XP Values: Respect

October 22, 2007 by Artem Marchenko

Extreme Programming values are the primary guidelines to be used whenever it is not clear how to resolve the particular situation. Value of respect is special in that it is the only Extreme Programming value not present in the first edition of the Extreme Programming Explained. Kent Beck added it to the second edition basing on how the first book has been interpreted in many companies out there. Extreme Programming is no fixed mechanical process that anybody could be forced doing. It is rather a way for continuous improvement of the practices so that step by step the business, the team and the individuals could improve their ways of work. Such a continuous improvement is based on the regular retrospective analysis, the will to improve and the belief in that changes can be performed. It can hardly happen without the high level of trust and respect between the team members, management and the customers. Only a team of respected professionals can feel empowered enough for being highly innovative and creative in their solutions and in the work practices improvements.

Primary XP practices directly supporting the value of respect

• Whole Team - the whole team team commits to the goals and the whole team is accountable for the results. There can be specialists, but there are no individuals working and responsible only for "their tasks". Everybody is respected enough to help no matter how simple his problems might look like to the more experienced team members
• Energized work - it is natural for everybody to make mistakes, also estimates are no promises. It is not a guilt if some estimate poorly correlates to the reality and it is no reason for forcing people "failed" at estimating to work overtime
• Pair Programming - the XP team accepts the fact that the second pair of eye-balls and the second perspective on the code  are useful whatever the paired person experience is like

Corollary XP practices directly supporting the value of respect

• Real Customer Involvement - talking to customer is not the privilege of the marketing department, but the mandatory condition for producing the software the customer really needs
• Team continuity - a team of respected professionals deserves to be valued more, than mere "resources". It is better to "waste" a bit of "efficiency", than to dismantle team of professionals working well together only because the next project could be done by the smaller number of people

This page is a part of the Extreme Programming overview

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