Issues with team leader on client site

[zoco]

I am having issues with my team leader at my client's site. She is a consultant from a different consultancy. We follow the agile process and it has become obvious that my team leader is only concerned with her looking good during the sprint demo. Because of this, the quality of our product is suffering (badly written code, constant refactoring because she changes her mind, bad practice, etc).

For example, today in our retro, she demanded our code be fully commented because she cannot understand it when she reads it. I know commented code is bad practice because it encourages poor coding. Code should be self-documenting.

We were behind in our sprint and when I mentioned we need unit tests, she said 'we don't have time for that'. It's only since we installed a code coverage tool (Sonarqube) that the lack of coverage has been highlighted to senior management and not she is hell bent on getting code coverage. Not because she thinks its necessary, but because she's been told by management.

If we are behind in our sprint, she panics and this panic is transferred to the team.

These is a mild example of her behaviour.

I have highlighted the bad practice in retros and she has defended herself, saying I'm a perfectionist.

It's starting to get to me now. I try to just do what she says but it's my profession and I hate bad practice and incompetence.

Anyone in similar situation and can offer advice?

Oh, just go with it and if it all gets too much do what I did recently and go nuclear. Tell her to f**k right off.

Believe me, it's a most liberating experience but not one that's good for business.

[d000hg]

...

Yeah, I'd say the majority of my tests don't add "pretty comments" but you have to remember what is really obvious, self-documenting code to the author at the time, can be anything but to another developer or even the author a year later
Same risk writing "clever" code - you come back to it and think "who wrote this silly tulip"!!

[borderreiver]

Without a decent unit test suite for regression testing, how is refactoring supposed to work without just causing more chaos? No wonder stress levels are high ...

[DigitalUser]

Why are you rowing with her?

If your only problem is she isn't following the agile methodology you think your team should be doing you need to chill. Agile methodologies are rarely done properly by the vast majority of firms. Most firms pay lip service to agile.

Anyway you should always bribe the permies you work with day-to-day with food/drinks and by praising them for an idea they sprout you came up a week ago.

Only if they are really obnoxious should you put them in their place. Panicking and not making a decision don't fall into this. Blaming you for the project f***up to management does.

Now go and read a copy of "How to win friends and influence people".

This is exactly the type of attitude that allows failed projects to continue. Whatever framework or methodology you apply, letting things slide because other people don't do their jobs well is what continues to hold this industry back.

Advice to the OP - if you can, escalate the situation in a professional manner, do then so - otherwise, suck it up and find a better gig dude. Life's too short.

[SpontaneousOrder]

Yeah, I'd say the majority of my tests don't add "pretty comments" but you have to remember what is really obvious, self-documenting code to the author at the time, can be anything but to another developer or even the author a year later
Same risk writing "clever" code - you come back to it and think "who wrote this silly tulip"!!

Yah. Normally the need to write clever code means you're approaching something wrong.

[SpontaneousOrder]

Without a decent unit test suite for regression testing, how is refactoring supposed to work without just causing more chaos? No wonder stress levels are high ...

I don't *think* anyone was suggesting there's no need for unit tests.

[Robinho]

Comments for complex if statements and regexes is my stock interview answer.

[SpontaneousOrder]

Comments for complex if statements and regexes is my stock interview answer.

+1 on Regex

[heyya99]

This thread has been extremely helpful in improving my working relationship with my useless team leader. It's opened my eyes a but more to the stuff she (and not I) has to deal with. I am very process-driven and there needs to be a good excuse for me to accept breaking from protocol but I see, from other people's experience, that things aren't black and white and IT is a revenue-generating industry after all.

Since my OP, I have been very 'well behaved'. I have not questioned my boss' requests. If he comes to me looking for my advice in tackling a technical issue, I hold off on offering advice, I more try to get her to encourage her own decisions and that I'm happy to cary them out. So if it all fails, it won't be based on my advice.

A new developer (from her own consultancy) has joined and has become her yes man. She runs to him when he she needs advice and he never questions her. I've noticed that since he has joined, he has actually delivered very few user stories. He is very good at talking and making management think he's very good. For several sprints now, I consistently deliver > 50% story points and I don't think management know this (my team leader does). So I think I have to work on my image. I get no credit for delivering the stories so I have to ensure I talk the talk when upper management are listening.

The whole experience has been an eye opener.

[SueEllen]

. I get no credit for delivering the stories so I have to ensure I talk the talk when upper management are listening.
<snip>

You won't.

You need to make the team leader feel like she is getting on with you. You also need to make upper management see you are getting on with the team as well as that you are delivering.

The fact you aren't from the consultancy means if they want to make more money they will replace you with someone from the consultancy. Consultancies are adept at blaming the end-client for their project failures.