The hottest Team Dynamics Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

Weekly Notes

Rethinking Software • 99 implied HN points • 21 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Agile Methodology Coding Practices Team Dynamics
  1. Managing programmers can be unpredictable. It's important to accept that things may not always go as planned.
  2. Euphemisms in corporate language can hide unpleasant truths. Words like 'alignment' often mean forcing compliance rather than true cooperation.
  3. Scrum practices may not be effective for all teams. Some core principles can actually create stress and hinder productivity instead of helping it.

From Rockets to Roadmaps: An Engineer's Guide to Product Success

Dev Interrupted • 14 implied HN points • 03 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Engineering Culture AI Applications Product Management Team Dynamics
  1. Engineers can drive product vision, leading to faster and more innovative development. This shifts the focus from just coding to solving real business problems.
  2. With AI making coding easier, engineers who understand customer needs and market trends will stand out. Their blend of technical skills and business savvy is crucial for success.
  3. Collaboration and teamwork are key in software development. It's not just about individual contributions but how teams work together to create better solutions.

Pleasure

Venture Prose • 199 implied HN points • 10 Sep 23
💼 Business Relationships Communication Conflict resolution Team Dynamics
  1. Friction in relationships often stems from differences and disagreements, rather than one person being solely at fault.
  2. Understanding each other's vulnerabilities and flaws is crucial for building strong relationships.
  3. It's important to find pleasure and enjoyment in your interactions and collaborations with others to maintain healthy relationships.

Founder DNA

The Leadership Lab • 196 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
💼 Business Leadership Organizational Behavior Team Dynamics Personal Growth Feedback
  1. Every aspect of your team's culture reflects your strengths, blind spots, and dysfunctional behaviors as a leader.
  2. Founder DNA influences how teams adopt a leader's habits and behavioral patterns, leading to organizational dysfunction.
  3. Team culture stems directly from a leader's psychological and relational patterns, affecting how employees interact and behave within the organization.
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Why your Leadership team needs a candid self-assessment

The Leadership Lab • 196 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
💼 Business Leadership Management Self-assessment Team Dynamics Feedback
  1. Assessing your leadership team is crucial, as it impacts the overall success of the company.
  2. Conduct a candid self-assessment with your leadership team, focusing on good questions and embracing candor.
  3. Regularly assessing and addressing improvement areas within the leadership team can significantly boost a company's performance.

Navigating the Shift from Feature to Product Teams and Building a Product Mindset

An Innovator's Sketchbook • 98 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
💼 Business Product Management Feedback Team Dynamics Leadership Organizational Culture
  1. Transitioning from feature to product teams involves empowering cross-functional teams focused on outcomes and value.
  2. The localization industry is evolving with AI, leading to job destruction but also creating new business opportunities.
  3. Feedback is important for team growth, and using the 'Situation-Behavior-Impact' framework can lead to effective and powerful feedback.

Engineering teams are like ADHD brains

peoplefirstengineering • 17 implied HN points • 27 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Management Team Dynamics Productivity
  1. Engineering teams have high cognitive load, just like ADHD brains. Both need to manage a lot of information at once, which can be overwhelming.
  2. Interruptions can hurt focus for both ADHD individuals and engineering teams. Managing distractions is crucial for getting work done effectively.
  3. Breaking down tasks helps both ADHD individuals and engineers. Smaller tasks make big projects feel less overwhelming and more manageable.

ShuHaRi

Wisdom over Waves • 139 implied HN points • 30 Nov 23
💼 Business Team Dynamics Innovation Company Values
  1. ShuHaRi model involves following rules, breaking away from them, and creating your own rules.
  2. Transition from valued practices to rigid processes can lead to loss of dynamism and creativity.
  3. It's important to adhere to the spirit of practices, not just the letter, to avoid destructive outcomes.

Should Subscriber Norm Have Been Kicked out of Vince Carter's Jersey Retirement?

House of Strauss • 22 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
🎾 Sports Basketball Fan culture Team Dynamics Sports Commentary
  1. A fan named Norm was kicked out of an NBA game for heckling Vince Carter during his jersey retirement. He expressed his long-standing dislike for Carter, calling him a 'quitter' as he walked by.
  2. The incident highlights a growing rift between NBA players and fans, with players feeling elevated and fans feeling ignored. There's a sense that the NBA doesn't cater to fan opinions anymore.
  3. Norm feels the Raptors' response shows they care more about the players than their fans. Even though some fans appreciate the team's reconciliation with Carter, others feel sidelined and unsatisfied with the current state of the league.

