Successful development team management is about enabling the inherent desire for productivity and creativity that resides within each team member while building accountability between team members.

30
Years

Team

Sports

20
Years

Software Development

15
Years

Team

Building

Building a highly effective development team is not very different from building a high-performing sports team.

Team members must work FOR each other not just WITH each other.

Reviews

Sean is a goals-oriented team-leader who never says "no" to a challenge. He is an extremely talented platform designer and developer always ready to push into bleeding-edge technologies.

Software Developer (employee)

Sean is a motivated and technical development director that always puts the needs of the customer at the heart of every decision he makes. His hands on approach with the development team is a refreshing approach that really adds value to what we do.

Product Manager

Loading...

[H]e is the type of manager who leads by example, never asking his team to shoulder a heavier workload than himself. His skill at understanding both the engineering and business needs of software development makes him a effective leader and someone who can get the best out of his team.

Software Developer (employee)

Intelligent, energetic, and down-to-earth—he has been a great mentor and friend to me over the years and I can personally vouch for the professional growth he is able to facilitate from those he works with.

Software Developer (employee)

As a manager, he is incredibly adept at understanding both the skill sets and limitations of team members, and he actively helps people succeed in their roles.

Software Developer (employee)

The Right Mix of Qualities in Your Team is Key

Too much ego and a smart developer will become intolerable and dominate the team.

Too little ego and great ideas go unoffered.

An appropriate amount of Curiosity leads developers to learning new things. It leads them to question the status quo and seek for improvements.

Too much curiosity leads to a bad case of what I call "Oooh! Shiny!" where the newest tech is investigated (and often implemented) without a thorough understanding or evaluation of its utility. Too much curiosity leads to a lack of focus.

Not enough curiosity can present as apathy or just an acceptance of the status quo.

Principles for Development Teams

Do your teams have rules to follow or principles to guide them?

Principles allow teams to be flexible and intelligent. In Scrum terms, they self-manage. Principles allow teams to make intelligent and reasoned decisions.