Rules to Better Software Consultants - Working in a Team

• Do you know rules are made for the guidance of wise men and the obedience of fools?
• Communication - Do you have professional integrity? (Be a person of your word)
• Do you use tools and techniques to maintain professional integrity?
• Do you know the dangers of your Strong Suits?
• Teamwork - Do you manage up? (Give a recommendation)
• Do you follow up tasks effectively?
• Teamwork - Do you know the 5 dysfunctions of a team?
• Teamwork - Do you know the 5 pillars of teamwork?
• Communication - Do you chase the Product Owner for clarification?
• Priorities - Do you complete work in order of importance?
• Priorities - Do you know the 4 quadrants about important and urgent tasks?
• Do you know how important timesheets are?
• Calendar - Does your calendar always accurately show where you are?
• Communication - Are you always candid in your communication?
• Do you inform others when deleting or making fundamental content changes?
• Communication - Do you repeat back the specifics of a request?
• Communication - Do you send "Done Videos"?
• Communication - Do you know the 3 A's for receiving feedback/criticism (even if it’s not your fault)?
• Communication - Do you understand the power of Empathy in the workplace?
• Communication - Do you handle passive aggressive comments effectively?
• Quality - Do you go 2 miles when you're only asked to go 1?
• Do you remove clutter from your browser's new tabs?
• Mentoring - Do you help everyone to learn the rules (be a Standards Watchdog)?
• Do you keep developers away from tasks involving design or the overall look and feel?
• Mentoring - Do you know what makes a good mentor?
• Mentoring - Do you have a mentoring program?
• Communication - Do you ask questions when you're stuck?
• Do you know how to avoid being blocked?
• Communication - Do you CC the Account Manager on emails related to new work?
• Do you seek job satisfaction and enjoyment?
• Efficiency - Reuse - Do you create a report whenever you need a number from a system?
• Quality - Do you give 120% when deadlines are tight?
• Do you give people a second chance?
• Do you offer positive feedback and give credit?
• Communication - Do you offer specific feedback?
• Ethics - Do you only do what you think is right?
• Office environment - Do you follow the company's dress code?
• Office environment - Do you have your mobile phone on vibrate?
• Office environment - Do you give enough notice for annual leave?
• Office environment - Do you know how to get approval for a purchase?
• Quality - Do you know the best books to read on software development?
• Quality - Do you know the best place to find good software videos?
• Communication - Do you know the nice way to correct someone?
• General - Standards Watchdog - Do you provide the reason behind the rules rather than just enforce them?
• Efficiency - Do you know the recurring tasks you have to do?
• Office environment - Do you label broken equipment?
• Communication - Do you notify others about what is happening?
• Communication - Do you include a standard signature to your comments on blogs and forums?
• Do you share your work preferences with your manager but accept less interesting tasks when needed?
• Efficiency - Do you use Source Control and Backups?
• Communication - Do you use videos or voice recordings instead of sending long emails?
• Setup - Do you use two monitors?
• Do you hand over your responsibilities?
• Do you know how to collaborate across time zones with minimal overlap?
• Efficiency - Do you always try to work in pairs?
• Quality - Do you get your most experienced colleagues to check your work?
• Quality - Do you implement an error logger that has notifications?
• Do you know how to request a "Test Please"?
• Quality - Do you only deploy after a test please?
• IP - Do you make your templates accessible to everyone in your organization?
• IP - Do you teach & share ideas regularly?
• Communication - Do you avoid swearing at work?
• Communication - Do you use correct English at work?
• Office environment - Do you supply your employees with a locker?
• Office environment - Do you use the 5S desk space organization system invented by the Japanese?
• Office environment - Do you avoid listening to music while at work?
• Communication - Do you know the best chat tools for your employees?
• Efficiency - Do you know the quickest way to fix small web errors?
• Communication - Do you hold regular company meetings?
• Efficiency - Do you timebox approval requests?
• Do you use timeboxing to avoid wasted time?
• Communication - Do you go beyond text chat and do professional video calls?
• Do you know the modern alternatives to using a whiteboard?
• Do you carry your USB flash drive on your key ring?
• Do you speak up about unfairness?
• Do you find the positive in the decisions?
• Do you build inter-office interaction?
• Efficiency - Do you always try to work in pairs?
• Do you gather opinions from your team?
• Do you call your System Administrators before raising a ticket?
• Do you use suspend on your notebook?
• Do you automate recurring tasks with Microsoft Planner?