Founding a company? My nudge to choose to be co-located (vs distributed).

Sarah Tavel's Newsletter • 176 implied HN points • 09 Mar 23
💼 Business Startups Remote work Entrepreneurship Team Dynamics
  1. Consider starting a company with a co-located team for better collaboration and success.
  2. Being together in person can enhance communication, creativity, and team strength in early stages.
  3. As a company grows, balancing co-located and distributed teams becomes necessary for accessing talent and navigating trade-offs.

How the All Blacks stopped being "chokers"

Ben’s Blog 🏉 🧠🧑‍💻 • 36 implied HN points • 15 Jan 25
🎾 Sports Leadership Performance Team Dynamics
  1. The All Blacks learned to handle pressure better after being called 'chokers'. They realized that being physically fit wasn't enough to win under stress.
  2. They brought in a psychologist who taught them to focus on their process and how to reset themselves during games. This helped them stay calm and perform better.
  3. By changing their mindset and improving their mental game, the All Blacks became two-time World Cup champions and showed the importance of mental strength in sports.

The Real Reason Bryce Underwood Flipped His Commitment From LSU To Michigan

Huddle Up • 14 implied HN points • 25 Nov 24
🎾 Sports College Football Recruitment Team Dynamics
  1. Bryce Underwood is a highly regarded quarterback and recently switched his commitment from LSU to Michigan. This change surprised many because he had initially committed to LSU just before Michigan's national championship.
  2. His decision to flip schools wasn't simply about money, though some people think it was due to Michigan's NIL offer. There were many factors at play, including long-standing connections and influential figures in his decision.
  3. Underwood has had an amazing high school football career, winning two state championships and throwing a lot of touchdowns. He’s also grown up close to Michigan's campus, which likely influenced his choice too.

Cooper Flagg Will Have A Zion Williamson-Like Impact At Duke

Huddle Up • 17 implied HN points • 06 Nov 24
🎾 Sports Basketball Athletes Coaching Training Team Dynamics
  1. Cooper Flagg is expected to have a huge impact at Duke, much like Zion Williamson did. He has a lot of talent and skill that can change games.
  2. Fans and analysts believe Flagg's presence will draw attention and elevate the team's performance. His style of play can inspire those around him.
  3. His performance at Duke may lead to a bright future in professional basketball, similar to fandom and support experienced by Zion during his college career.

Being in the details

The Engineering Manager • 11 implied HN points • 30 Nov 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Organizational Behavior Efficiency Team Dynamics
  1. Being involved in the details of your organization is crucial. It helps you make better decisions and keeps you accountable for your team's work.
  2. Good management means delegating responsibility but also staying accountable. You need to know what your team is doing and the progress of important projects.
  3. It's possible to be detail-oriented without micromanaging. Techniques like direct reports, regular deep dives, and collaborative work can help you stay engaged.

Platform vs. DevEx teams: What’s the difference?

Engineering Enablement • 14 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Engineering Data Management Team Dynamics Productivity Tools
  1. Platform teams handle a broader range of responsibilities compared to Developer Experience teams. This means they are involved in more of the underlying tech operations.
  2. Local development, source code management, and incident management are key tasks for both types of teams. These areas help developers write and deploy their code more smoothly.
  3. The name of the team can reflect its focus. Some teams prioritize overall developer support while others are more infrastructure-focused, suggesting that their approach can change based on company needs.

How I almost quit because of $75

Leading Developers • 114 implied HN points • 27 Feb 24
💼 Business Workplace Challenges Personal Growth Career decisions Company Culture Team Dynamics
  1. Throughout your career, there will be moments where you consider quitting. It's important to weigh the reasons behind your feelings and analyze your options before making a decision.
  2. Sometimes, finding new challenges and growth opportunities can be discovered outside of work. Exploring different avenues and testing your skills in various areas can provide valuable experiences.
  3. Building strong relationships with colleagues and having trust in your team and the direction of your company can be key factors in deciding to stay and overcome challenges at work.

The Brilliant Jerk vs. Team Performance - Problem #3

Fish Food for Thought • 11 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
💼 Business Team Dynamics Workplace culture Leadership Employee engagement
  1. Brilliant jerks might deliver great results, but their bad behavior can really hurt team morale and performance. Focusing on team success is way more important than tolerating toxic individuals.
  2. Toxic employees can create a fearful environment where others don’t share ideas or take risks. This stifles creativity and can lead to poor overall performance.
  3. Companies need to set clear behavior expectations and not let talented individuals hurt team dynamics. Prioritizing collaboration and respect helps everyone do their best work.

