Consultancy Director. At Objectivity, I’ve met some exceptionally talented people that share similar views and ambitions to my own. I realise now that building great software starts by building great teams. I spend my spare time learning how little I know about my passion for photography. And when the weather doesn’t permit, you’ll find me rolling back the years writing code on various platforms and updating my blog.

See all Matthew's posts

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