How can you make your DevOps processes more inclusive and diverse?

Hiring the best person for the job is the only way to hire. I do what I can to hire with zero regard to the race, country of origin or gender of the applicant. I risk the chance of having a lack of diversity in the team by opting to assemble the best team possible. I also could never bring myself to hire somebody that may eventually be identified as "the diversity hire." I cannot possibly imagine the soul-crushing effect of having that label applied to myself, I wouldn't wish it on anybody.

There are three big, and easy, ways. A. Simplify the language. As an industry we need to steer clear of the acronym jargon. And B. We also need to simplify the tooling. Make the "idea" of devops more approachable and easy to learn. and C. As an industry we need to realize that there is no ONE right way. There are thousands of solutions for every problem. DevSecOps is not absolute! If we can follow these 3 steps than the right people will naturally be attracted to the industry.

I think the devops team members should be a part and contribute just like all other dev team members. Defining the architecture, understanding the non functional or even functional requirements should include devops team members and not be left to the final deployment stages only. Goals (for example performance, supporting no. of requests/users) should be evaluated for devops as part of regular testing process and not a post process

To make DevOps processes more inclusive and diverse, foster an inclusive culture that values differences and addresses biases. Implement diverse recruitment and retention strategies, ensuring accessibility of tools and technologies for all abilities. Involve diverse perspectives in decision-making and offer flexible work arrangements. Promote continuous learning, ensuring equity in opportunities for growth. Engage with diverse external communities and focus on transparent communication. These steps enhance creativity, problem-solving, and contribute to a more effective and equitable workplace.

La mixité culturelle, ethnique et sociale permet aux membres d'équipes d'avoir un regard différent et plus ouvert sur le monde qui les entoure et, par conséquent, d'être plus créatifs, curieux et épanouis. La divergence des opinions et la variété des approches vont propulser votre entreprise vers les sommets de la réussite. Des études montrent que les entreprises diverses et inclusives surpassent souvent leurs concurrents. Pour avoir des mesures claires, créez des enquêtes d'évaluation sous forme de QCM et permettez aux membres de vos équipes de s'exprimer librement. Mesurez leur satisfaction sur une échelle de 1 à 10. Faites cela régulièrement pour en tirer des conclusions.

Proactively pursuing candidates with diverse backgrounds, skills, and perspectives serves as a fundamental practice. However, the commitment extends beyond recruitment, encompassing the creation of an environment conducive to the flourishing of diverse talents, enabling them to make impactful contributions. Establishing a T-shaped team and maintaining its stability are indispensable factors in crafting an efficient and high-performance team.

It's a lot of work to achieve diversity without sacrificing talent, and it won't just happen if you sit back let resumes come to you. People self select, and minorities can have a hard time seeing themselves in a role where they are greatly underrepresented. Go to where the candidates you want are. Work with Girls Who Code, or other groups training and advocating for the candidates you need. They know their members and can help you filter candidates for ones who would be most successful in the role. You cannot rely on the best candidates finding you, sometimes you have to go to them.

Faites confiance aux candidats issus d'une reconversion, aux autodidactes, aux jeunes et aux seniors, aux hommes et aux femmes. Mettez de côté vos jugements, prêtez attention à leurs parcours, side projects et les valeurs qu'ils véhiculent. Essayez de constituer une équipe issue de différents secteurs d'activité. Si vous êtes dans le e-commerce, prenez des personnes d’autres secteurs. La divergence des opinions et la variété des approches vont propulser votre entreprise vers les sommets de la réussite. Instaurez une atmosphère amicale, soudez l'équipe autour d'un but commun et d'objectifs clairs pour dépasser les limitations culturelles inconscientes dues à la diversité. Engagez un "Happiness Manager". Récompensez leurs efforts !

Perhaps we should first let the NFL implement diversity and inclusion, hire short people, overweight and some with impaired vision, and see how that plays out (pun intended) before suggesting those ideas in aeronautical engineering or design of self-driving vehicles. As much as it hurts fans when their team loses a basketball game, it’s a small price to pay to avoid losing actual lives to accidents caused by incompetence. Let’s make this science - try it out on lab mice first!

