ericweissman/ew_agile_reflection

## ew_agile_reflection
## What have you learned about the use of agile vs. waterfall in software projects?
* Based on the PD session, it seems like waterfall is more prevalent in the industry even though many people want to (or claim to) implement agile development. Agile may be harder to nail, but it can lead to much more productive development sprints. Specifically, agile allows you to incorporate feedback quicker and generate revenue while you continue to perfect the project.

## How did you and your group approach project management in this project (what tools did you use, how did you hold each other accountable, etc.)?
* My group only consisted of two team members total, so we were able to gameplan a little easier than if we had more members. We made sure to scope out the individual aspects of the project and capture it in a checklist on our Github. This allowed us to keep track of what we accomplished (and celebrate those accomplishments) while also giving us perspective on what was still on the docket.

## What role did you take on in the project?
* Since we had a smaller group, we priortized driver-navigator during all facets of our project. This allowed us to focus on delivering effective communication while navigating, while building muscle memory when driving.

## What changes would you make to your approach in future team projects?
* In the future, I want to prioritize using some of the project management tools so I can build those skills prior to interviewing. Also, there were times when we were really good about setting up struggle timers/pomodoro timers, but this is definitely an area that we could have improved. Finally, I think we benefitted tremendously from pairing so I would want to make sure during the next project that I am proactive about setting up pairing sessions to prevent small roadblocks from becoming larger problems.

## How does retro function in a team project?
* We retro'd after EVERY single meeting, which essentially ended up being every day. We would be sure to talk about the positive developments within our project and focus on the technical side of things to start. However, we spent the majority of the time discussing how we worked together that day, what things went well and what things caused problems. One day we faced a lot of challenges in our project and didn't have a very successful pairing session, which led to some frustrations and ultimately impacted how we were working together. Before leaving for the night, we discussed how this impacted us and what we wanted to see change for the next meeting. It was awkward for about 2 seconds, but having that tough conversation allowed us both to be vunerable and create a healthier, more productive partnership.

## In your team retro, how did you engage in the feedback process? What principles of feedback did you use in these conversations?
* We made sure to dedicate time to all facets of feedback - appreciation, coaching and evaluation. We made sure to open with appreciation for something that someone did during work time, regardless of how big or small it was. We included specific feedback as it relates to coaching, particularly around best approaches to communicating techinical ideas and implementation. Moreover, we also made sure to dedicate the majority of time to evaluating our process and what was working or not working.

## How would you describe your ability to communicate feedback? How has this experience affected your communication skills? How do you want to improve in your ability to communicate feedback?
* I believe I have a decent ability to communicate feedback, but could always use more practice. I think this project gave me more confidence in delivering feedback, especially some more difficult feedback. Moving forward, I want to continue a more frequent retro cadence to prevent small issues from becoming bigger problems.
	## What have you learned about the use of agile vs. waterfall in software projects?
	* Based on the PD session, it seems like waterfall is more prevalent in the industry even though many people want to (or claim to) implement agile development. Agile may be harder to nail, but it can lead to much more productive development sprints. Specifically, agile allows you to incorporate feedback quicker and generate revenue while you continue to perfect the project.

	## How did you and your group approach project management in this project (what tools did you use, how did you hold each other accountable, etc.)?
	* My group only consisted of two team members total, so we were able to gameplan a little easier than if we had more members. We made sure to scope out the individual aspects of the project and capture it in a checklist on our Github. This allowed us to keep track of what we accomplished (and celebrate those accomplishments) while also giving us perspective on what was still on the docket.

	## What role did you take on in the project?
	* Since we had a smaller group, we priortized driver-navigator during all facets of our project. This allowed us to focus on delivering effective communication while navigating, while building muscle memory when driving.

	## What changes would you make to your approach in future team projects?
	* In the future, I want to prioritize using some of the project management tools so I can build those skills prior to interviewing. Also, there were times when we were really good about setting up struggle timers/pomodoro timers, but this is definitely an area that we could have improved. Finally, I think we benefitted tremendously from pairing so I would want to make sure during the next project that I am proactive about setting up pairing sessions to prevent small roadblocks from becoming larger problems.

	## How does retro function in a team project?
	* We retro'd after EVERY single meeting, which essentially ended up being every day. We would be sure to talk about the positive developments within our project and focus on the technical side of things to start. However, we spent the majority of the time discussing how we worked together that day, what things went well and what things caused problems. One day we faced a lot of challenges in our project and didn't have a very successful pairing session, which led to some frustrations and ultimately impacted how we were working together. Before leaving for the night, we discussed how this impacted us and what we wanted to see change for the next meeting. It was awkward for about 2 seconds, but having that tough conversation allowed us both to be vunerable and create a healthier, more productive partnership.

	## In your team retro, how did you engage in the feedback process? What principles of feedback did you use in these conversations?
	* We made sure to dedicate time to all facets of feedback - appreciation, coaching and evaluation. We made sure to open with appreciation for something that someone did during work time, regardless of how big or small it was. We included specific feedback as it relates to coaching, particularly around best approaches to communicating techinical ideas and implementation. Moreover, we also made sure to dedicate the majority of time to evaluating our process and what was working or not working.

	## How would you describe your ability to communicate feedback? How has this experience affected your communication skills? How do you want to improve in your ability to communicate feedback?
	* I believe I have a decent ability to communicate feedback, but could always use more practice. I think this project gave me more confidence in delivering feedback, especially some more difficult feedback. Moving forward, I want to continue a more frequent retro cadence to prevent small issues from becoming bigger problems.