Quest: Work in a high performing team

I was still studying software engineering at the university.

While watching some random conference videos, I came across conference talks about software leadership and teamwork.

And suddenly I realised: "software development is a team sport".

Software was like group assignments at school.

This thought was horrifying!

In all my years in school, I can only remember one group assignment that was joyful.

All the others were horrible experiences.

I'd rather worked alone, even if I had to do 3-5 times the work.

Simon Sinek put's it best in Quote: cynicism, paranoia, mistrust and self-interest

Get those conditions wrong and the opposite will occur:
- cynicism, 
- paranoia, 
- mistrust and 
- self-interest.

I loved programming but I hated group projects.

I hated all group projects with a passion!

All except one, where 4 friends and I worked on a project.

I myself wasn't even part of the group assigned.

I joined in on the work just for fun!

The actual group I was assigned to, I had to also do the work for.

And as always, it was an unpleasant, toxic culture.

But there was a small ray of hope, in that one project with friends.

Maybe, there's a way to make more group projects as fun as that one?

My love for programming pushed me, so I started looking for a solution.

I started studying topics like: leadership, psychology, company culture, motivation.

Reading books and watching conference talks.

And that spark of hope, became a small flame:

Great teamwork, can multiply the efforts of those involved.
Creating something more than the sum of the parts.
More than any one individual could have conceived!

This is what I wanted.

I started attending conferences and meetups to practice my social skills.

As a student, you can get into conferences much cheaper. (sometimes free!)
All you have to do is ask!

And I conquered my fear of

talking to strangers
going to places I've never been before
going to gatherings without knowing what it was about

I did a small pet project with a fellow student, instead of going at it alone.

Switched from university to university college.

There was more programming in group there!

And I started doing summer jobs in software development.

All these experiences

horrible school group assignments
one school assignment with friends
the ray of hope "multiplied team greatness"

Together this forms the foundation for my quest

My quest for a high-performing team

My quest for an awesome team culture

How do I collaborate, so that working together is enjoyable?

How do I collaborate, so that we multiply each other?

Topics of interest:

agile methodologies
accelerate
communication
teamwork
leadership
team culture
event storming
facilitation
vulnerability
empathy
emotions
psychological safety