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Acaz Souza Pereira | 7 Feb 17:50
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Introverts, Agile and Creativity

Hi,

recently came out studies on introverts and creativity and I do not know if
the community is knowing:

The Power of Introverts: A Manifesto for Quiet Brilliance: Scientific
American<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-power-of-introverts>

The Rise of the New Groupthink -
NYTimes.com<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html>

*Our companies, our schools and our culture are in thrall to an idea I call
the New Groupthink, which*
*holds that creativity and achievement come from an oddly gregarious place.
Most of us now work in*
*teams, in offices without walls, for managers who prize people skills
above all.*
*
*
*But there’s a problem with this view. Research strongly suggests that
people are more creative when*
*they enjoy privacy and freedom from interruption. And the most
spectacularly creative people in many*
*fields are often introverted, according to studies by the psychologists
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and*
*Gregory Feist. They’re extroverted enough to exchange and advance ideas,
but see themselves as*
*independent and individualistic. They’re not joiners by nature.*
*
*
(Continue reading)

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Steven Gordon | 7 Feb 18:40
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Re: Introverts, Agile and Creativity

Agile is for R&D (producing useful novel software), not pure R
(producing ideas that may or may not prove useful or practical).

On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 9:50 AM, Acaz Souza Pereira <acazsouza <at> gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> recently came out studies on introverts and creativity and I do not know if
> the community is knowing:
>
> The Power of Introverts: A Manifesto for Quiet Brilliance: Scientific
> American<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-power-of-introverts>
>
> The Rise of the New Groupthink -
> NYTimes.com<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html>
>
> *Our companies, our schools and our culture are in thrall to an idea I call
> the New Groupthink, which*
> *holds that creativity and achievement come from an oddly gregarious place.
> Most of us now work in*
> *teams, in offices without walls, for managers who prize people skills
> above all.*
> *
> *
> *But there’s a problem with this view. Research strongly suggests that
> people are more creative when*
> *they enjoy privacy and freedom from interruption. And the most
> spectacularly creative people in many*
> *fields are often introverted, according to studies by the psychologists
> Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and*
> *Gregory Feist. They’re extroverted enough to exchange and advance ideas,
(Continue reading)

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John Roth | 8 Feb 00:15
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Re: Introverts, Agile and Creativity

I think where this applies is the War Room / open office concept for an 
XP team.

John Roth

On 2/7/12 10:40 AM, Steven Gordon wrote:
> Agile is for R&D (producing useful novel software), not pure R
> (producing ideas that may or may not prove useful or practical).
>
> On Tue, Feb 7, 2012 at 9:50 AM, Acaz Souza Pereira<acazsouza <at> gmail.com>  wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> recently came out studies on introverts and creativity and I do not know if
>> the community is knowing:
>>
>> The Power of Introverts: A Manifesto for Quiet Brilliance: Scientific
>> American<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-power-of-introverts>
>>
>> The Rise of the New Groupthink -
>> NYTimes.com<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html>
>>
>> *Our companies, our schools and our culture are in thrall to an idea I call
>> the New Groupthink, which*
>> *holds that creativity and achievement come from an oddly gregarious place.
>> Most of us now work in*
>> *teams, in offices without walls, for managers who prize people skills
>> above all.*
>> *
>> *
>> *But there’s a problem with this view. Research strongly suggests that
(Continue reading)

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RonJeffries | 8 Feb 01:11
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Re: Introverts, Agile and Creativity

Hi John, hi Steven, hi Acaz,

On Feb 7, 2012, at 6:15 PM, John Roth wrote:

> I think where this applies is the War Room / open office concept for an 
> XP team.

When I created my software R&D space some years ago, I ensured that every programmer had a private office
with a window.

When we did some of our really difficult projects, we created a "war room" to work in. It went better.

When XP was invented, we worked with everyone in a big room. No one on the team wanted to go back: we were all
certain that it was the most productive and enjoyable project we had ever been on.

I have worked with many teams since then, and the results have been the same. Except for a very few
individuals -- who have never been considered to be key team members anyway -- teams have been more
productive by their own measure, in a team room.

I don't know what kind of rooms or projects these articles refer to, but I would never do a software project
without the team in its own common space if I had any choice at all.

Ron Jeffries
www.XProgramming.com
I try to Zen through it and keep my voice very mellow and low.
Inside I am screaming and have a machine gun.
Yin and Yang I figure.
  -- Tom Jeffries

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
(Continue reading)

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George Dinwiddie | 8 Feb 01:53
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Re: Introverts, Agile and Creativity

Acaz

On 2/7/12 11:50 AM, Acaz Souza Pereira wrote:
> Hi,
>
> recently came out studies on introverts and creativity and I do not know if
> the community is knowing:
>
> The Power of Introverts: A Manifesto for Quiet Brilliance: Scientific
> American<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-power-of-introverts>
>
> The Rise of the New Groupthink -
> NYTimes.com<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html>

You'll note that both of these articles are plugging Susan Cain's new 
book. She's also, apparently, in Time Magazine.

You might read

http://bobsutton.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/01/why-the-sharp-distinction-between-individual-and-group-brainstorming-is-false-in-real-teams.html 
for some balance.

> Agile deal a lot with people, collaboration and interaction. I'd like to
> start a discussion in this direction.

