Building morale in the dev team

Question

What are some of the day to day things you do in your dev team that help build your team's morale?

Answer 1

1) Smile always

2) Say thank you

3) Always help

4) Give credit

5) Make them your friends

6) Do something other than your regular work together

Answer 2

Have lunch together.

Every day (well, almost).

Really, it works.

Answer 3

I think that collective code ownership is important and give the perception that work done is appreciated and that the team is making a difference. When things go wrong try and cut out resentment by doing group post mortems. A daily stand-up can prevent things going wrong and developers going dark.

Answer 4

I agree with everything Niyaz has said and would like to emphasize point 4... Give credit.

Tell your work mates that they have done a great/impressive/excellent/brilliant job and that your impressed.

Answer 5

Buy them fish and chips/pizza/chinese once in a while. Go for a pub lunch and pick up the tab.

It does wonders for morale. It's better if eaten away from the computers.

Answer 6

Ensure that everyone in the team has respect for each other's abilities.

A single precious, elitist, I'm-always-right coder (and we all know that there's plenty of them out there) can push down the morale of the entire team.

The dev job is a pretty flexible one, and you can see the output pretty clearly. Software development is well suited to flexible hours and working from home. You have a balancing act (a totally distributed team rarely feels like a team at all) but the additional freedom is a big morale boost.

Finally, from motivational theory, just about the biggest motivator for anyone (well, anyone already earning a good living) is a feeling of importance. Make sure devs feel like their contribution is not only important but essential. Nothing demoralises like the opposite: ignoring their opinion or devaluing their input.

Answer 7

I like to tell my developers this:

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

Answer 8

Everyone on the team needs to feel like they are an important piece of the team.

I know everyone is "rewarded" with a paycheck, but I think it needs to go deeper than that. A rewards system doesn't have to cost a lot of money. It can be anything from a simple "thank you" to lunch to a company shirt. If the reward is not money, then it it truly is a case where it's the thought that counts.

The big contributors need to be recognized first, but they shouldn't get all the praise. Even the new guy or the low man on the totem pole should be praised once in a while. If the person isn't good enough to be rewarded for their work, then why are they on the team in the first place?

Answer 9

Check out the "One Minute Manager" by Ken Blanchard.

It applies to any form of management but I think it's particularly appropriate to software development.

In no particular order:

1 minute praising 1 minute reprimands 1 minute goal setting

Answer 10

Since we started daily lunchtime "teambuilding exercises" (the entire team plays Team Fortress 2) our morale, productivity, and teamwork has increased dramatically. Seriously!

Answer 11

G'day,

I'd edit and extend Niyaz's list to add.

1. Say thank you.
2. Give credit.
3. Admit it when you make a mistake.
4. And mean it when you say sorry after making a mistake! (-:
5. Don't be a control freak.
6. Think that other people can actually do a good job and not that only you can do a good job.
7. Communicate openly with the team regarding what your management is doing.
8. Consider being a servant leader. That is, that you work for the team to help them get on with their jobs. They are not slaves to you.
9. Assist team members to obtain any necessary training needed.
10. Help clarify your team's direction and vision. A team member has to have clearly in their mind the direction and vision so that they can easily answer the question "is what I am about to do getting me towards our goals" when they are deciding what to do next.
11. Don't insist on mindless repetition of information. Or on useless documentation just because you like to hear "the almighty thud" as Martin Fowler calls it.

Hollow, "let's be buddies" type gestures are a total waste of time if not backed up with real efforts to support your team members.

HTH.

cheers, Rob

Answer 12

Free soda.

Core hours that allow flexible schedules. (ie: set core hours from 9 to 4 - some can come in at 7 and leave at 4, some can come in at 9 and leave at 6)

Agile w/ one week iterations and project managers that know the process

Frictionlessness <- muy importante

Fast computers

Big monitors

Opportunities to mentor and to be mentored

I think Niyaz' suggestions are no good. These ideas should be level zero for professionalism and has nothing to do, specifically, with a development team.

Answer 13

Spend half an hour a week one-on-one with each member of the team.

See http://www.manager-tools.com/manager-tools-basics/ for lots of details.

Answer 14

Any/all of the above, plus maybe you could look at some of the agile practices.

Depending on your circumstances some of the following may be worth trying:

How about working to small achievable iterations, so that the team don't feel swamped? How about (if there's a convenient wall) a Big Visible Chart or two so they can really see things getting checked off? How about getting them into close communication with users, so they can understand how their work will be used? How about not starting another sentence with "how about"? What equipment does the team have? Could you improve it? Particularly monitors - bigger and more of 'em. Developers (good ones, anyway) love more pixels.

Answer 15

1. Slack Time
2. Training
3. Take interest in everybody
4. Dual monitors, nice chairs, and good computers
5. Trust
6. Buy Lunch
7. Last, but not least, Go Karts, Ping Pong, XBox, and Laser Tag :-)

Answer 16

I highly recommend this book: How to win friends and influence people. It helps with dealing with people - especially co-workers. Enjoy!

Answer 17

Know the people on your team and take an interest in them:
Do you know if they have kids, if they are married, etc...

Something like "How was Josh's softball game this weekend?" will do way more to improve the morale than a "Hi buddy, nice to see ya! Catch ya later!"

Provide (private) feedback, both good and bad. (see Manager Tools feedback podcast)

"Mike, when you dismissed Jane's idea out of hand without letting her finish, it makes her shut down, and she won't want to bring up potentially good ideas in the future. What can you do different so it won't happen?" "Thanks Mike"

"Robert, good catch when you pointed out that the foobart might cause the girgle to spew".

"Tom, thank you for starting a new pot of coffee this morning."

Above all, don't expect change to happen overnight.

Answer 18

1) Be human: encourage - and work to build - trust

2) Demand debate: promote constructive conflict and drive out the natural fear of conflict

3) Force clarity and closure: so drive individual and collective commitment

4) Confront difficult issues and encourage others to do so: promote accountability

5) Focus on outcomes: have everyone pay attention to results

Answer 19

1. The team should be able to trust you (i.e. keep your promises)
2. You should defend your team (but not over-protect them)
3. Overtimes should not be planned into the schedule, they should really be an emergency
4. Good working conditions
5. Positive feedback when positive feedback is due

Answer 20

Would have to disagree with one of the previous answers - do not make the team your friends. The team needs an authority they could look up to. A friend is an equal. It's very easy for a nice person to become everyone's best fried - but the team will lose a leader. Keep your distance.

Answer 21

• Hire only the best
• Be an example
• Proper pay
• Fair treatment
• Reward good work liberally
• Challange poor work quickly, then move on
• Trust your people
• Show appreciation
• Provide food
• Provide the best tools
• Show peopole how they have benefited the customer
• Provide coffee
• Free books
• Quality training
• More coffee
• Get to know people's aspirations
• Listen to people & act on what is said
• Know the names of spouses, children and pets
• Always have a pack of tissues, mints, headache tablets etc. in your drawer
• Provide cakes, and more coffee

Answer 22

• Greet people as they come in with a simple, "Hello," or "Hey," or "How's it going?"
• Have lunch together regularly that allows for some friendships to build
• Ask about how their night was or plans for tonight when there is a break
• Take breaks together and tell the occasional joke
• Smile
• Ask to help someone if they look like they could use it
• Be polite and respectful,e.g. remember to say please and thank you
• Bring in a snack that can be shared,e.g. cookies or cupcakes
• Give the occasional high five when something good happens
• Have the occasional meal paid for by the company,e.g. pizza or burgers

Answer 23

Bar. Beer. Once a week. First 2 brewskis are free. After hours, of course.