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Incorporating team values, especially in Agile teams, is critical to creating a work culture that is collaborative in the first place. It forms the bigger roof that brings together all team members and fosters unity.
Do you know how to build a high-performance agile team and how it works? A high-performing Agile team is a cohesive group of individuals who collaborate seamlessly, demonstrate strong Agile principles and practices, and consistently deliver high-quality results.
They embody the Agile values of transparency, adaptability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Such teams embrace self-organization, have clear goals, and leverage their collective skills and expertise to achieve exceptional outcomes.
Building high-performing Agile teams requires effort, dedication, and the implementation of various techniques and strategies. By promoting a culture of serving one another, creating a positive environment, fostering psychological safety, and embracing feedback, teams can enhance their collaboration, productivity, and overall success.
Moreover, such teams project the following characteristics:
So, a high-performing Agile team combines effective teamwork, Agile principles, and iterative processes to consistently deliver value, adapt to change, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
In an Agile teamwork environment:
Organizations spend on sending teams to Team building events and expect greater results from the team by sponsoring the team-building events, which is not true.
Building a high-performing Agile team offers numerous benefits for the team and the organization. Here are some key advantages:
Here are few shares a few simple techniques from my experience which do help teams become high-performing teams (which is a goal of a Scrum Master or an Agile Coach).
Technique 1 – Serving each other in the team
In one of the Agile teams I coached, there was an individual who always used to ask the question, “How can I help you?” very frequently. The question kind of became viral in the team, and as a result, there was a massive change in the behavior of the team.
Industry-wide research has revealed that when team members are supportive and motivated enough to help their peers, such teams are automatically high-performing. It has also been observed that the members stay in such teams for longer periods.
The act of serving others is further strengthened by persistent cooperation among team members and eventually transforms into a productivity cult. It is the role of the management to build positive relationships amongst the team members, and serving each other in the team helps in building positive relationships. The role of an Agile servant leader is worth mentioning in this context.
This serving cult leads to an effective collaboration of roles, which benefits Agile teams in the long run.
How to build a culture of serving each other in a Team?
When teammates serve one another, the level of caring and trust in teams increases dramatically. As an Agile lead, there are two important questions you need to ask to gauge this potential in your team.
What are you currently doing to serve others in your team?
Who in your team can you serve at this moment?
STEP 1 – DISCUSS
STEP 2 – ACT
STEP 3 – PLAN
Have your team create a service plan.
In the table below, create a “Service Plan.” List each of your teammates that you can serve now. Next to each name, write an act of service they would appreciate. Include the date on which you will complete the service.
Too many times a perfectly good day is ruined by someone else’s negativity . You wake up in a great mood because you get to spend me entire day a a job that you absolutely love and then
BOOM you walk into the office and you get an uneasy feeling. You may start feeling drained, unproductive, and unhappy in that job you love so much- Nicole Tinkham
The following activity can be used in building the Positive Environment within the team (either Co-located or Distributed (by making little modifications))
When you have the team back together, ask the following questions:
Note: For Distributed Teams, use Email instead of Index Card for the same activity
In the preceding sections we have already seen the significance of “How teammates treated one another” has great impact on team becoming a high-performing team.
Following are few more techniques, which can help the team in transforming to a high-performing team -
Technique 3 – Giving and Receiving Feedback in a Team
| The wrong reasons to give feedback : |
The right reason to give feedback: |
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While giving the feedback –
How to give Feedback?
One well known strategy for feedback is the “criticism sandwich,” popularized by Mary Kay Ash.
Feedback is truly a gift. You can’t become a great teammate without it. Your teammates have the combination for unlocking personal performance barriers you aren’t even aware of. All you have to do is ask, listen, acknowledge, act, follow up, and repeat.
Following activity can be used in creating the culture of giving and receiving Feedback within the team-
Create an action plan for getting honest feedback from the members of your team in the next month. The action plan should include your approach to scheduling your one-on-one meetings and follow-up on the feedback you receive.
How can you increase psychological safety for your own team?
An activity called “Johari Window” can be used to increase psychological safety on your own team.
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Closing thoughts
A high-performing team takes time and effort to build. The most difficult part is to maintain the productivity level in such teams. It comes through team engagement and collaboration. Establishing psychological safety is the key to success in every high-performing team, not just the Agile teams discussed in this article. It is essential on the part of the team members as well as the leads and project managers to instill positivity and encourage reflective thoughts, which are the productivity fuels that help a team grow endlessly.
Transform your Agile teams today!
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