Caring teams improve outcomes

Organizations design systems that mirror their own emotional state. 

It’s no secret that technical skills help build better government services. But what if a more critical factor is something we talk about less: how much people care. There’s research that backs this up. Back in 1967, computer scientist Melvin Conway observed that organizations create systems that mirror their internal communication patterns. A two-year study by Google backed those findings. And the State of DevOps report has repeatedly emphasized that organizational culture is of utmost importance.

What’s true of entire organizations is also true for the smaller vendor teams that work on technology solutions across the government. A caring team will always build a system or suggest a solution that improves overall outcomes. 

Caring people build caring systems. A project team is a complex system. Like good food, good software is built by people who care about who they serve and about each other. The work we do in public interest technology is too important to build angry, dysfunctional systems. And when a team works well together, it can solve problems greater than the sum of its parts. 

Caring people deliver ugly things. Caring about outcomes is not always about building a pretty new app powered by the latest buzzword. Great teams ask themselves: How can I improve someone’s life, quickly and meaningfully? Caring teams seek the most cost-effective solutions that deliver the greatest value to the user. In public interest technology, function is infinitely more important than form. 

Caring people roll with the changes. When priorities shift, caring teams deal with change calmly. They take a moment to grieve what’s been built so far, and then immediately dive into a new path forward. Teams that don’t work well often express confusion and anger, and cling to the ghosts of their old ideas. Teams that care about outcomes can quickly find a way to forge ahead.

The government often has a choice of teams to work with. Especially when you’re selecting a vendor. While technology proficiency and experience are imperative, choose one that’s full of happy, caring, fun people. Like great artists, cities, musicians, and food, great contracting companies and teams exhibit emotion and soul. And that builds great public interest technology.