Last updated on
2024年9月11日
Your team is facing extended crunch time periods. How can you keep them focused and productive?
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Curious about maintaining team momentum during long work sprints? Share your strategies for keeping productivity high.
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I'd argue that most of the games we love the most were developed by teams that had to work super long hours to bring them to life. It's nearly impossible to motivate a team when they are working crunch hours. That motivation, in my opinion, should come from the team themselves. They have to be excited about the game they are building, believe in its success, and understand that the final push won't be easy. If there is that will push, the role of the leadership is to set an example with their own work ethic, continuously recognize the human element, and, foster camaraderie.
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Find another job. If we are "facing crunch for extended time periods," our managers are assholes. Crunch is acceptable for SHORT time periods; sometimes there are deadlines from publishing partners, or a need to produce deliverables for marketing reasons, but there is no excuse for management to call for crunch for "extended time periods." Research shows that this is destructive of team morale, and actually reduces productivity. Quit on your own schedule, not theirs; don't get mad and shout out at meetings. Just quietly look for the next gig, which you are more likely to get if currently employed than not.
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Extended crunch period is leadership failure. Reevaluate leadership decisions, design decisions, reevaluate scope, stop the crunch. It's not that hard really.
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Onurhan Karaagacli
Producer | Director | Organizational Leader | Maker of Games, Teams and Leaders
(已编辑)"Extended crunch time periods" is often the result of prior sub-par planning: All sorts of "feature creep" to "unaccounted bug-fixing time" to "we want to do EVERYTHING on the board" + much more play into it. I'll share my unfiltered opinion: Instead of trying to maintain "team momentum in crunch", as a Leader & decision-maker for the team: 1- Prioritize diligently, understanding where you stand. You don't need all those in the game. Focus on those that'll make the game stand out. 2- Understand how much time (in 8 hr/day) you need additionally > go and GET THAT from your investors, publisher, player-base, your own bank - wherever. 3- Don't expect "productivity" during crunch, expect accountability from people who put you in that state.
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During extended crunch time, keeping your team focused and productive starts with supporting their well-being. Make sure to set realistic goals and break tasks into manageable chunks so the workload feels less overwhelming. Encourage regular breaks to avoid burnout, and be sure to recognize and celebrate small wins to keep morale high. Open communication is crucial—listen to their concerns and be flexible where possible. Offering support, whether through extra resources or just showing appreciation, goes a long way in keeping the team motivated and energized during those tough stretches.
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