Following our series of discussions on XP values, this conversation covers the idea of respect and how things change when it is upheld. Tune in to hear a breakdown of why it is so integral to success and what it means for our relationship with code as well as one another. We also touch on other values that would shape your practices as a team; including safety, security, predictability, and more. Hear what each one looks like in practice, why it is important, and how it stacks up against other values. Thanks for tuning in!
[INTRODUCTION]
[0:00:01] MN: Hello, and welcome to The Rabbit Hole, the definitive developers' podcast. Living large in New York. I'm your host, Michael Nuñez. And today we'll be talking about the added value in XP called respect. I have read through the first XP explained, the first edition. And in that copy they talk about the four values as we discussed before. Feedback, simplicity, communication and courage. But in the first version they had respect, but not like an official value within XP. And it was brought to my attention that this value then was elevated so that it became the fifth value.
We'll talk a little bit about it. I'll read the excerpt and jump into some of the other values that are mentioned within XP. Let's talk about respect. If you ever worked with stride or know some striders, you'll know that respect is one of my favorite values, which I believe needs to be upheld over other values as discussed.
In the paragraph in XP, Explain Volume II, it states if the members of a team don't care about each other and what they are doing, XP won't work. If members of a team don't care about a project, nothing can save it. I take that like respect aspect of working with other people very seriously. And I know that when there's no respect towards the application, the way a person provides value to the application the way the person writes code, it's going to go out the window, right? The way you address each other, very, very important that you are respectful towards your fellow peers. Because without that, then you can't be courageous. You're not going to communicate well. You're not going to provide feedback, verbal feedback if you will. The machine will still do its thing. But if you don't respect the application by writing your tests correctly and ensure that you're writing code that is of high standards, then you're not going to respect the code. The code is not going to give you that feedback. And everything just goes down the drain.
I'll read the next paragraph. Every person whose life is touched by software development has equal value as a human being. No one is intrinsically worth more than anyone else. For software development to simultaneously improving humanity and productivity, the contributions of each person on the team needs to be respected. I am important and so are you.
Maybe I need to write that on a Post-it. I am important and so are you. Right? That seems like an affirmation that we can all say to ourselves. Because at the end of the day, respecting yourself, respecting the quality of the code that you write, and the code that your peers expect each other to write and respecting your peers, then the application will thrive and the user will see that in a way of the application has high standards. The application is well-maintained and all the good things that come with XP.
And in the second addition, there is the final. There is others. There's like the subtitle called others, which I thought was very, very interesting. I can try and read the other values. Here it says, other values include safety, security, predictability and quality of life. Holding these values as a team would shape your practices in different ways than the XP values do.
And I think that's like very, very important. I can probably comb through the list here in terms of safety. You feel psychologically safe with your peers to share anything and everything with them. One of the things that I've picked up as a running joke, but it's a thing that I now do all the time, is I'll ask the group, "Hey, this is a safe space." Right? And then I go and ask the question or provide some context that will ensure that I'm trying to be as safe as possible here's an example.
I'm working at a client and I'm tasked to do some AWS-related resource finding. I'm using the AWS SDK, the JavaScript version 3. And they change a lot of the patterns that exist for that package, from version two to version 3. And I started my meeting with, "Hey, this is a safe space. Right? Just to let you know, I have no idea what I'm doing. Just trying to follow the docs, and make these calls, and see what comes back and ensure I can display it in a spreadsheet. Right?
The idea that I can ask the group if this is a safe space to then say the thing that I could be self-conscious about or being vulnerable that I don't know something kind of helps the team realize that this should be a safe space. Because I'm sharing this information with folks.
And I find that the more I start a silly sharing of vulnerability with that particular prompt, then as we meet as a team, more people will be comfortable sharing their insecurities or vulnerabilities.
Security in this example, I think it's the same thing. It's not like people are judging the work that you do or understand that there may be some blind spots that we have. And you got – what is it? I was thinking about this quote from Shook Ones, Part II, two where I forget who exactly. Whether it's Prodigy or not. But they say, "Watch my back. I got your front." Right? I don't know why that comes to mind. But the idea of like, "Hey, I got your back." Just watch out if there's something happening or that I may miss in a given application if a fire goes rampant and we need to crush production that we are secure in relying on each other that things will be fixed.
Predictability, I think very similar to what I mentioned before in terms of production going down. The idea of like, "Hey, we know the process that we need to follow in order to address a particular situation. But also, predictability in our peers, right? If we know that we have medical reasons to be out on certain days, that the team is aware that those things will happen. I definitely exercise that a lot when it comes to my health. And my team knows that I'll be out on certain parts of the day in a given week. And they're all aware of it and I make whatever hours I can and whatnot to ensure that I live as healthy as I can, which leads to the last one, which is quality of life.
Ensuring that you respect other people's quality of life and their decisions on when they want to take a given break. I have a 2pm ET break that I have for an hour where I scarf food down. But I also wait for Gio to come down from the bus and hang out with him and ask him how his day went. And play some drums or whatnot. And my team definitely respects that and they understand like, "Okay, Bobby's being a dad. And Bobby has to go and take care of that. He'll be back at 3." And get the ball rolling from there.
I hope you like the series of us going through the XP values. I might be inspired to do some more research on some of these different things within the XP explained. But I know it's the holiday. I might use the opportunity to get a little backlog for the series. For those who are listening, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. It's been a tough year and me trying to carry some of the things that are attached at The Rabbit Hole. But I'm glad that you are a part of it.
I am important and so are you. If I don't hear from you or if you don't hear from me, then hopefully you'll hear soon in the new year. Take care and have a good one.
[OUTRO]
[0:08:43] MN: Follow us now on Twitter at Radio Free Rabbit so we can keep the conversation going. Like what you hear? Give us a five-star review and help developers just like you find their way into The Rabbit Hole. And never miss an episode. Subscribe now however you listen to your favorite podcast.
On behalf of our producer extraordinaire, William Jeffries, and my amazing co-host, Dave Anderson, and me, your host, Michael Nuñez, thanks for listening to The Rabbit Hole.
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