The Tale of Two Teams: Crimson Phoenix vs. Indigo Titans
Many years ago, I worked at a software company whose name I won’t mention. The struggles we faced were no different than those of many other software companies of similar size, composition, and target market.
The story I’ll be sharing is heavily modified to avoid naming any individuals or companies. Our company had two teams working on a critical Java-based application, leveraging technologies like Tomcat, JBoss, and Spring Boot. The success or failure of this project depended heavily on the leadership style of the team leads. For the sake of this story, let’s call these teams Crimson Phoenix and Indigo Titans.
Crimson Phoenix: The Struggle
Crimson Phoenix was led by “Mark” (not his real name). Mark was a talented developer who recently transitioned into a leadership role. Despite his technical skills, he struggled with the nuances of team management. The open-plan office in downtown Toronto buzzed with activity, but not all was well within the team. Integrating multiple microservices, ensuring compatibility across different platforms, and maintaining high performance under heavy load were no easy feats. The team, a mix of junior and senior developers, each with unique strengths and perspectives, often found themselves at odds.
Mark rarely sought feedback from his team. When a junior developer identified a critical bug in the user authentication module, his concerns were brushed aside. This oversight delayed the project and demoralized the team. Responsibilities were vaguely defined, leading to duplicated efforts and missed deadlines. Developers often stepped on each other’s toes, and QA engineers were unclear on which features were ready for testing, resulting in a chaotic workflow. The team frequently lacked the necessary tools and resources, and constant interruptions significantly reduced productivity. Important decisions were communicated verbally during impromptu meetings, leading to rampant misunderstandings and out-of-sync team members. Mark’s actions were inconsistent, leading to a lack of trust. Team members were unsure if their contributions were valued, which negatively impacted collaboration.
Indigo Titans: The Success
In contrast, Indigo Titans, led by “Sarah” (not her real name), approached leadership differently and saw significantly better results. Their collaborative workspace near Toronto’s waterfront was filled with diagrams and post-it notes, illustrating ongoing discussions and plans. Similar to Crimson Phoenix, their project involved integrating multiple microservices, ensuring compatibility, and maintaining performance. However, Sarah’s leadership style made all the difference.
Sarah held regular feedback sessions. When a junior developer raised a concern about potential security flaws in the new payment gateway, Sarah took it seriously, prompting a thorough review and timely fix. This practice not only boosted morale but also uncovered valuable insights early. Responsibilities and expected outcomes were crystal clear. Each developer knew their specific tasks, and QA engineers had a well-defined testing schedule. This clarity ensured a smooth workflow and higher efficiency. Sarah ensured the team had all necessary resources and minimized context switching by shielding the team from unnecessary interruptions. This allowed developers to focus deeply on their tasks, significantly boosting productivity. She emphasized the importance of clear and written communication, documenting decisions and expectations to provide a consistent reference for the team. This reduced misunderstandings and ensured alignment. Sarah’s actions were consistent and transparent. Team members felt confident that their efforts were recognized and valued, fostering a strong foundation of trust.
The Importance of Filtering Communication
Emails and meeting invites are key points of inbound and outbound communication. As a team lead, one of your most crucial roles is to filter and enhance the quality of this information. For inbound communication, it’s essential to sift through incoming emails and meeting invites to extract valuable information and discard the irrelevant. This ensures that only pertinent information reaches your team, helping maintain focus and reducing unnecessary distractions. It’s important to distill complex information into clear, actionable items. This prevents confusion and ensures that your team understands the context and requirements of their tasks.
For outbound communication, when communicating with stakeholders or other teams, ensure that the outgoing information is precise and valuable. This involves stripping away unnecessary details and highlighting key points to make the communication effective. Clear and focused outbound communication helps in setting the right expectations and showcases the high quality of your team’s efforts. It also aids in building a positive reputation for the team.
Leadership Insights from Industry Leaders
Great tech leaders exemplify the communication behaviors that set them apart. Jeff Bezos of Amazon once said, “The great thing about fact-based decisions is that they overrule the hierarchy.” This reflects the importance of clear and fact-based communication, bypassing unnecessary hierarchies to get the job done efficiently.
Sheryl Sandberg from Meta highlights the importance of awareness in leadership, stating, “We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change.” Effective leaders like Sarah are aware of their team’s dynamics and needs, using this awareness to drive positive change.
Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway emphasizes simplicity in business practices: “The business schools reward difficult complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective.” Sarah’s approach to clear and simple communication aligns with this principle, leading to better team outcomes.
Elon Musk advocates for direct communication, saying, “Communication should travel via the shortest path necessary to get the job done, not through the chain of command.” Sarah’s practice of regular feedback sessions and direct communication exemplifies this approach, ensuring that important information reaches the right people quickly.
Satya Nadella from Microsoft believes in the power of culture and structure: “The right culture and the right structure and the right people will make a big difference.” By fostering a culture of open communication and providing the necessary resources, Sarah set her team up for success.
Tim Cook of Apple reminds us to find joy in the process: “Let your joy be in your journey – not in some distant goal.” Sarah’s leadership style, which recognized and valued her team’s efforts, helped create a positive and engaging work environment.
Mary Barra of General Motors defines innovation as providing value to the customer: “My definition of ‘innovative’ is providing value to the customer.” Effective communication ensures that the team’s efforts align with customer needs, driving innovation and value.
Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo notes the challenge of defining leadership: “Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader.” Sarah’s ability to gain her team’s trust and commitment is a testament to her effective leadership.
Reasons for Communication Failures
Not all managers and executives exhibit these communication behaviors, and there are several reasons for this. Some leaders may not have received adequate training in effective communication and leadership practices. They might rely on their technical skills rather than developing their management skills. Executives often face significant time pressures and may prioritize immediate task completion over long-term team development, leading to rushed, unclear communication and inconsistent leadership. Some leaders might prioritize their own work and goals over the needs of their team, not seeing the value in investing time in regular feedback sessions or clear documentation. In some organizational cultures, top-down communication and decision-making are the norms, and leaders might follow these established practices rather than adopting more inclusive and transparent communication strategies. Lastly, admitting mistakes, seeking feedback, and being transparent can be seen as signs of vulnerability, and some leaders might avoid these behaviors to protect their authority and reputation.
Leading by Example: You Can’t Change Culture Overnight
Changing the culture of a team doesn’t happen overnight. However, as a team lead, you can have a significant and lasting impact by embodying the change you wish to see. Your actions and communication set the standard for your team.
Show your team how to work and communicate effectively by doing so yourself. Be the model of clarity, consistency, and responsiveness. If you want your team to prioritize clear written communication, make sure you do the same. If you value feedback, actively seek it out and act on it. Consistently applying these principles builds trust and sets a standard that your team will follow. Over time, these behaviors become ingrained in the team’s culture.
Conclusion
Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful leadership. As Jeff Bezos reminds us, fact-based decisions overrule hierarchy, highlighting the importance of clear and direct communication. Leaders like Sheryl Sandberg and Elon Musk emphasize awareness and direct communication, ensuring that information flows freely and accurately. By adopting these principles and leading by example, you can transform your team’s culture, fostering an environment of trust, clarity, and high performance.
Your actions today set the foundation for your team’s success tomorrow. Whether you are navigating the complexities of microservices or managing diverse team dynamics, your commitment to clear, consistent, and transparent communication will pave the way for remarkable achievements. Remember, while you can’t change the culture overnight, your dedication to leading by example will create significant and lasting change. Embrace the journey, empower your team, and watch as your collective efforts lead to unparalleled success.
The DevOps Joint 
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