Re: ::scr Extreme Programming's Pair Programming

[Simon Batistoni <simon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 01/10/01 12:52 +0100, Greg McCarroll wrote:
> * Simon Batistoni (simon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) wrote:
> > [stuff]
> 
> but can this not be done with well oiled teams, 

Yes, I think you're just scaling up what I said - and there are
probably larger benefits as the approach is scaled up. I've never
worked in a large company, so I tend to think in terms of pairs ;)

> then sit them near each other, even give them t-shirts if it 
> helps and make sure each one has a dynamic team leader, who can
> inspire his group to out perform the others
> 
> competition is a great motivator,

Well, according to "Renegades of the Empire"[0], this is exactly how
Microsoft is structured internally, which means there are a lot of
projects which never see the day, as the managers in charge of them
try to piss on each other's fires.

I think it can work as a motivator, but only for certain types of
people, and the danger is that you only need one person in your team
to be uncomfortable with internal competition for cracks to appear.

I think it can also be resource-hungry (teams will attempt to
supercede other teams' output, thereby rendering their work
redundant), so you need a reasonably large firm, which can cope with
the drain.


[0] -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0609807455/o/qid=/sr=8-1/ref=sr_aps_b_1_1/202-9421367-7377434
Or I have a copy if people are interested in borrowing. I can bring
it to london.pm on Thur.

-- 

Simon Batistoni            Penseroso Ltd
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