3 things I have learnt in TeamSpirit
After one and a half years of challenging and rewarding work in TeamSpirit, I have learnt three valuable things which I will share today.
These three things are time management, teamwork and being proactive.
Time management is always about priorities. During the first few months, I was occupied in stressful work. This was because I always looked for the best solution and became so involved that sometimes I forgot to prioritise.
As a developer, whenever there is a problem, it becomes second nature to dig deep, figuring out why and coming up with a ‘perfect’ solution. Only later did I realise time just flies past, and the perfect solution is limited with constraints. In a fast agile development, time management is the key.
It’s from my lead and teammates that I know that sometimes compromise and workaround is good and actually necessary for efficiency and cost.
“Completion is more important than perfection” — A final work product doesn’t have to be perfect to produce strong results. It’s the completed project before the deadline that matters more. Talking about deadlines, besides concentrating on the most important task and managing emotional stress, letting others know what help I need or difficulties I am stuck with is another lesson. That is teamwork.
Communicate, communicate and communicate. I’m still deeply touched when I think about how team members split and allocated remaining tasks agilely when I fell sick before one release. The solidarity and fast response come from our team spirit and effective daily communication, which ensures that everyone is on the same page and knows what’s going on.
We start each day with the daily meeting talking about what we did, what we are doing and any issues encountered. This guarantees the whole team is on track and when anyone needs help, others are ready. There is an issue, we fix. There is an achievement, we celebrate. There is a goal, we achieve together. Through that, I constantly learn from my others, improve myself and make contributions to the team. That’s one of my happiest memories.
The third point is influenced by my creative and talented colleagues, always be proactive.
“The more you try……the more you fail.”
I’m kidding, but that’s common sometimes, especially when we are facing something new or ambiguous. What my colleagues encouraged me is to never be afraid of failure or mistakes, to seek out opportunities, try out ideas and show initiative boldly. The more I explored, the more I gained. The more actively involved, the more satisfied one would feel.
What I have seen from them and am inspired by is this. Rather than one-step thinking, always look ahead and anticipate long-term consequences. Actively engage with the environment, exert one’s influence and make a contribution, in any aspect, like providing tissue, leading a sharing session, organising events, raising up a new feature or deciding product direction. Every move counts.
Before joining the company, I was a reactive developer aiming to complete my work. Now I’m with a clear mind that always one should take ownership of their performance and hold themselves accountable.
Moving forward without being afraid of failure is one of the main cultures in TeamSpirit. Luckily I have been here working with my great team. I will bring those values with me moving forward. And I believe one day when looking backwards, I will realise more clearly how it connects me in the future.
