“Us vs. Them,” Keeping Distributed Teams on the Same Team

We have all seen the scenario play out in sports where two players for the same team get in each other’s way.  Whether it is outfielders running into each other or a couple of big guys fighting for a rebound, coaches and managers can be seen shaking their heads while saying, “same team guys, same team!”

An analogous dynamic is commonly observed in distributed software development teams, where the internal employees mistakenly see the outsourced vendors as on a different team.  In these instances, managers can find themselves saying, “same team guys, same team…” much too often.  In addition to causing managers headaches, the “Us versus Them” dynamic can ultimately threaten the success of an engagement.  Standard conflict resolution techniques do not always apply, but here are some basic strategies managers can use to mitigate this risk.

Know your audience

Managers should always be mindful about the impact reporting and language can have on the perception of team members.  When reporting back to the team, managers can augment team cohesion by using metrics that apply to the entire team’s effort rather than separating out specific groups.  The metrics used should not allow team members to differentiate the progress of the external resources.  Likewise, the language used in the report should reference the team, i.e. use the language of “We”.

Managers will of course want to track the value obtained from their outsourcing efforts, but reporting progress to team members should vary greatly from reporting valuation to senior management.

In short, be mindful of your audience and report accordingly.

Team alignment

Pairing external with internal resources for story points or tasks can go a long way to create trust and teamwork.  For example, an internal resource can work on creating an API while an external resource is working on the front-end that will utilize the API.  They collaborate on the hooks to tie their work together.

Managers should know their resources sufficiently well to identify requirements that are best suited for a pairing, but an easy way to identify these opportunities is to pair a senior with a junior team member.  Senior resources generally appreciate the opportunity to flex their mental muscles and mentor a more junior resource.  On the other side, junior resources will generally respect the more extensive knowledge of a senior resource.

Empowering successful collaboration fosters camaraderie and respect.

Rural sourcing

A large part of the Us versus Them dynamic is due to superficial differences.  Whether it is language, culture, or schedule, no matter how superficial, differences can create serious rifts in a team.  Finding common ground outside of a project can be challenging for managers.  So, simply eliminating the differences where possible can be very effective to avoid the rift.

Given the similar language, schedules, and culture, rural sourcing is an excellent solution to mitigate the “Us versus Them” risk of distributed development.