Spice up your Data Engineering Team

How Salsa Can Spice Up Your Data Engineering Team

Article and picture generated by Copilot, idea inspired by discussion with a friend and spiced up with my thoughts

Have you ever wondered how to improve your data engineering team’s performance and collaboration? Have you ever heard of the DISC profile, a tool that helps you understand your personality styles and how they interact with others? Have you ever tried salsa, a fun and energetic dance that can teach you a lot about yourself and your colleagues?

Sara was a data engineer at a large company, and she was always looking for ways to improve her team’s performance and collaboration. She had recently learned about the DISC profile, a tool that helps people understand their personality styles and how they interact with others. She thought it would be useful to apply it to her team, but she didn’t want to make it obvious or boring.

She decided to invite her team to a salsa night at a nearby club, telling them it was just a fun way to unwind and celebrate their latest project. She secretly hoped that by observing how they danced and communicated, she could identify their personality types and learn how to work better with them.

She arrived at the club with her team, and they were greeted by a friendly salsa instructor who offered them a free lesson. Sara agreed, thinking it would be a good icebreaker and a chance to see how her team members reacted to a new challenge.

She watched as the instructor divided them into pairs and taught them the basic steps and turns of salsa. She noticed that some of her team members were more confident and assertive, taking the lead and initiating moves. Others were more outgoing and enthusiastic, making jokes and compliments. Some were more cooperative and supportive, following the lead and helping others. And some were more analytical and precise, focusing on the details and the technique.

She realized that these behaviors matched the four personality styles of the DISC profile: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness ©. She tried to remember who was who, and how they could use their strengths and overcome their weaknesses in their work as data engineers.

After the lesson, the instructor invited them to join the dance floor and practice what they had learned. Sara encouraged her team to mingle and switch partners, hoping to see how they adapted to different styles and personalities. She also joined the dance, enjoying the music and the movement.

She was surprised by how much fun she and her team had, and how much they learned about each other. She saw them smile, laugh, and compliment each other. She saw them overcome their fears and insecurities, and try new things. She saw them respect and appreciate each other’s differences, and find common ground.

She felt a new sense of connection and trust with her team, and she hoped they felt the same. She thanked them for joining her, and shared some positive feedback and appreciation. She also asked them some open-ended questions to encourage reflection and learning, such as:

What did you like or dislike about the salsa experience?
What did you learn or improve?
How did you feel about your performance and your partners?
How do you think salsa relates to your work as data engineers?
What skills or behaviors can you transfer or apply?

She didn’t reveal her observations or assumptions about their personality styles, but rather let them share their own insights and perspectives. She also shared some of her own learnings and takeaways, and expressed her interest in doing more salsa or other activities with them in the future.

She realized that salsa was more than just a dance, it was a way to bond with her colleagues and learn more about their personality styles. She thought it was a great team building activity, and she was glad she had tried it. She wondered what other surprises and discoveries awaited her and her team. She smiled and said to herself: “Salsa, who knew?”