I Am Garlic, Hear Me Screech

The Elbow • 98 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🎾 Sports Team Dynamics Competition
  1. Swapping jerseys in Ultimate Frisbee is a tradition but not always common.
  2. The author embraced a unique and quirky persona named Garlic while playing Frisbee.
  3. Playing the role of 'mark' in zone defense was the primary function of the author, and they excelled at it.

The MANY Alternatives to Scrum

Rethinking Software • 50 HN points • 01 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Software Development Agile methodologies Project management Open Source Team Dynamics
  1. Scrum isn't the only way to manage software development. There are many effective alternatives that some companies are using successfully.
  2. Each alternative relies on worker freedom and experimenting, so it's important to find a process that fits your team's needs, not just a one-size-fits-all solution.
  3. Processes like Kanban or Agile focus on continuous flow and autonomy, which can lead to better results than traditional Scrum methods.

Edited: Unchallenged assumptions #1 Hierarchical reporting structure

Great CTOs 'Focus on outcomes' • 39 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
💼 Business Management Organizational Structure Leadership Workplace culture Team Dynamics
  1. Hierarchical reporting structure is an unchallenged assumption in most companies.
  2. Challenging the responsibilities associated with line management can lead to better outcomes.
  3. Simpler adjustments like shifting responsibilities can shift incentives and benefit managers and teams.

The "Macros" for healthy engineering teams - part 3: Fats

The Healthy Engineering Leader • 19 implied HN points • 17 Apr 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Team Dynamics Strategic Planning Productivity
  1. Strategic thinking is like 'good fat' for engineering teams, helping them store energy and prepare for future challenges. It keeps teams motivated and focused on long-term success.
  2. Technical debt is considered 'bad fat' that can lead to inefficiencies and low morale. Just like bad fats in the diet, if ignored, it can cause serious problems down the line.
  3. Engineering leaders should encourage their teams to develop strategies that address technical debt, ensuring ongoing productivity and health for the team and the software they produce.

RDEL #37: What drives sense of belonging on software teams?

Research-Driven Engineering Leadership • 19 implied HN points • 08 Apr 24
💼 Business Team Dynamics Leadership Work Culture Employee performance
  1. Teams with a strong sense of belonging are more effective and deliver more value due to better communication, trust, and a supportive environment for experimentation.
  2. Factors such as psychological safety and work appreciation positively impact the sense of belonging on software teams.
  3. For managers, recognizing and appreciating team efforts significantly influences the sense of belonging and overall team productivity.

Addressing the challenges of partially distributed engineering teams

It Depends / Nimble Autonomy • 19 implied HN points • 07 Apr 24
💼 Business Management Team Dynamics Remote work Leadership Communication
  1. Partially distributed teams face communication issues because some team members are in the office while others are remote. This can lead to misunderstandings and feelings of isolation for those not present.
  2. Visibility is important in a team; if members are not seen often, their work may be overlooked during reviews and recognition. It's crucial for managers to be aware of everyone's contributions, regardless of where they work.
  3. Creating clear expectations around availability and encouraging informal conversations can help build better relationships within the team. Taking time to connect as people makes working together easier.

Does Damian Lillard make the Bucks the best team in the East?

Silver Bulletin • 121 implied HN points • 27 Sep 23
🎾 Sports Basketball NBA Trades Analysis Team Dynamics
  1. Bucks are now Eastern Conference favorites after acquiring Damian Lillard in a trade.
  2. Lillard's offensive prowess is seen as outweighing the defensive downgrade the Bucks face with this trade.
  3. The trade helps Bucks' half-court offense, secures Giannis' future with the team, and weakens a potential Eastern Conference rival.

"I don't want to do our cheat way of getting 12 objectives by bundling everything under three things"

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 4 HN points • 23 Jul 24
💼 Business Strategy Management Leadership Team Dynamics Productivity
  1. It's really hard to focus on just three priorities because teams often want to tackle too many things at once. Picking fewer goals helps you actually get more done.
  2. Organizations keep adding new projects and ideas without removing old ones, which creates overload. It's important to occasionally remove tasks or projects to avoid burnout.
  3. Having too many ideas can slow down progress, so it’s essential to have a way to filter them. Voting or aligning them with key priorities helps decide which ideas to pursue.