Agile Project Management

Teams

 building blocks of agile

 Small teams that are faithful to

 frequent, incremental releases,

 Capable of self-organization,

 It is hard work to develop the kind of teams that work well in agile methods:

 Teams that are self-leading and self-organizing

 •• Teams that march productively to their own drum

 •• And teams that can handle unique circumstances

The impact of having the

product master embedded in the midst of

team operations can be profound—

instant interpretation,

timely feedback, and A single voice.

But, sometimes close is too close!

•• The line between technical and functional requirements becomes

blurred

•• The stability required to meet tight iteration time boxes is disturbed

•• A compelling personality might unduly bias decisions

# Module 1: The Social Unit

People are naturally sociable.

People draw comfort, security,

strength, and reinforcement,

both from others around them and from networks they

join.

In businesses, the sociability

of people enables

successful teamwork.

For a group to form there must be opportunity and

motivation for interaction among the participants,

a crowd is not a group, nor is a cocktail party.

To have a group, there

must be:

•• A common purpose that

attracts members to join and stay

•• Some division of

responsibility and some

distinguished roles

•• Accepted norms for

behavior and participation

•• Defined operating processes

•• A set of protocols for

reward, discipline, or

sanction;

Groups are not teams;

However, forming a group is often the first step in forming a team

Team Definition

A team is a social structure wherein all members

individually and mutually collaborate toward the

achievement of a common goal that is possible only by the committed and collective

contribution of all members.

Team Definition

We’ve got some things to work on

within that definition

•• A social structure: thus, social norms and values are to be

expected

•• Individually and mutually

collaborate: thus, many lines of

communication with information

transparency to be expected

•• Common goal: thus individual

agendas are subordinated to the

common goal

•• Commitment and collective

contribution: thus, a certain work ethic is to be

expected

Bruce Tuckman’s Model

 • Forming: The team meets and learns about the challenges and opportunities.

 • Storming: Different ideas compete for consideration and adoption.

 • Norming: Behaviors are adjusted to make teamwork productive.

 • Performing: Collective, collaborative work styles reinforce the work of each member; conflicts are about solutions, not people.

 • Adjourning: The task is completed and the team’s work is archived; the team members are dismissed to their operational units.

reaching a state of performing requires extending the group parameters in several important ways:

1. Define a compelling,

unambiguously identifiable,

and measurable

team mission.

2. Set an expectation

that the team must succeed

for each person to be successful.

3. Require work to be

collaborative and

collective

4. Develop leadership from within the team.

A strong hierarchical leader is not always necessary to organize and manage the work if teammates can

comfortably share leadership responsibilities.

5. Develop methods and

processes within the

team

Module 2: Principle and Values Guide

Teams

Individual loyalties become

team loyalty

#Values That Make Teams Work

Trust

Values That Make Teams Work

Commitment

Accountability

Continuity

Simplicity

Clarity

Certainty

# Operating model of the agile team

 Teams are small, typically 6-8, but could be as large as 12

 Team leadership and management is determined by the team

 Team processes, practices, and rules are established by the team

#Project manager role

 The project manager coaches the team

 The project manager supports the team

 The project manager manages conflict, performance, and administration

 •

# Some Teams Work; Others Do Not

 Why Teams Don’t Work

 Teams are about how to organize small numbers of people, and so this is one of the first things that can go wrong. Teams are too large

 •• Boundaries are too often left fuzzy: Confusion is a productivity killer.

 Are all members clear on the team’s mission, goal, and scope, and what is out?

 •• The mission is not made compelling:

 People are not naturally attracted to the purpose and goal. Constant encouragement and reinforcement is needed to overcome boredom and disinterest.

 •• Team members too often are selected by making the easy choices:

 Often members are selected by position and availability. Instead, selection

 should be by rigorous evaluation that is based on skills and

 commitment.

 •• There is no allowance for a nemesis member to neutralize group think

 •• The team membership is allowed to turn over too rapidly

#How does agile manage staffing?

 First, get the right people.

#How does agile manage staffing?

 2. Second, be true to Principle 5, trust motivated people to get the

 job done, and Principle 8, plan for a steady and sustainable pace.

#How does agile manage staffing?

 3. Third, diversify the skill base of the team by having more than one

 person available who is capable of handling a particular task.