Martin Fowler on process

I found Martin Fowler's blog today. As you would expect, its chock full of thoughtful content. One post in particular hits close to home: PeopleOriented. It deals with the relationship of process to team success. Martin (and the referenced blogger Bill Caputo) take the stand that the process doesn't shape the team, rather its just a tools that a team applies to help achieve success.


To my mind this is an argument for letting the folks closest to the work be involved in shaping the process they use to achieve success. I agree with this and that's how things have worked on most projects I've been involved with. Its also how I prefer to work.


Unfortunately its not how things work on my current team- but I kind of understand why. The team is HUGE and this idea doesn't scales. Unless the team was subdivided into autonomous units that could choose their own process its not feasible. I'd really like that, but don't expect it to happen.

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