Randy Miller

Veteran CSM and CSPO.

I'm a problem-solver, consensus-builder, & team-motivator.  I have found that good teamwork is the single most important input to developing great software.

I always make certain that my development teams own the process of continual improvement.  I have found that this, more than anything else, provides the key sense of ownership that helps developers truly invest themselves in the work.

I do everything I can to help my developers stay focused on the current top priority.  That starts with having Jira clearly and completely groomed at all times.  But I've been told that my little status updates on upcoming projects during the Stand-Up are greatly appreciated.

I stay on-top of what is coming next, and keep my developers in the loop.  I do try to insulate them from the chaos of roadmap changes.  It's a difficult balance to strike--informed, but not overwhelmed by the constant changes.  I think my attitude of taking-it-all-in-stride helps them remain at peace and focus on the work in front of them.

I never discourage my developers from going directly to subject-matter experts to get answers.  But I make certain they know I can and will either help them or do that for them.   Besides reducing the interruptions for the developers, it has the added benefit of keeping me alerted to potential blockers.

Requirements & Design are also a team process.  The Product Manager brings the big ideas and competitive research.  I work with them to flesh out the personas, user stories, and workflows.  We bring in a UX expert to test & fix our workflows and design screens that will delight the users.

I have found that the most important part of maintaining good teamwork with the Product Manager and UX experts is to contribute, but to readily accept and encourage their contributions.  This has to be done actively, with regular verbal and written feedback that their idea is better than mine.  This builds a little community of trust, where egos can be set aside and agendas can be shared.  PMs and UX experts have often evolved into my best friends and most trusted advisers.

Along the way I've accomplished quite a bit--that stuff is all listed on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/williamrandymiller) and my resume (which is also on LinkedIn.)  But it's the teams I've built (or fixed) that I take the most joy in.