Chris Sims: The Hidden Cost of "No Time for People Stuff" in Software Teams

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Chris Sims shares a challenging team situation involving strong personalities with conflicting opinions about how to approach their work. What began as small disagreements evolved into harmful behaviors including harsh criticisms and behind-the-back comments. As resentment grew, conflicts intensified, leading to a toxic environment that ultimately resulted in team members being dismissed. Chris highlights how the team's self-imposed belief that "we don't have time for this people-stuff" prevented them from addressing issues early. He recommends one-on-one coaching, exploring why people react as they do, using retrospectives to address latent conflicts, and explicitly discussing desired team culture with reference to the Scrum value of respect. Chris emphasizes that maintaining team health should take priority over productivity concerns, even during high-pressure situations.

In this segment, we refer to the Core Protocols episode with Richard Kasperowski, and the Superchicken Paradox Ted Talk by Margaret Heffernan.

Featured Book of the Week: The Elements of Scrum

Chris shares his experience writing "The Elements of Scrum," a book he co-authored using Scrum principles and a story mapping approach. The process of writing the book became a significant learning experience for Chris. He also recommends "Sacred Hoops" by Phil Jackson, which explores how to manage teams of great professionals. Phil Jackson is renowned for his ability to get exceptional players to function effectively as a cohesive team, making this book particularly valuable for those managing talented individuals with strong personalities.

Self-reflection Question: How might you better balance technical excellence with interpersonal dynamics in your high-performing teams?

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About Chris Sims Chris Sims is a scrum trainer, agile coach, and recovering C++ developer who helps organizations improve their productivity and happiness. Chris is the founder of Agile Learning Labs and the co-author of two best-selling scrum books: The Elements of Scrum and Scrum: a Breathtakingly Brief and Agile Introduction.

You can link with Chris Sims on LinkedIn, visit Chris Sims’ Agile Learning Labs website.