Staying Small in a Big Place: Part 1
I love Getting Real. Agility is the key to the web, I am sure of that now more than ever. Small teams can move quickly, lightly, and effectively. But is there room for small teams in large organizations? I sure hope so.
Every day I deal with large, heavy parts of a large University. It’s like herding cats to even get things done, let alone get them done on time. So how do we stay away from that trap? Here’s five quick suggestions. More will come, but this should be a good starting point.
Get Talented People
This should be obvious, and hopefully is already in place. Qualified people help build your reputation, and as a small piece of a large body, your reputation is your currency. Find people who are experts at their work and are like-minded, but diverse in experience. Small teams need talented people.
Know Your Process
Those talented people have to know how to work together. Figure out how best to work with each other, and stick to it. Reevaluate your process often to see where you are falling short, or if your process needs improvement. In a small team, everyone needs to be on the same page, and know exactly on which page they are. You have to know your process.
Simplify the Problem
When encountered with an task, don’t complicate the solution, simplify the problem. If part of your process (or somebody else’s process) is a pain point, before you figure out how to do it more efficiently, see if you can eliminate the need entirely. It’s the classic ‘Treat the illness, not the symptoms’ line, but sometimes it can be difficult to take a step back and evaluate things from a clean perspective. Better perspective can help simplify your problems.
Channel Your Frustration
Dealing with a heavy, unorganized group can be very frustrating. This can lead to complaining, bickering, and lots and lots of talk. Stop complaining about things and fix them. If you can’t, find somebody who can. Find common bonds with other groups. Build like-minded relationships, and you’ll have more weight to solve your problems. Channel your frustration into meaningful solutions.
Eliminate the Bureaucracy
While you may not be able to get away from the dreaded ‘Org Chart,’ you can help avoid the attitudes that often accompany such ‘organization.’ If you happen to be in a position that deals with supervisors outside of your group, be a disconnect for that bureaucracy. Don’t bring in the manager/employee attitude where it’s not necessary. Sure, in that environment you will have levels, managers, directors, etc. But every member of a small team is essential. All have input, and all need to feel ownership of the service, product, or whatever your deliverables happen to be. It’s just easier to eliminate the bureaucracy.
It Is Possible
Your small team can be effective, even if you’re part of a huge organization. And a healthy level of patience is always helpful. Keep up the good work.
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Published April 27, 2006 by:
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So far there are 7 comments.
While process by no means can be ignored, in my opinion, everything rests on the talent of the people. It is nice to see that as the first list item because the best process and methodology without talent is meaningless.
Nice article.
April 27th, 2006
Sounds like we’re in exactly the same place. I’ve got an exceptional team of four working within a University as well. Everything you’ve said here is bang on. We try to keep things simple, and cut through the B.S. as much as possible to just focus on the goal. My role within the group is largely to facilitate work with the externals and try to shelter the others as much as possible so that they can just focus on getting their work done.
We’ve been really successful at it.
April 28th, 2006
Room for small teams in large organizations? Sure is. In order to be effective then it’s a must. I think the more successful large corporations (you can be large and unsuccessful) have a better balance by breaking up folks into teams.
And on the topic of finding talented people. You’re right on Steve. I always say it’s better to hire ‘one’ super-star developer rather than ‘ten’ mediocre ones.
April 28th, 2006
Excellent points, Steve. This sums up much of what I’ve come to believe after 5+ years. This is perfect for where I’m at right now too, trying to find a way to act like a small team in a university environment. Here’s a question for you: what do you do if you’re not in charge of said team and in fact the person who is isn’t much of a team player, has sort of an old-school view of web development and isn’t open to input?
April 29th, 2006
P.J.: Thanks.
J Lane: Sounds like you’re in a good place. Congratulations.
Dustin: Nice to know Y! is in on the small teams deal too.
Dave: I’m glad you agree. The answer to your question is tough. Often times these kinds of people need more hard evidence than compelling arguments. Bring them a business case with actual numbers and dollar signs. Prove why the way you want to do things is better. Make it an official request. If you bring it up in that way, and you’re still ignored, that’s the right time to take it to their supervisors. See, there’s some benefit to being in a big place!
April 29th, 2006
It is good to see that this problem is not uncommon. It is much better to see that my plan (figured out two days ago :-) to solve the problem matches ~90% of the suggestions mentioned above. Now I’m eager to see if I can push it through…
May 10th, 2006