Real Development Teams don't cut corners

I am a firm believer in not discussing anything in an employee evaluation that hasn't been discussed earlier.

I have monthly one-on-ones with my team to ensure that this is the case. My goal is to always know the pulse of my team and to identify and correct problems before they have time to grow.

Yesterday, I was in such a meeting, and one of my team said...

"It was crunch-time. I had to finish, so corners had to be cut somewhere."

I wanted to say...

"Did you miss every meeting we've had for the last couple of years?"

Instead, I said...

"I'm sorry if I never communicated this to you, but we don't have to cut corners here."

My teammate seemed embarrassed and starting ticking off all he had accomplished last sprint.

I just looked with my most expressionless expression.

He continued...

"...I asked for help, but no one would help me."

I was stone-faced.

"Well, maybe I could have asked again....The team may not have realized how much I needed help....I guess I should have called my situation an impediment, and then maybe they would have knew it was important."

I smiled, and continued to listen.

"I know that we don't cut corners. We commit to only the work we can accomplish, and if we fall behind, we get help....There were some who finished early and took on more tasks. I should have went to the Scrum Master with my impediment."

"Instead of coming in your office with a list of reasons why or why not, I should have just said, 'I screwed-up, and this is what I'll do to prevent it from happening again.'—huh?"

As this teammate left the office, I was grinning.

I guess he really did attend a meeting or two.