Articles for category: Leadership

July 18, 2023

Greg Thomas

Figuring out the Team

The hardest part about any new team you join – whether new or existing – is figuring them out. In the early days, it is where all of your time should be spent, because it is all that matters. Learning who they are, what their role is, what they can contribute, what you need them to contribute, what their ups and downs are – essentially what value they bring to the team as a whole. Once you have the team figured out, then you can start planning what the team is to do and where you need to take them

July 17, 2023

Greg Thomas

Outside Leaders

Outside leaders are those that are not directly within the team or project that is being delivered but need to be kept in the know of its delivery. An Outside Leader can offer feedback, guidance, and mentorship in the delivery of a solution or they can be handed off only requesting updates where necessary. The Outside Leader doesn’t care what methodology, framework, or tools you use – if you need something, they want to get it for you – otherwise, it’s not in their purview. Your challenge as a leader of the immediate is to ensure that you are keeping

July 16, 2023

Greg Thomas

Missed Deliverables

You will miss deliverables. They will slip. Something will crop up that will make it impossible for you to hit. The questions that matter more are; Did you give people notice weeks or hours before? Do you have a backup plan? Are you short on resources to accomplish the goal? What changed that impacted things? Often we aren’t concerned about the missed deliverable, but why it happened, when did we think it was going to happen, and what’s the plan for getting back on track. That’s what builds leadership in software delivery.

July 13, 2023

Greg Thomas

Assembling the Team

The first task in any new project you lead is assembling the team. You need a group that will deliver, try new ideas, keep the focus on what is important, grind it out when the chips are down, work at a steady pace from beginning to end, learn new skills, and discard old ones. And above all else, you need leaders, for whatever you are doing, you won’t be able to make all the decisions all the time and you need to make sure your team is able to empower themselves and each other to make those decisions. And wherever

July 10, 2023

Greg Thomas

Communicating Value

There are lots of articles and blogs out there that start with… “How to get out of…” “Why you shouldn’t attend…” “How to avoid…” “Skip this if you can…” The content is generally the same and focuses on how you shouldn’t attend specific meetings. What it comes down to in any of these cases, all the time is and always will be valued. Do you bring value to the meeting?  Talk with who set it up, maybe you are missing something? Are you not sure what the point of the meeting is?  Talk with the organizer, maybe they have a

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