InnoTech Software: Contrasting Styles

InnoTech Software Solutions (ISS), is medium size technology company located in the Yaletown District of Vancouver, Canada. The firm has 79 staff in total. The Software Design and Development Team (SDD) has 42 team members located on the 2nd floor of a converted warehouse space, while the User Acceptance Team (UAT) has 36 members located on the 3rd floor of the same building. Both teams work closely together developing video game software for the Microsoft X-Box and Sony PlayStation platforms. Theirpopular game franchise "Clown-Hunt"has proven popular with the gaming community. Over 17 years the firm has been able to introduce a continuous string of highly successful releases to the Franchise that has kept pace with continually evolving technologies, and the changing demands of the consumer market. The firm hopes to release its first game on the Apple App store next year, to capitalize on the lucrative gaming community that uses I-Pad's and I-phones.

On the surface at least, the interactions between the SDD team, and the UAT teams seem cordial. Both teams collaborate extensively on the software solutions created by InnoTech.

The Design and Development Team

On the 2ndfloor the atmosphere is very strict. Bryan Trottier is the Senior Manager of Development andDesign. Informal discussion is not encouraged, staff are expected to work hard and to follow Bryan's strictdirections. Bryan has been with the company from the beginning and worked his way up as he likes todescribe it: "through the ranks". He often reminds his staff " there isn't a job here I haven't done". Hespends much of his day in his office, reviewing spreadsheets and activity reports. He is a self-described'productivity guru', and as he puts it "I want to squeeze every drop of effort out of my team, sometimes I have to crack the whip to get things done, but hey-I don't hear anyone complaining at bonus time".

The Senior Manager of Development and Design

Trottier's direct boss is Emma Watson. Emma describes Bryan as "old school". He is very organized andmethodical in his approach and often his team exceeds their targets. Emma was hired as the VP of Operations about 3 years ago. She was recruited from a rival software company after making a meteoric rise to a senior leadership position in that organization. She graduated from Stanford University inCalifornia 7 years ago, with a Master's Degree in Human Computer Interaction (HCI).Emma has heardthat some of Bryan's staff feelhe is too controlling, and often gives very detailed instructions on routine tasks to even the most senior members of his team.

It is generally agreed that Trottier is fair and reasonable. For example he grants time off requests without question as long as the work is done and the project is on track. However Trottier discourages an informal atmosphere in the office and will come out of his office if he hears excessive discussion that is not relatedto work. His penetrating glare is notorious. Senior staff quickly 'educate' junior staff on the 'do's and 'don'ts'of office conduct. Having spent time as a Sea Cadet while a teenager, Trottier learned about military protocol and embraces many of the ideals related to formal hierarchy, and chain of command. He rarely speaks to junior staff members, preferring to speak to the 5 Team-Leads who act as informal

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supervisors for the rest of the staff. Many of the staff joke behind Trottier's back and call him "The General"while the 5 Team-Leads are referred to as "Trottier'sSergeants".

The Development and Design Team Leads

Trottier delegates little responsibility to his 5 Team-Leads. Occasionally Trottier has to go on business trips so he is out of the office. This happens about 10 days per month. When is out of the office, there is often an atmosphere of relief. Staff feel more inclined to talk informally and to joke around. The problem though is that often there is confusion. The Team Leads have some informal authority over their teams, but the roles and boundaries are very unclear to everyone. Without Trottier on site to direct the work, no one seems clear on priorities.

The Software Developers

The attitudeamong the younger developers towards Trottier's leadership approach is expressed in thefollowing quotes:

"Bryan runs a very tight ship, he's a nice enough guy, but he treats us like we don't know anything"

"When I first started here, Bryan kept running productivity reports on me and asking Ted (one of Team Leads) to check my work at the end of each shift for errors, it was really scary because I was onprobation, and I always felt each day might be my last at InnoTech".

"When Bryan's not here everything ismuch lighter, we can talk and joke around" "He scares me"

"I'm here to get some experience, and the pay is really good too"

The Attitude of the Five Development and Design Team Leads is identified in these quotes:

"I kind of tune Bryan out. I get my work done and I'm long past having his overbearing manner bother metoo much. Our success speaks for itself. The big bonuses at the end of the year keep me here, I could put up with almost anyone as long as those bonus cheques keep on coming. I just tell the younger guys tosuck it up, it's the same everywhere".

" I really like working for Bryan. I like his direct approach to supervision. I'm often a bit unsure of whatneeds to get done, and Bryan makes it clear. His experience and background here make him invaluableto our team". I've heard from some of the guys on the 3rdfloor that things are chaotic, and no one really knows whatthey're doing. I'm not totally sure about all of that but that's what I've heard. I mean, business is business right? We are not here to fool around. Our job is to hit our targets and get the software out the door for the UAT group to find the fewest bugs possible in our code, I see Bryan's point, we are lucky he is here".

"When Bryan's here stuff gets done, I mean everyone is really nice, but if he wasn't here nothing would get done".

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Relationships among the Team Members

All relationships tend to be formal and impersonal. There is little give-and-take or the development of camaraderie. The junior software developers complain that the more senior members of the team never teach them anything. They worry that they might get stuck and never get the opportunity to try new things and to develop new skills.

