Characteristic of Agile team
Independent and self-directed
Senior leaders in an organization can turbocharge an agile team by enabling them to be self-directed and independent.
This propels the agile team forward by unleashing their ambition and cutting the unnecessary red tape that slows the flow of value delivery.
Small teams
- High-performing agile teams are those inspired and motivated units through which agile product-centric value gets delivered.
Agile Team Members Exhibit T-Shaped Skills
They have tremendous expertise in at least one area.
They are also capable of providing value in other areas outside their expertise.
Team members are able to do role blending by going beyond their core vertical skill set.
Able to support each other in the agile team through role blending.
Focused on the mission
the mission they have been assigned to carry out.
This fusion of multidisciplinary skills within an agile team has tremendous benefits for the organization.
Rather than having the work broken out into silos by functional expertise, high-performing agile teams are lodged with the skills required to independently work on continually delivering high value results.
Supported by executives
Leaders play a critical role here
They have to create the right environment to allow agile teams to thrive.
This requires the leaders to encourage and sometimes even push the culture to transform a way from a command and control structure that inhibits an organization's ability to effectively compete in today's rapid digital world.
A big challenge for leaders is to breakdown the silos since independent agile teams cannot possibly conquer such blockages on their own.
Once an agile team is equipped with the right skilled resources and the appropriate supporting tools and environments, leaders can step back and let high-performing teams flourish.
Minimal dependence on other teams
- High cohesion, Minimum coupling
Shared sense of purpose
- Clear view what is important to customer in terms of priority and value
Autonomous, Self Organisning
Cross functional
team members in which each team member has different skills.
But they do not restrict themselves to just adding value in that one skill set.
Rather, in a cross-functional Agile team, since everyone is working towards a common goal, all team members are expected to exhibit T-shaped skills.
By stretching themselves beyond just their specific expertise to help wherever the team needs assistance to move forward.
Ground Rules
Ground rules or team norms or working agreements
Are a list of mutually agreed upon behaviors and rules that an agile team decides upon,
These are not dictated from management nor the facilitator or product owner.
Ground rules are useful for working together as an agile team in both a productive as well as respectful manner.
A list of written ground rules is especially useful for guiding group of behavior towards a common purpose.
Ground rules are part of nurturing an environment where the agile team members can bring up different topics and enter into constructive yet challenging conversations.
Agilists refer to ground rules as the enabler for agile team to discuss the undiscussables.
Best Environment for agile team
Inspire the Agile Team
Senior leadership should inspire the Agile team.
This creates tremendous energy and enthusiasm in the team,
and this message from leadership, makes the team feel inspired, that the work they're doing is important to the organization.
Build Cross Functional Diverse Team
Diverse perspectives for richer options for solution
Team benefits form different viewpoints because of diff. culture and experience
Maintain focus as team Evolves
An effective and creative team culture, needs the team to have the breathing room to evolve, in a guided and focused direction
Some traditional managers, insist on only putting the customer first, at the expense of the Agile team satisfaction. An unsatisfied and claustrophobic team culture, will deliver, unsatisfactory results.
Encourage Innovation and Free Thinking
When Agile team members feel they can speak their mind freely, it allows the team members to talk openly and constructively, without getting defensive around challenging questions.
This drives better results
Clear Communication
Clarity and communication from the executives, is important for the Agile team, to clearly know what direction they need to focus on.
Filtered through the product owner
Not being clear on what needs to be done, or what the important deadlines are, will result in the Agile team becoming increasingly frustrated.
Clear communication benefits everyone involved.
Work Collaboratively To Solve Problem
Allows Teams to take advantage of different skill sets and perspectives
Stimulates creativity
Small Agile Team size helps
Timebox Meetings
The culture for meetings, should not be one where, team members feel like their hostages, and must turn up even if there's no value in their attendance.
High-performing Agile teams, break away, from the process centric mindset, of scheduling meetings just for the sake of having them, to follow a defined process.
Instead, Agile teams look to minimize unproductive meetings, and instead utilize that time for value-driven work.
Recognize and Appreciate
Its built in most agile framework
Simple appreciation for effort could be good motivator
The organization needs a structure where Agile teams are reminded periodically, that they are valued on a consistent basis.
