In the Twelve Principles of Agile Software, # 6 says:
The most efficient and effective method of
conveying information to and within a development
team is face-to-face conversation.
I started to respond to this principle here going one direction, but I forced myself to keep reading it and now I have a different perspective.
While I believe that face-to-face can be more efficient, I do not agree that it is always most effective. If you look a little deeper into the psychology of people and also into how we interact in groups, I think you’ll find that sometimes, being face-to-face isn’t always most effective.
Even so, it’s not that I don’t believe being face-to-face is effective, it’s that I don’t believe it is always most effective. And now I am particularly curious as to why someone would think it is always most effective? Haven’t you ever been in a face-to-face conversation that has gone awry? Certain types of body language, external distractions, and facial expressions can all hinder good communication. I’ll be honest with you, some of the clearest, most direct communication I have ever had has come via e-mail. Straightforward questions, straightforward answers. Nobody excused themselves in the middle of a discussion to get a cup of coffee or go to the bathroom, and if someone was rolling their eyes, I didn’t see it and wasn’t distracted by it. What is it about being face-to-face that is so much more effective?
If the principle is more about the other “things” – like a whiteboard or scrap paper – that can help facilitate conversation… I’d buy that. But the principle specifically states face-to-face conversation. And, to what degree does there need to be face-to-face conversation, and at what points in the development cycle? All stages? I can think of times where my developers would IM me, instead of getting up and walking the 5.5 feet between our desks. That’s not exaggerating! And I didn’t mind that one bit.
So anyway… this principle has just got me wondering. Is face-to-face truly the most effective way of communicating to a development team? If so, why?
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