246: From Burnout Charts to Measurable Success

Incident management and measuring productivity for engineers

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Off Topic: Prevent Incident Chaos

A lack of proper incident management can lead to issues. The aim is to take small steps and limit the scope while ensuring systems are back online. Focusing on fixing bugs instead of developing new features can impact product sales.

Consider implementing a hands-off policy on Fridays to give your team a break. Remember, it's all about the people on your team. Automated systems can help keep track of unique alerts and ensure a fair rotation. When establishing on-call rotations, keep time zones in mind. Although it may not be everyone's favorite task, it is a learning process. To ensure success, maintain a flexible and cohesive process. Incident responders should have a "jump bag" containing critical information to avoid delays. During an emergency, any organization must provide quality services. You can take advantage of on-call rotations as a learning opportunity. Schedule regular hands-off cycles to ensure everyone has a chance to learn.

Current Work: From Burnout Charts to Measurable Success

The only proof of progress is in the working software, not any burnout chart. Measuring effort becomes even more complicated when dealing with bugs. Using activity metrics to assess progress creates the wrong incentives for prioritization. While activity metrics can help check team collaboration, they cannot reflect progress. 

If the team cannot provide the expected functionality, it could be due to a dependency or rule they lack. In such cases, it should be removed from the backlog or sprint, as those stories won't impact the business. A cross-functional team comprises members with expertise across various technical domains. 

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