Collaboration and Decisionmaking

by Jim Highsmith

Collaboration is a "feel-good" word. From Jerry Weinberg's extensive writings ( Psychology of Computer Programming to his Quality Software Management series), to Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister ( Peopleware), to Alistair Cockburn ( Agile Software Development), "collaboration" carries a sense of camaraderie, collegiality, and mutual respect. The recent interest in XP and its use of pair programming has also focused on team collaboration practices. Trust, respect, and collegiality are all critical contributors to effective collaboration, but we shouldn't forget that power structures -- i.e., who gets to make decisions -- also plays heavily in collaborative interactions.

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Collaboration and Decisionmaking 13 December 2001