How to balance zone time against open and active communication within a development team?

Question

How to balance "zone" time against open and active communication within a development team?

Answer 1

Our office converted recently to the "bullpen" style Tim referred to. Software people were unimpressed, to say the least. To work around this we implemented the following things:

1) Division internal mailing list

2) Dev-team internal mailing lists

3) Every developer is available via Google Talk for discussions without leaving our desks

4) Headphones means "it better be important"

5) If more than 2 people need to talk together, you find a meeting space so you don't disturb your colleagues.

6) We usually only use e-mail for speaking with clients or providing individuals with files through attachments.

The result of these actions is that the Signal-to-Noise ratio in communication is much better, since you are not bombarded with e-mail all day long.

One thing we tried that did not work so well was the "party chat" feature of Google Talk (basically using a Google Talk Contact as a stripped-down IRC chatroom). It could be because many of our developers are young (we have between 3-15 University co-ops year-round) but "party chat" became a very apt name for what it ended up being used for.

Whiteboards are scarce where I work but we sold management on the concept of a room that was to be used for 6 people maximum who could hole up and do intense design and development. It has a couple whiteboards, a DOOR, and all the lights except one can be shut off so it doesn't feel like a fluorescent sun is above your head. This may not be possible in your work environment, but if it is consider it as the room for intense "zone" time.

Answer 2

Read "Peopleware"

Offices with doors.

phones you can turn off.

emails

Usable common areas with whiteboards.

There are some phases of development when lots of collaboration is very productive and other times where individual focus is important. Also, people work differently - you don't wantt o interrupt folks who do better when left alone and you don't want to isolate those who need feedback and help. I would avoid rules and just make it clear to t ateam that this is an issue and it is up to each developer to enforce their own desired environment. Management should support it.

USEFUL meetings are great, but open bullpens as work environments for "open communication" is a fantasy dreamed up by beancounters or managers who want to keep an eye on all their staff.