The document discusses the challenges of being a team leader stuck in a cycle of learned helplessness and passivity. It suggests that gentle pushes toward simplicity, like establishing clear expectations and communication, being physically and intellectually present, introducing new ideas and small changes can help empower teams and break the cycle. It emphasizes having fun as important for the team leader and the team.

1. The Groundhog Day of a Team Leader
by
Zsolt Fabok
2012.08.30
@ZsoltFabok #ALE2012
http://zsoltfabok.com/ http://ale2012.alenetwork.eu/

2. Groundhog Day
(Atrapado en el tiempo)
Picture courtesy of Columbia Pictures

3. Groundhog Day
(Atrapado en el tiempo)
Picture courtesy of Columbia Pictures

4. Groundhog Day
(Atrapado en el tiempo)
Picture courtesy of Columbia Pictures

5. Groundhog Day
(Atrapado en el tiempo)
Picture courtesy of Columbia Pictures

6. Groundhog Day
(Atrapado en el tiempo)
Picture courtesy of Columbia Pictures

7. Groundhog Day
(Atrapado en el tiempo)
Picture courtesy of Columbia Pictures

8. Groundhog Day
(Atrapado en el tiempo)
Picture courtesy of Columbia Pictures

9. Groundhog Day
(Atrapado en el tiempo)
Helpless
Picture courtesy of Columbia Pictures

10. The dog experiment
by
Prof. Dr. Martin Seligman
http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/myersinmodules/psychquest/05/0504.htm

11. Learned helplessness
is a technical term that refers to the condition of a
human or animal that has learned to behave
helplessly, failing to respond even though there
are opportunities for it to help itself by avoiding
unpleasant circumstances or by gaining positive
rewards.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_helplessness

12. Learned Causes (in our environment)
Helplessness Passivity
No empowerment
No improvements

13. Learned Causes (in our environment)
Helplessness Passivity
No empowerment
No improvements
A super hero team leader arises

14. A super hero
Wants change
Doesn’t trust the system
Doesn’t trust anybody
Works alone

15. A super hero team leader in action
90
number of commits
68
45
23
0
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Team leader 1
Team Leader 2
Average team member

16. A super hero team leader in action
30
number of commits
23
15
8
0
w31 w32 w33 w34 w35 w36 w37
Team leader 1
Average team member

17. Learned Causes (in our environment)
Helplessness Passivity
No empowerment
No improvements
A super hero team leader arises

18. Possible Gentle push
cures Simplicity

19. Gentle push
and
simplicity
For example,
Shu-Ha-Ri
Picture courtesy of Digital Natives

20. Gentle push
and
simplicity
For example,
Shu-Ha-Ri
Picture courtesy of Digital Natives

21. Gentle push
and
simplicity
For example,
Shu-Ha-Ri
Picture courtesy of Digital Natives

22. In order to support your team
through this difficult period
you must be intellectually
present (be a good craftsman)

23. Lead by example
Sit down and code
Do code review
Test and deploy
Read (books and posts)
Play on stackoverflow/stackexchange

24. Possible Gentle push
cures Simplicity
Team setup

25. Team setup
Have a team
without
poisonous
people

26. Possible Gentle push
cures Simplicity
Team setup
New ideas

33. If this is you...
...then find this guy

34. If this is your teammate...
...then be this guy

35. After reaching the critical mass...
...it’s time to let the group
continue by itself

36. Possible Gentle push
cures Simplicity
Team setup
New ideas
High expectations

37. The class room experiment
by
Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson

38. Pygmalion Effect
People will perform to the level of
expectations you set for them.

39. High Requires
Expectations Vision
on team level

40. High Requires
Expectations Vision
on team level Communication (feedback)

41. Communication
“Fact and sensitivity -
knowing the state of the
mind - create an impact”
Neil deGrasse Tyson

42. Right state of mind

43. In order to provide usable feedback,
you must be emotionally present
(understand the state of the mind)

44. High Requires
Expectations Vision
on team level Communication (feedback)
Physical presence

45. The Hawthorne experiments
by
Elton Mayo

46. Hawthorne Effect
the phenomenon in which subjects
in behavioral studies change their
performance in response to being
observed.

47. Hawthorne in our environment
effect Being physically present
Small environmental changes

48. Phil’s Last Day

49. Phil’s Last Day

50. Phil’s Last Day

51. Phil’s Last Day

52. Phil’s last day Reality
craftsmanship
part of the community
good boyfriend material
having fun

53. Phil’s last day Reality
craftsmanship intellectually present
part of the community new ideas,
physically present,
changes the environment,
no heroism
good boyfriend material emotionally present,
right state of mind
having fun ?

54. Having fun
is a must!

55. Phil’s last day Reality
craftsmanship intellectually present
part of the community new ideas,
physically present,
changes the environment,
no heroism
good boyfriend material emotionally present,
right state of mind
having fun having fun

56. Yo
u’Phil’s last day Reality
da ll n
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in all
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he community new ideas,
part of the lpl o h - li
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sn yo Ph changes the environment,
es
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good boyfriend material emotionally present, fro las
right state of mind t
m
having fun having fun

57. Thank you very much for your attention!
http://zsoltfabok.com/ @ZsoltFabok