I know from experience (and I'm an introvert) that I do my best work 
when I balance alone-time and group-time. There's a world that needs 
exploring and describing in how to do that. What the world /doesn't/ 
need is another book pitting the extremes against each other.
(Continue reading)

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M. Manca | 8 Feb 09:28
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Re: Introverts, Agile and Creativity

Il 07/02/2012 17:50, Acaz Souza Pereira ha scritto:
Hi Acaz,
I am italian and I have my micro-company in Italy offering R&D
consulting services to other little-medium size italian (and some
outside Italy) companies and also developing some our products. So Take
care that my point of view is based on my daily reality.
> Hi,
>
> recently came out studies on introverts and creativity and I do not know if
> the community is knowing:
>
> The Power of Introverts: A Manifesto for Quiet Brilliance: Scientific
> American<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-power-of-introverts>
>
> The Rise of the New Groupthink -
> NYTimes.com<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html>
>
> *Our companies, our schools and our culture are in thrall to an idea I call
> the New Groupthink, which*
> *holds that creativity and achievement come from an oddly gregarious place.
> Most of us now work in*
> *teams, in offices without walls, for managers who prize people skills
> above all.*
Also in Italy this is coming. In last 10-15 years people changes a lot,
now it is very influenced by TV communication and reality shows.
Tragically there are too much young people dreaming to became a popular
star of the show business. The same mentality is becoming on every life
aspect and in every worker mentality so now there is a lot of people
that would make easy money with no sweat.
> *
(Continue reading)

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Steve Ropa | 8 Feb 01:59

Re: Introverts, Agile and Creativity

My experience has been basically the same.  Everyone wanted their private office until they tried the
common space.  Then they voted to give the offices to someone else.  They had more fun, got more done, and in my
opinion came up with far more creative answers...

RonJeffries <ronjeffries <at> acm.org> wrote:

>Hi John, hi Steven, hi Acaz,
>
>On Feb 7, 2012, at 6:15 PM, John Roth wrote:
>
>> I think where this applies is the War Room / open office concept for an 
>> XP team.
>
>
>When I created my software R&D space some years ago, I ensured that every programmer had a private office
with a window.
>
>When we did some of our really difficult projects, we created a "war room" to work in. It went better.
>
>When XP was invented, we worked with everyone in a big room. No one on the team wanted to go back: we were all
certain that it was the most productive and enjoyable project we had ever been on.
>
>I have worked with many teams since then, and the results have been the same. Except for a very few
individuals -- who have never been considered to be key team members anyway -- teams have been more
productive by their own measure, in a team room.
>
>I don't know what kind of rooms or projects these articles refer to, but I would never do a software project
without the team in its own common space if I had any choice at all.
>
>Ron Jeffries
(Continue reading)

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Acaz Souza Pereira | 8 Feb 14:09
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Re: Introverts, Agile and Creativity

Hi George,

I understand when you say when the difference is in /how/ to do.
Really, this is very concerning.
In Agile teams that work in room without walls with great communication and
interaction there may
be less creative, but you gain in productivity. Like Steven say: "Agile is
R&D" and we need to know
when to use alone-time and group-time.

But I believe that most agile teams around the world believe that
brainstorms are unique and the best
way to generate good ideas. What is not true.

2012/2/7 George Dinwiddie <lists <at> idiacomputing.com>

> **
>
>
> Acaz
>
>
> On 2/7/12 11:50 AM, Acaz Souza Pereira wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > recently came out studies on introverts and creativity and I do not know
> if
> > the community is knowing:
> >
> > The Power of Introverts: A Manifesto for Quiet Brilliance: Scientific
(Continue reading)

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George Dinwiddie | 8 Feb 16:18
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Re: Introverts, Agile and Creativity

Acaz,

I'm not sure what you're trying to say, here.

On 2/8/12 8:09 AM, Acaz Souza Pereira wrote:
> Hi George,
>
> I understand when you say when the difference is in /how/ to do.
> Really, this is very concerning.
> In Agile teams that work in room without walls with great communication and
> interaction there may
> be less creative, but you gain in productivity. Like Steven say: "Agile is
> R&D" and we need to know
> when to use alone-time and group-time.

I don't find that small teams working together are less creative than 
individuals.

For making it possible for people to find their balance, have you heard 
of the "Caves and Commons" pattern?

>
> But I believe that most agile teams around the world believe that
> brainstorms are unique and the best
> way to generate good ideas. What is not true.

I'm completely baffled by this. Could you try rephrasing it?

  - George
(Continue reading)

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Esther Schindler | 9 Feb 17:06
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Re: Introverts, Agile and Creativity

On Feb 7, 2012, at 9:50 AM, Acaz Souza Pereira wrote:
> recently came out studies on introverts and creativity and I do not know if
> the community is knowing:
> 
> The Power of Introverts: A Manifesto for Quiet Brilliance: Scientific
> American<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-power-of-introverts>

Also relevant (and for full disclosure, this is the site for which I'm editor in chief these days):

How to Succeed as an Introvert

Extroverts love, and get, attention. But organizations miss out when they fail to cultivate the
contributions of introverts, too. Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That
Can’t Stop Talking, uncovers why, and finds ways for “quiet geniuses” to thrive.

http://h30565.www3.hp.com/t5/Feature-Articles/How-to-Succeed-as-an-Introvert/ba-p/1522

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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Gmane