More “weekend wisdom”.
Missed opportunity isn’t the end of opportunity. The key is not to allow missed opportunity to become an excuse for continual inaction.
Teams that struggle with teamwork in product development also struggle with moving beyond missing opportunity.
One of the reasons why reflective or retrospective feedback is important is to help us assess what can be done differently when a similar opportunity shows up in the future.
Capturing the signs that preceded the miss is a powerful way of preparing for the next break.
Just a bit of “weekend wisdom”.
I don’t know about you, but I can come up with more excused as to why I can’t “do a thing” than reasons for why I should do it.
At times, teams encounter similar conditions.
It’s not that a solution cannot be found. It generally involves the obstacles they need to overcome.
Product development is a space where obstacles may translate into opportunity.
Teamwork is an essential element to developing great products.
Could it be the case where an obstacle becomes a lever to test the members of the team in their ability to work as a team?
Practically writing, Emerson is on point.
And there are times when disagreement is needed. Even on the best teams.
Avoiding consistent behavior that focuses on individual effort rather than team outcomes is what this quote is about.
“No member of a crew is praised for the rugged individuality of his rowing.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Being the “devil’s advocate” to help identify weakness is good. Teams need members that will challenge assumptions.
As well, explicitly working against the team to help improve its performance does have its merits. There must be agreement on how that will work and defined guardrails to prevent it from being destructive.
Teamwork can have moments that seem like unneeded friction. Learning and growing in those moments help teams avoid “rugged individuality” over the long run.
