And So It Ends...

(I just felt like there's more to write about my team than in my previous entry...)

Today is officially the last day of the R2 Backend team. After 6 months of development and 1 month of support, we'll all now be reassigned to other teams. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'll miss the R2 backend team.

I've only been to two major application development teams - one I was the project overall lead and one I was a sublead a.k.a. "The Right Hand of Ceej and the Keeper of Codes". Here are some characteristics or attitudes my team have that I wish my futures teams will have as well:

Synergy. 1 + 1 = 3. As I said before, the team isn't composed of rocket scientists. We have a fashion model for a team lead, a jolly fat comedian for one of the subleads and half the rest of the team didn't even take computer related courses in college... and yet we deployed something that some overpaid computer techies couldn't. As I said - "Very effective as a team". Notice that task assignments are most of the time sent to two or more people? ;)

Win together, Lose together. A good test for a team is to see how they treat each other in defeat. We're weren't perfect. Tao lang. We had our down moments but there was absolutely no blaming, no fighting. Not even a hint of it.

Covering each other's backs. Like I said, tao lang. It was uncanny that whenever someone missed something, it's automatically covered by someone else. Automatically. No raising to the management that you missed it, no more explanations why it was missed, no blaming - just fix (and a gentle reminder).

One's problem is everyone else's. and I'm not talking about work related problems. It's funny how everyone is so affected by everyone else's problems and how they want to help. Kaaway ng isa, kaaway ng backend :P I have a feeling that if someone insulted me, Ceej and the others will be downstairs waiting with crowbars. "The backend mafia"

We all go home or nobody goes home. If one does OT because of an issue, some are there to help and to keep you company. If he or she does have to leave, it always come with the words/phrases "sorry" or "sure ka ok ka lang dyan?" and they will text you at 11pm to check if you've completed the task and if you're already home.

... and the cool thing is, none of these were discussed, written, introduced or anything...

I'll really miss working with you guys. I know I'll just be a cube away but it won't be the same (since I'm now joining the dark side hehehe). I've been doing a lot of reflection about the team throughout the week and so I guess I have plenty of thoughts and emotion to share (para akong magreresign/maroroll-off na no? hehe). It's just that working this past week without most of you guys made me realize these things. So once again thanks for wild ride, thanks for looking out for me, thanks for making me see the bright side of dark times, thanks for teaching me things not found in books... thanks for everything.

Thanks, really.

Ceej's farewell dinner @ Gilligan's (from top left: mags & des; ceej, mags & ching; knoll,gegs & des; knoll, gegs & ceej; me & ceej; ceej & mags, des & ceej, me & ching)

*not included: Les, Iris and Allan. Di kayo sumama e :P