Over on
Delivering Value ,
Chris Pitts talks about
the non-technical skills or
attributes that are important in an agile team :
The most important skill is empathy. You've got to see what the other guy is talking about even if you consider it to be wrong. Equally, you have to see what issues your colleagues have and be prepared to help. You need the courage to share information openly and honestly (and your fellow team members are empathic, right? So it should be safe to do this). Finally all this boils down to trust and the ability to communicate without being judgmental (or judged). But, perhaps the number one skill is the ability to have fun while working!Chris contrasts this with the political corporate culture so prevalent today:
Corporate droids often see information sharing as a weakness to be exploited. In the same vein, the ability to see another's point of view and to help them is also considered a weakness. It stops you from using the information they've divulged against them to climb the corporate ladder. Corporate droids hate to see people having fun. There is no direct value in fun. And, combine short-termism with a modicum of fear, e.g. loss of job, lousy performance review and impact on career, and you get CYA syndrome.Feel free to join the Delivering Value social network.
