Playbook
Team
https://thoughtbot.com/playbook/the-thoughtbot-way/people/teamOur teams are composed of skilled and motivated Designers, Developers, and Product Managers who are capable of being successful on a project. Delivery Leads are there to support the team, including the client.
Everyone is T-shaped, deep in some area of expertise with the ability to collaborate across disciplines.
We are people, not "resources", and avoid calling each other such because we understand we are working with each other as people.
Designers
The designers are responsible for designing the interactions between users and the product. They conduct experiments and do research. They interview users, potential users, and stakeholders. They create user interfaces that not only work great, they are also pleasing to look at.
Designers not only figure out how it should work, they also make it work by writing user interface code using HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
Developers
The developers write the mobile and server code that makes the app function. They aim to make the product error-free. They monitor performance because speed is a feature of every application. They set and meet development standards, keep the Continuous Integration build passing, and review each others' code.
Developers also keep it running. They make architectural decisions and interact with modern-day hosting companies like Heroku, whose employees double as our outsourced operations team.
Product Managers
The product manager collaborates with clients and the designers and developers to define and clarify product vision. They conduct and provide insights from customer and stakeholder interviews, and define customer-centric key performance indicators that then inform and change the product roadmap.
Not every project we do has one of our product managers on it. For projects that do have a product manager, they often also fill the delivery lead role.
Delivery Management
Our delivery leads are what others might call Advisors, Customer Success or Account Managers rolled into one. We use a different term to reinforce the idea that all our consultants work directly with clients, and everyone is responsible for both project management, and project success.
Delivery leads are there to support our teams, not to get in between them and the client. They act as a trusted peer throughout the partnership with the client, and an escalation point for our team.
Delivery Leads also keep an eye on overall business goals of our clients. They will recognise and celebrate wins with the team and also guide problem-solving when things get off track. They can highlight opportunities for continued collaboration and when appropriate, work with the client to either reduce or increase team size to meet the needs of the current goals. The Delivery Lead operates at a level close enough to be able to assess future and ongoing staffing needs, including scheduling and rotations.
At the beginning of new projects, they also facilitate collaboration between the sales team, consultants and client to ensure all context is carried forwards and the team are set up for success.
Time spent on a particular project as a Delivery Lead can vary depending on the project needs and team composition. In general, a Delivery Lead can spend anywhere from 1 hour to 1 day a week on a project.
If the primary salesperson is not also the Delivery Lead, the salesperson should onboard and introduce the Delivery Lead to the client when the sale is in the final stages. There is a detailed handoff from one to the other, ensuring details and context are carried through to the team working on the project.
Account Managers
There may also be a separate Account Manager for a client. This may happen if the Account Manager led the initial sale, but is not the Delivery Lead, or if a client has multiple projects with multiple Delivery Leads. In these cases, the Account Manager is responsible for maintaining a lifetime relationship with the client. They understand the client's needs and budgets, and how thoughtbot can meet those needs. They identify opportunities for working with a client, they coordinate scheduling, and manage invoices for the client's projects.
Maintaining a safer space
Delivery Leads create the right environment for a team, and that includes the client, to effectively self-organize. That might mean delivering difficult feedback if the client is constantly pushing the team for work outside of scope, or changing direction multiple times a day. It often means sharing our ways of working with new clients and adpating how we interact as an agile team. It might mean asking the team tough questions if they are continually shipping bugs, or starting lots of different tasks and finishing none. Most challenging of all it's creating a safe space for the team and client to talk about challenges and move forward to solutions together constructively.
Coaching
Delivery Leads help the team identify when there is an area for development. For example, consultancy skills include talking about technical details at a business level, saying "no" to them when necessary, and helping everyone understand why something isn't possible or wouldn't move us closer to the main goal. These skills take time to develop, and if there is no one on a team with them, it can cause communication challenges. The best solution isn't to put someone with these skills between the client and the team, but to help the team learn these skills, either by directly coaching, or arranging for the team to spend time with someone who can coach them.
They might also provide coaching to clients. For example, running a training session for the client on industry best practices and ways of working. This could look like 'what makes a good job story', 'how to bring concerns to the team', 'walking through complexity vs. value'.
Examples of Day-to-Day Responsibilities
These tasks vary by project, but commonly include:
- Ensuring schedules and booked time align with the project plan and budget
- Coordinating holiday cover, rotations, onboarding and access
- Understanding contract scope and must-not-exceed constraints
- Preparing and facilitating internal and external kickoffs
- Maintaining awareness of progress, risks and client expectations
- Monitoring budget burn and prompting planning adjustments
- Unblocking team members and encouraging momentum
- Supporting healthy communication and consulting skills
- Holding regular check-ins with stakeholders to surface issues early
- Initiating retros, 1-1s or alignment sessions when needed