The young 'newer people' have a tendency to stick together, and go for lunch as a group, while the TeamLeads seem to stick to themselves. There is little socializing outside of work. Clearly there is no sense of team amongst these co-workers.

The User Acceptance Team (UAT)

The atmosphere on the 3rdfloor is warm and informal. There is a lot of joking around and chatter, often centered in the lunchroom where everyone seems to congregate at various times throughout the day. At any given time, there is always at least 3 team members in the lunchroom chatting about something or other. At formal coffee breaks and at lunchtime the room is full, with everyone playing a variety of card games. Often there are tournaments that last several weeks with trophies and prizes provided by the Senior Manager of User Acceptance, Ken Dryden.

Ken has a very informal approach and style, and prefers that everyone in the office call him 'Kenny'.Kendescribes himself as "your typical people person". He spends most of his day wandering around the officeand striking up conversations with staff members on just about anything. Often it is not work related. Ken has a strong software development background, having joined InnoTech 5 years earlier after departing Cobra Games, an industry leader responsible for the popular Scottish role play game"BraveHeart-The Hunt for Nessy".

The Senior Manager of User Acceptance

Ken Dryden also reports to Emma Watson.Emma describes Ken as a "really nice guy", he's always jokingaround". "He's very informal and causal and his team seems popular, especially with our younger staff".Emma has heard from more senior staff that they wish that Ken was a bit more directional in what hewants done. The Team has enjoyed success, but the informal approach sometimes means work doesn'tget done on time, or there is a last-minute panic to hit a critical deadline forcing staff to work unscheduled overtime and weekends, which can be unpopular. Emma has raised his lack of attention to detail as a possible blind spot.

Ken relies on "instincts and his gut on work,and on people". I like tosurround myself with people who like to have fun. The Software Developmentindustry is full of pressure, so I want to turn that on it's headand make this a fun place to be. These people are professionals, I rely on them to make decisions theydon't need me telling them what to do. My job is to be their figurehead leader and togive them a positiveshot in the arm". Ken also has 5 Team Leads that guide the work of the rest of the Team.

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The User Acceptance Testing Team Leads

Almost all day to day activities are delegated to the 5 Team Leads, but in a very informal way. Only on rare occasions when there is a critical deadline where Emma has made a directive does Ken meet with his Team Leads to discuss a formal Work Plan. Usually these meetings are tense because the pressure is really on to deliver. The Leads negotiate tasks as they arrive, to determine 'who does what'.

The Team Leads vary in their tenure and experience. The most senior has worked for InnoTech for 13 years, while the most junior Team Lead has been with the group for about 9 months. The atmosphere in the UAT area is pretty consistent regardless of whether Ken is at the office or not. He too has to travel about 10 days per month in his role.

The User Acceptance Testing Developers

The attitude among the younger developers towards Dryden's leadership approachis expressed in the following quotes:

"Kenny is an awesome guy, he's always got great stories".

"Ken lets us do our thing, I really appreciate his hands off approach".

"Ken is a nice guy, but it would be nice sometimes to know what the big picture is around here".

"Overall this is a good place to work, but to be honest I wasn't too happy a couple of weeks back when Ihad to work all weekend to get a project completed by a Monday deadline that seemed to come out of nowhere. My wife is 8 months pregnant, she wasn't too pleased".

The User Acceptance Team Leads

The attitude among the 5 User Acceptance Team Leads is expressed in the following quotes:

"Ken is a good person, but sometimes we seem verydisorganized. Our priorities are often unclear andseem to change regularly".

"We've had some big screw ups lately. The coding quality just isn't where it should be, its costing ustime and creating a lot of stress. I wish we had better processes in place to verify quality before thingsget out of hand".

"I wish Ken was more clear with me on what he needs done". I hear the guys on the second floor get a lot of clear direction from their boss, I wish we had some of that here"

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Relationships among the Team Members

The relationships amongst the UAT Developers is very good. There is a lot of joking around and banter in the office. The group is mostly a mix of young men and women between the ages of 22 and 28. They seem to mix well together and have lots in common. There are often social events after work that Ken also attends, as there are many fun eateries and pubs right near the office. The Team Leads generally fit in, but they are a bit older. There is also some resentment amongt the Team Leads that Ken is sofocused on being 'friends' with the younger team members, he seems to ignore them a bit. One of theLeads stated,"I wish we had more structure around here. Us Leads are often the 'bad-guys' with thejunior staff when we have to push to get things done under significant time-pressures".

Recent Developments InnoTech

Although InnoTech's business metrics continue to be successful, there have been some recent decline inoverall product sales, and in meeting product delivery deadlines. Emma is concerned with these trends.

Although staff turnover has been increasing lately (another cause for concern), the working relationship between the two teams under her watch appears strong despite Bryan and Ken having quite different leadership styles. There appears to be some tension though between Bryan and Ken due to their contrasting leadership styles.

Emma wants to move towards a more consistent approach towards how the business is run in the hopes of reversing the disturbing trends.

1. what are the key facts.
2. identify the central problems using a flow chart.