Include Uncommitted Objectives
Also know as Stretch Objectives
Are used to identify that work which is planned, but the Agile team does not fully commit to completing it.
This allows for flexibility
Uncommitted objectives, create a drive in high performing Agile teams to accomplish the impossible.
That desire to attain the extraordinary, pushes the Agile team to try and conquer the stretch objectives as well.
This builds a team's confidence, and further fuels their desire to succeed.
Take time Out to connect and have fun
By encouraging the team members to be themselves and relish the experience,
Remove toxicity from stale and unproductive team
Having fun should be key strategy
Clarity of role
Implementing Remote Agile Teams
Working with a remote Agile team successfully requires attention to the following:
Team communication.
Time Zone Differences.
Work From Home Best Practices.
Catch-Ups.
Lack of Team Cohesion.
Remote Agile teams are definitely here to stay for the foreseeable future. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a sea change in terms of the acceptance of the value of remote teams.
Optimal Size of Agile Team
Range of 5-12 members of cross-functional and multiskilled resource to company
< 5 Member
Make it difficult to have all the competencies needed to do all work within one team
Since an Agile team should be a multidisciplinary unit tackling a common goal.
This is very different from a traditional waterfall structure where the different skills are broken out into separate teams, which creates unhealthy and fragmented silos.
\>12 Member
will make it difficult to self directed and self organize,
with increasing noise due to the number of team members.
As the number of team members increases, the number of communication channels also increase.
Coaching Models
Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition
The Dreyfus model presents a simple-to-understand framework for measuring an individual’s progress in any skill they are looking to acquire and gain expertise in. The five developmental stages identified in the Dreyfus Model for Skill Development are:
Novice
Advanced Beginner
Competent
Proficient
Expert
Read more about the Dreyfus Model of skill acquisition: The Five-Stage Model of Adult Skill Acquisition
Shu Ha Ri
Shu Ha Ri has its origins in Japanese Martial Arts. It is presented by experts as a way of thinking when learning a new skill. Alistair Cockburn is credited with introducing it in the Agile world when it comes to acquiring Agile skills for product development. There are three stages in Shu Ha Ri’s knowledge acquisition model:
Shu: Here the Agile team member mimics and follows the teachings of an expert.
Ha: At the Ha stage, team members start to experiment and begin to dig deeper into the theory that is driving the expert’s teachings
Ri: When someone reaches the Ri stage, they have directly experimented and experienced how teaching is beneficial to the Agile team’s maturity. This allows them to get creative and adapt to their unique circumstances and organizational context.
You can read more about Shu Ha Ri here:
What Kills a Agile Team
Pitfall #1: Conflicts are not managed effectively;
When expectations are high from key stakeholders, it is important to regularly remind the Agile Team of the value of respectfully discussing differing opinions and suggestions.
After all, the goal is to have win-win scenarios where both the Agile team and the business are winners together.
Pitfall #2: Blame game begins;
Agile teams are expected to deliver consistently.
However, there needs to be a tolerance for some failures since Agile Teams work in fast-paced situations. Such blame games and negative criticism quickly escalate to unhealthy conflict.
In times of failure, The smarter and healthier outlook is to continue to keep the Agile Team on a learning mindset.
This encourages a level of curiosity and solution-oriented thinking.
Pitfall#3: Rules of Engagement are not followed;
In a rush to deliver Agile teams sometimes forget the basics of needing to honor the mutually agreed upon rules of engagement.
Open and honest communication requires engagement
the Facilitator must ensure the Agile Team honors the agreed-upon rules of engagement and that team communications are frequent and relevant to avoid a high performing Agile Team from commencing its decline.
It is important for the Agile team to slow down when necessary, to regroup and make sure everyone is collectively heading in the same direction.
Pitfall #4: Spark or passion is dimmed;
- if the Agile Team starts to perceive that their work is not as valuable, it can annihilate motivation. When the product vision starts to get foggy, the Product Owner needs to quickly step in to clarify.
If Agile teams are able to maintain their sense of psychological safety and avoid the pitfalls I mentioned, they will continue to experience high levels of engagement, enthusiastic motivation, and incrementally better team performance.