SPA2005 session: Team Leader Survival Guide

One-line description:Key skills in Technical Leadership
 
Session format: Tutorial [read about the different session types]
 
Abstract:You are a new or aspiring technical lead. Your relationship with your colleagues may have changed and cranking out code just doesn't cut it any more. You probably have to underwrite the quality of the system being produced and the team needs to deliver on time.

Do you sleep well at night? Well maybe you shouldn't. This tutorial will discuss some of the reasons you should be laying awake worrying about delivery. It will go on to discuss some tried and tested techniques for ensuring that if you wake up with a feeling of impending doom that you can drift back to sleep, safe that things are under a degree of control or can be brought back on track.

The subject matter is broad but we'll cover 10 key practices from the full range of team leading activities including:
* Transition to team lead.
* Managing 'upwards' and 'sideways'.
* Getting decisions adopted and socialised.
* Worry Patterns--signs not to be ignored.
...and more.

We'll draw examples from both the presenters experience and those in the group.
 
Audience background:Participants will be new or aspiring team leads. They may have already been in a technical lead role for some time and will also wish to share experiences and learn some new techniques.
 
Benefits of participating:Attendees will come away with some practical, real world, tried and tested techniques for helping them become more effective team leads. They'll have learnt some warning signs they need to watch for and some techniques for addressing the warning signs before they become a problem. They'll have formed a more rounded view on Team Leadership and will have added some tools to the personal Team Lead toolkit.
 
Materials provided:Slides and notes.
 
Process:Primarily slide based with some group working.
 
Outputs:
 
History:Longer versions of this tutorial have been run with success at OOPSLA. However, this version as a different 'spin', in that it will practice orientated rather than lifecycle orientated.
 
Presenters
1. Andy Schneider
BJSS
2. 3.