In the rapidly evolving field of DevOps, the integration of diverse and inclusive practices is not just a matter of social responsibility, but a strategic imperative. By consciously hiring professionals who not only possess the requisite technical expertise but also represent a wide array of backgrounds and perspectives, we harness the full spectrum of innovative potential. This diversity in thought and experience is particularly crucial in system architecture, where complex problem-solving and creative solutions are the keys to staying ahead in a competitive landscape. Such an inclusive approach not only enriches our workplace culture but also significantly contributes to the development of more robust, versatile, and user-centric systems.

Creating an environment that values people's opinions, fostering a sense of acceptance, is crucial. ADAPTING agile methodologies to enhance team collaboration for improved delivery is very important in this process. This process aims to facilitate business collaboration, fostering improved relationships and trust.

Adopter un processus agile fait levier d'inclusivité, un prolongement naturel. Les points d'équipe quotidiens et hebdomadaires vous permettront un échange fluide et naturel. Promulguez auprès de votre équipe la nécessité de prendre des tâches hors de leurs compétences. La nécessité d’apprentissage favorisera naturellement l'échange et l'entraide. Il est aussi important de noter que cette approche permet d’élever la polyvalence de l’équipe, ce qui apporte une sécurité complémentaire à l'entreprise et ouvre de nouveaux horizons à vos collaborateurs

Promoting diversity in DevOps involves effective collaboration and communication. Beyond delivering software, it's about sharing ideas, feedback, and knowledge. Utilize collaboration tools like GitHub, Slack, or Jira. Embrace agile methodologies like Scrum or Kanban for teamwork, transparency, and feedback. Cultivate a culture of trust, respect, and empathy, ensuring everyone feels valued and heard. This inclusive approach enhances overall team cohesion and productivity.

Encouraging diverse voices and perspectives during collaborative efforts not only leads to innovative solutions but also helps in creating an inclusive environment. It's crucial to provide platforms where team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas and concerns, irrespective of their background or experience level. Additionally, active listening and incorporating feedback from diverse team members can greatly enhance the overall effectiveness of the DevOps processes.

Here are some pointers for productive teamwork and communication in hybrid culture: 1. Establish precise expectations and goals: Make sure all parties involved understand what has to be done. This entails establishing precise objectives, due dates, and roles and duties 2. Be honest and transparent: When communicating, keep things simple and straightforward. Be receptive to criticism and eager to hear different viewpoints 3. Show consideration and decency: Regardless of your disagreements with someone, show them respect 4. Use appropriate tools for the tasks 5. Be adaptive and versatile: Plans don't always work out, so be ready to be adaptable and flexible 6. Celebrate Success: Spend some time appreciating all of your accomplishments

Incorporating diverse perspectives and feedback is essential for an inclusive DevOps. Actively listening to customers, stakeholders, and users enhances software quality, usability, and accessibility. Tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, or UserTesting gather varied insights. Involving customers in planning, development, and deployment ensures alignment with diverse needs. This feedback loop refines practices and establishes a foundation for continuous improvement, fostering adaptability and innovation within DevOps.

Un rituel de rétrospective fait partie de la méthodologie agile et même si vous ne la pratiquez pas, vous devriez l’adopter. Lors d'une rétrospective suite à un projet ou une période de temps définie, vous donnez la parole à votre équipe et à chaque collaborateur en particulier. Alors, ils peuvent soulever les points négatifs et les points positifs. Vous faire part de leur joie et de leur mécontentement. Pas de critique ou de positions défensives, juste de l'acceptation et de la bienveillance. Le but est de repérer les points d’attention, d'identifier les actions concrètes et de construire un vivre ensemble positivement inclusif

The following episode happened in a project a few months ago. The Client needed to automate a manual procedure, perhaps from a DevOps perspective, perhaps not. The functional consultants said, "It's going to cost thousands of days. This is a DevOps job." The DevOps consultants said, "It will cost thousands of days. The functional consultants should do it." They then asked an old consultant. He said, "I'll think about it." And he did it in 70 days. Maybe every now and then we should THINK.

