Comments on: Discipline versus Motivation http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/ Tales from the Edge of Technology Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:06:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Chris http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-148 Chris Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:38:27 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-148 @Ricardo, I wasn't implying that agile meant a lack of discipline. What I am saying is that too many people think that agile success is based on discipline alone. I agree that discipline is part of agile success, but in a broader sense, agile success, or any kind of success, is based more on motivation than discipline. Just because you can follow rules, doesn't make you successful. @Ricardo, I wasn’t implying that agile meant a lack of discipline. What I am saying is that too many people think that agile success is based on discipline alone. I agree that discipline is part of agile success, but in a broader sense, agile success, or any kind of success, is based more on motivation than discipline. Just because you can follow rules, doesn’t make you successful.

]]> By: Ricardo Colusso http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-146 Ricardo Colusso Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:14:52 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-146 Chris, I would like to comment that Agility does not mean "lack of discipline". Actually, that's the opposite. Thinking for example on teams using Scrum, discipline is there all the time: - well defined roles for ScrumMaster, Product Owner, and Team - estimations are done by Team members - user stories in the commited backlog can not be changed until the current sprint ends (otherwise the sprint has to be broken) - stand up meetings every day, in the same place, timeboxed to less than 15' - every team member updates how long it will take to complete an unfinish task he already took, at the end of the day etc. So the best Agile teams have clear rules and discipline that help them to enter into "flow", to achieve a lot by having a constant rythm that could not be achieved without discipline. Discipline, commitment, "work on team flow", teamwork, and effective leadership is what keep Agile teams motivated! Regards, Ricardo Colusso Chris,

I would like to comment that Agility does not mean “lack of discipline”.

Actually, that’s the opposite.
Thinking for example on teams using Scrum, discipline is there all the time:

- well defined roles for ScrumMaster, Product Owner, and Team
- estimations are done by Team members
- user stories in the commited backlog can not be changed until the current sprint ends (otherwise the sprint has to be broken)
- stand up meetings every day, in the same place, timeboxed to less than 15′
- every team member updates how long it will take to complete an unfinish task he already took, at the end of the day
etc.

So the best Agile teams have clear rules and discipline that help them to enter into “flow”, to achieve a lot by having a constant rythm that could not be achieved without discipline.

Discipline, commitment, “work on team flow”, teamwork, and effective leadership is what keep Agile teams motivated!

Regards,
Ricardo Colusso

]]> By: Chris http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-141 Chris Sat, 25 Oct 2008 03:14:47 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-141 @ Alexander: I agree completely. I was offering more general guidance, but the actual implementation of either idea really needs to be tailored to teams and individuals on a case by case basis. @ Alexander: I agree completely. I was offering more general guidance, but the actual implementation of either idea really needs to be tailored to teams and individuals on a case by case basis.

]]> By: Patty Altstetter http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Patty Altstetter Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:29:45 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-136 I agree with Alexander's comment...know what works for your team members as individuals. Actually in some ways you are both saying the same thing. I think if you know what the strengths are for each member of your team and allow them to spend the majority of their time in that area (and acknowledge that you know you can't when the project constraints don't allow it), then you are making work more enjoyable and increasing their motivation. I agree with Alexander’s comment…know what works for your team members as individuals. Actually in some ways you are both saying the same thing. I think if you know what the strengths are for each member of your team and allow them to spend the majority of their time in that area (and acknowledge that you know you can’t when the project constraints don’t allow it), then you are making work more enjoyable and increasing their motivation.

]]> By: Rana Kundu http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-133 Rana Kundu Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:14:45 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-133 I think motivational strategies are important. The problem is that an “initiative” to create a motivational strategy tends to take on a life of its own. It becomes easy to get distracted with producing artifacts for the initiative, and to lose sight of the outcome of the initiative. Creating an enjoyable and unfettered work-day everyday for the team, fostering a collective sense of accountability, and letting a motivational strategy evolve might prove to be more effective. Discipline does not need to be perceived negatively either – as long as the set of rules to abide by has evolved within the team as a protocol for mutual interaction. I think motivational strategies are important. The problem is that an “initiative” to create a motivational strategy tends to take on a life of its own. It becomes easy to get distracted with producing artifacts for the initiative, and to lose sight of the outcome of the initiative. Creating an enjoyable and unfettered work-day everyday for the team, fostering a collective sense of accountability, and letting a motivational strategy evolve might prove to be more effective. Discipline does not need to be perceived negatively either – as long as the set of rules to abide by has evolved within the team as a protocol for mutual interaction.

]]> By: Mike Kireev http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-129 Mike Kireev Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:59:50 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-129 Agree as well. But it is often not so simple to make work enjoyable and use positive pressure Agree as well. But it is often not so simple to make work enjoyable and use positive pressure

]]> By: Alexander Yermakovich http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-84 Alexander Yermakovich Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:45:50 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-84 Agree with both points (Make it enjoyable; Use positive public pressure) and want to add that usually human beings are much more complicated and I do not think that there is silver bullet for each of us. For me to be an Agile manager means to find approach to every new person on the team every time. It changes even for one team member though the time. Psychology helps :) Agree with both points (Make it enjoyable; Use positive public pressure) and want to add that usually human beings are much more complicated and I do not think that there is silver bullet for each of us. For me to be an Agile manager means to find approach to every new person on the team every time. It changes even for one team member though the time. Psychology helps :)

]]> By: delicious_prog (delicious_prog) http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-1610 delicious_prog (delicious_prog) Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:15:43 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-1610 Discipline versus Motivation: Too many organizations waste time and money trying to create discipl.. http://tinyurl.com/3o8gwz Discipline versus Motivation: Too many organizations waste time and money trying to create discipl.. http://tinyurl.com/3o8gwz

]]> By: Chris http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Chris Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:40:57 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-45 Your welcome Hubert. And I agree, "reward" is a big part of this equation as well. Your welcome Hubert. And I agree, “reward” is a big part of this equation as well.

]]> By: Hubert Smits http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Hubert Smits Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:38:11 +0000 http://edgehopper.com/discipline-versus-motivation/#comment-44 Hey Chris, Thank you for this post, it triggers some thinking. Looking up 'motivation' in the Wikipedia it mentions 'reward' as import when motivating. Agile is working aggressively with this concept: it builds feedback loops (hopefully rewards!) on a daily basis (standup meeting), on an iteration basis (demo and retro) and on a release basis (public feedback). Darn, there's a lot of sense behind this agile concept :-) --Hubert Hey Chris,

Thank you for this post, it triggers some thinking. Looking up ‘motivation’ in the Wikipedia it mentions ‘reward’ as import when motivating. Agile is working aggressively with this concept: it builds feedback loops (hopefully rewards!) on a daily basis (standup meeting), on an iteration basis (demo and retro) and on a release basis (public feedback). Darn, there’s a lot of sense behind this agile concept :-)

–Hubert

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