- What have you learned about the use of agile vs. waterfall in software projects?
- That generally both are utilized, at least at Turing. There is a set deadline and we did our best to plan as much as possible in advance before attempting any coding. However, we also had multiple DTR and stand-ups to discuss our progress and reasses our initial plan. So we used both waterfall and agile processes in completting our 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.)?
- We used GitHub projects. We felt it was advantageous to have our project list along with the rest of our repo. We held each other accountable by communicating our intentions and reviewing our partners code. If a problem was too difficult it was that person's responsibility to report that to the group so that more brains could be applied to the problem.
- What role did you take on in the project?
- I applied myself to filling in gaps in code and helping to bring teammates together. If a problem seemed too difficult to solve I would apply myself to it, but let my partners choose tasks first. I kept my eye on the overall progress of the project and made sure major milestones were being reached.
- What changes would you make to your approach in future team projects?
- Even more planning. We had a great html outline, an okay javascript outline and a non existent css outline. In the future I'd like all three of those components to be layed out as clearly as possible before beginning any coding.
- How does retro function in a team project?
- Allows teammates to come together and discuss what progress has been made and any obstacles they are facing. It allows the group to pool resources to accomplish projects.
- In your team retro, how did you engage in the feedback process? What principles of feedback did you use in these conversations?
- We made an extra effort to show appreciation whenever a task was completted above expectations or sooner than expected. We used evaluation and coaching in tandem to evaluate sticking points and overcome differences.
- 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 think I am generally clear and concise, quick to point out strengths and benifits. I also try to move difficult problems onto a track of actionable goals. This experience encouraged me to reach out more to my other two team members to make sure we all stayed on the same page regarding progress. I would still like to be more persuasive towards teammembers who aren't necessarily pulling their own weight, or fail to communicate when they are struggling on problems. Perhaps even more outreach on my part could help keep them in the fold.
Great details and takeaways on the project, including actionable steps for improving your feedback giving process, nice work!