The best way to do the right thing is know the right information about it. Feedbacks and perspectives from different people is a very good gift to us to have the correct direction. This can bring opportunities to explore new ideas to improve customer experiences. Know different views about daily processes and points of failure. Combining a cross view into a best decision is ever good.

Adding more perspectives when looking for solutions to a problem only helps improve the outcome. Setting a deadline when looking for new insights is a sure way to get things moving, while also giving everyone a fair chance to contribute

Implementing Devops is about changing culture and the way the organization delivers value to their customers from a very strategic standpoint. Culture eats strategy for breakfast as Peter Drucker used to say, so having a culture that promotes openness and honest feedback to improve and change the mindset is a key factor to the successful implementation of it.

Continuously evaluate the inclusivity of the DevOps processes, blamelessly, and measure success or failure along the way. Learning from failures and making progress with each iteration is essential for fostering an inclusive culture

The continuously improve aspect is important here. To improve, you need to take the goals defined earlier and ruthlessly automate and enforce them. Enforcement is key, if there is disagreement on a rule, discuss it in the team, make a decision and move forward. Without enforcement, rules become guidelines, then get ignored and continuous improvement falls by the wayside.

Continual self-improvement extends beyond technical prowess; nurturing soft skills like effective communication and presentation is crucial. Active involvement in workshops, training sessions, meetups, reading professional literature, and participating in public initiatives contributes to well-rounded professional development.

Continuously fostering inclusivity in DevOps involves embracing a growth mindset, encouraging resilience, curiosity, and learning from both successes and failures. Cultivating a learning culture within the team through regular meetings, workshops, and forums promotes technical skills and understanding diverse perspectives. Infusing diversity and inclusion into training, addressing unconscious bias and cross-cultural communication, equips team members for a diverse DevOps landscape. Robust feedback loops and active participation in diversity events like DevOpsDays ensure ongoing learning. This commitment to continuous growth integrates diversity into DevOps processes, adapting to change and seizing opportunities for positive transformation.

Acknowledging and celebrating different cultures within the team can foster a sense of belonging and respect. Organizing cultural awareness days and encouraging team members to share their traditions and experiences have been effective in my teams. Integrating diverse user stories and scenarios in the product development cycle ensures that the products cater to a wider audience. In one of the applications we developed, incorporating diverse user personas led to more inclusive features and interfaces. Regular training sessions on unconscious bias and inclusivity can significantly enhance team dynamics.

It's important to take into account the organizational culture: Explore how the organizational culture can promote or inhibit diversity. A culture that values diversity and inclusion can encourage collaboration and mutual respect. If the organizational culture isn't favoring this, reach out to someone in the relevant department and try to get them involved in the project. Start small until these actions become a part of the culture.

Organizational culture can make or break an attempt to introduce DevOps Agile approaches. It is definitely a discipline that "takes a village". Working as a champion for change, encourage your peers to work outside their "traditional comfort zones" with the aim for achieving small wins at first. It is also important for key business stakeholders to understand (especially in the beginning of the "evolution") that Agile doesn't mean "moving fast by cutting corners". Acheiving "speed to market" gains w/o introducing unnecessary risk involves a lot of up-front work in developing your frameworks/processes (that may not yet exist) so you can release/roll back/pivot w/equaling amounts of speed - thus reducing the time of negative impacts.

Define your goals for making your DevOps processes more inclusive and diverse. Make diversity a priority when hiring for DevOps roles. This means considering candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, skills, and experiences. You should also create an inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and respected. Encourage collaboration and communication among all team members, regardless of their background or experience level. Seek out and incorporate feedback from diverse team members. Continuously evaluate your DevOps processes and make changes as needed.

Acknowledge and address implicit biases within your DevOps processes. Implement training programs to raise awareness and foster a more inclusive mindset among team members. Encourage open discussions about biases and provide tools to mitigate their impact on decision-making.