As a programmer, part of my job is to spot ‘code smells’. Like being alert for musky over-ripeness somewhere in your fridge, or unwanted acridity of burning plastic coming from your computer, smells hint that nearby, something is amiss, and it’s probably going to get worse.
In code it’s usually that you’ve used a pattern that seemed good when you started, but as you continue to add things, suddenly it gets volatile. An everyday example would be running too many appliances off a multi-board. Patterns of coding that lead to future instability we call anti-patterns. Code smells are the whiffs that help us notice anti-patterns. Naming them helps us spot vulnerabilities, avert catastrophes, and support an evolving discourse about best (and worst) practice.
My flatmate just came back from a conference where she was pulling her hair out because the way the group was working together was counter-productive. It occurred to me that it would be useful to port anti-patterns into the group-work context.
I want to know what group-smells are. Here’s a few we were able to name in my lounge just now:
A variant of Richard Feynman’s cargo-cult science, this is implementation of collaboration through shallow adoption of whatever latest buzzword.
A classic example you might hear is people asserting “we’re a totally flat self-organised group”.
Self-organisation is a thing, but it doesn’t grow just anywhere. There are certain conditions in which it tends to work well, and many in which it doesn’t
Some smells to watch out for :
The anti-pattern :
Where this anti-pattern can lead :
Patterns which support self-organisation :
This one is easy. In the best case, everyone just cares a lot about the topic of conversation, and they’re excited to share what the conversation is bringing up for them.
Other smells you might notice :
The anti-pattern :
Where this anti-pattern can lead :
Patterns you might consider that help:
(pronounced ‘misky’, *misc = miscellaneous,) There’s a bunch of you in a room talking about your project and raising relevant ideas. The conversation energy is good, and you’re discussing all the things.
This is a great space for combining ideas, exploring shared values, and connecting with each other. If you were intending to agree things and plan action though, you might be in a miscy meeting.
You might also smell:
The anti-pattern :
Where this anti-pattern can lead :
Patterns for clearer meetings :
These are just a sample of course. Lets spot anti-patterns together and name them. Lets spot group-smells and do better work together. I’d love to hear of any common anti-patterns you’ve already named in your group work, please post them up.
