Developer handcuffs are policies, norms, or practices that restrict developers from delivering value at their personal optimal speed. Handcuffs have an adverse effect on employee engagement, and they are a primary reason that great developers leave companies.
Many companies have a tough time grasping esoteric concepts like autonomy and self-organization, let alone understand how to reimagine the culture to make room for Agile and DevOps. Developer handcuffs, however, is a tangible concept that allows managers and leaders to visualize a cost/benefit analysis, and take action. The end result is an implementation of DevOps that comes with executive buy-in.
We're going to cover the types of handcuffs commonly found in a large company, walk through a few examples, and outline strategies for unshackling software delivery.
Sketch Development
John Krewson is the founder and President of Sketch Development Services, a software development studio that provides Agile coaching, consulting and training. Sketch delivers software for its customers using Agile principles and practices, and helps customers through their Agile transformations. John has been an active member of the Agile community since 2003 as a developer, ScrumMaster, development leader, product leader, and coach. He was previously an agile coach with VersionOne, where he worked with dozens of companies from startups to the Fortune 50 to help them learn, adopt, and apply Agile, Scrum, and Lean/Kanban principles and practices.
John has been a software development leader for eighteen years; an actor and director for over twenty, having appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1997. Follow John's blog on the Sketch website at sketchdev.io, or on twitter at @johnkrewson.
Sketch Development
My favorite member of One Direction? I'd have to say the Man in Black... Johnny Cash himself! (also who is One Direction??)
I've been working in development for 17 years (ow my back!) in various industries, company sizes, team types, and in numerous positions on those teams from developer to architect to manager to CIO. As an Agile Technical Coach I feel like I'm in a position to best help teams get solidly back on track in development. I bring light humor and participant interaction to my presentations keeping the information flowing and really driving them to start having their own thoughts on the subject.
I'm passionate about developers and their craft; helping them create high quality, robust solutions quickly and affordably. Taking to heart Bill Gates quote, “I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it." I love finding and teaching the value of doing it right the first time looking for the path of lease resistance.
When I'm not developing or coaching I am very active in the Boy Scouts of America as a cubmaster, scoutmaster, and district adult leader trainer. Other interests include woodworking, leather-working, backpacking, and of course technology.