Learn from the Past

It’s possible that some of the projects your group undertook in the past were less than completely successful. Even on successful projects we can often identify things we would do differently next time. As you embark on your new leadership role, take some time to understand why earlier projects have struggled and plan to avoid repeating the same mistakes. Software managers don’t have the time to make every possible mistake on their own. Jump-start your own success by learning from what has worked—and what has not—before.

Begin with a non-judgmental assessment of the last few projects your group undertook, whether successful or not. Your goal is not to allocate blame but to do a better job on future projects. Conduct a retrospective to learn what went well and what could have been done better. (See Chapter 15, “Looking Back, Looking Ahead,” for more information about retrospectives.) Lead the team in brainstorming sessions or use an impartial facilitator to analyze each current project in the same way at major milestones.