I find it shocking how negative people here react to the simple act of saying out loud what everybody in the room already knows but doesn't dare to say.
IMHO there is something seriously dysfunctional about a team in which addressing what everyone already knows constitutes "publicly throwing someone under the bus".
We're dealing with adult professionals here, not a bunch of kids.
OTOH, not being able to deal with anything remotely resembling criticism in a mature way is one of the reason people find it so hard to work with developers.
I think there are some areas in which we shouldn't be expecting "management" to pander to our specific quirks, and this is one of them. People who want to be empowered, independent and not micro-managed should be able to deal with some gentle criticism.
I think a bunch of kids would tend to respond well towards a telling-off for Ted, and instructions to everyone else to stop Ted from being naughty.
Adult professionals, on the other hand, usually face more nuanced problems to which they can offer more constructive solutions, but have developed senses of tact and self preservation which mean they're unlikely to say "Ted wasn't smart enough for the task you gave him" or "actually the senior guy we're all afraid of delayed Ted's work" in a group meeting, both suggestions which might achieve more than a public confessional or argument
I don't think this is a "specific quirk" of developers; I think most sections of society actually require more sugar-coating on their criticism.
IMHO there's something seriously dysfunctional about a manager whose response to a problem with a team member is to belatedly announce it in a public meeting and then follow up by stating they've delegated dealing with it to everyone else, right now, as obviously people will feel much happier voicing things in public they haven't said in private.
Conclusion: It must be that no one dares to say it, as in, people are afraid.
Next conclusion: The premises mean they are a bunch of kids, not adult professionals (because adults will say sensitive things out loud while kids won't?)
Next conclusion: The premises mean that the participants are unable to deal with anything remotely resembling criticism.
Next conclusion: Failure of management to say it out in front of everyone is an example of pandering to quirks.
Final (implied) conclusion: The participants should not reasonably want to be empowered, independent, and not micro-managed (since they are unable to deal with anything remotely resembling criticism).
The obvious counterpoint to all these conclusions is that there may very well be a better way of handling the situation other than saying it out loud in front of everyone.
In defense of premise 1: if the team members in the room are unaware of the fact that one of them is under performing, it's not a team. You have an entirely different kind of problem.
In defense of premise 2: that's pretty much the whole premise of the article, if people do bring it up then whatever problem you may have, team members not holding each other accountable isn't one of them.
But this really, really annoys me (and not just me, it's one of the thing I keep hearing from people find it hard to work with us geeks): "a better way of handling the situation other than saying it out loud in front of everyone".
For fuck sake, it's not like you're outing someones sexual preference for pink ponies in front of their parents and loved ones!
It's about the work, the stuff you're getting paid to do, and it's not even a criticism, it's an observation, nobody is blaming anybody.
IMHO there is something seriously dysfunctional about a team in which addressing what everyone already knows constitutes "publicly throwing someone under the bus".
We're dealing with adult professionals here, not a bunch of kids.
OTOH, not being able to deal with anything remotely resembling criticism in a mature way is one of the reason people find it so hard to work with developers.
I think there are some areas in which we shouldn't be expecting "management" to pander to our specific quirks, and this is one of them. People who want to be empowered, independent and not micro-managed should be able to deal with some gentle criticism.