The wisdom of Teams

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS*MASSIMO SARTI - PMI-ACP - SCRUM MASTER - SCRUM PRODUCTOWNER - PMP - PRINCE2 - ITIL - POST-IT® LOVER

THE AGILISTS! - HUNGERFORD - 9 AUGUST 2016

* THE TITLE OF THIS TALK IS MY PERSONAL, LITTLE TRIBUTE TO ONE OUT OF THREE BEST BOOKS I EVER READ ABOUT TEAMS

Massimo Sarti

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

FYI: the second one is Peopleware of Tom DeMarco. The third one is The Decision to Trust of Robert Hurley

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

Show you some food for thoughts you can apply in your daily teamwork:

‣ Teams' lifecycle and performances

▸ Conflicts and conflict management

▸ Roles and behaviours

▸ Trust and distrust

▸ ….

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

FROM A LIFE SPENT IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, I LEARNT…

“NO SILVER BULLET” THERE IS NO SINGLE DEVELOPMENT, IN EITHER TECHNOLOGY OR MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE, WHICH BY ITSELF PROMISES EVEN ONE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE IMPROVEMENT WITHIN A DECADE IN PRODUCTIVITY, IN RELIABILITY, IN SIMPLICITY

Frederick P. Brooks Jr. No Silver Bullet -- Essence and Accident in Software Engineering

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

"NO MATTER HOW IT LOOKS AT FIRST, IT’S ALWAYS A PEOPLE PROBLEM."

Gerald M. Weinberg The Second Law Of Consulting

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

“A FOOL WITH A TOOL IS STILL A FOOL”

Grady Booch

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

Massimo Sarti - Humble Opinion

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

* AND THEY OFTEN WIN AGAINST TOO COMPLEX PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES

A GROUP OF MOTIVATED, SKILLED PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS WIN AGAINST A SET OF COMPLEX, EXPENSIVE TOOLS

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

▸ Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

▸ Working software over comprehensive documentation

▸ Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

▸ Responding to change over following a plan

WHERE DO PEOPLE AND TOOLS/PROCESSES FIT IN AGILE MANIFESTO?

https://agilemanifesto.org

“Agile is more humanistic than mechanistic” (Mike Griffiths)

DEFINITION OF TEAM

* THIS ALLOWS US TO ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE FOR THE NEXT HUNDRED SLIDES

A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WORK TOGETHER AT A PARTICULAR JOB

OXFORD DICTIONARY

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

A SET OF INDIVIDUALS WHO SUPPORT THE PROJECT MANAGER IN PERFORMING THE WORK OF THE PROJECT TO ACHIEVE ITS OBJECTIVES.

PMBOK 5th edition

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

A TEAM IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE OR OTHER ANIMALS LINKED IN A COMMON PURPOSE. HUMAN TEAMS ARE ESPECIALLY APPROPRIATE FOR CONDUCTING TASKS THAT ARE HIGH IN COMPLEXITY AND HAVE MANY INTERDEPENDENT SUBTASKS. … A TEAM BECOMES MORE THAN JUST A COLLECTION OF PEOPLE WHEN A STRONG SENSE OF MUTUAL COMMITMENT CREATES SYNERGY, THUS GENERATING PERFORMANCE GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE PERFORMANCE OF ITS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS.

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team (19/07/2016)

A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH COMPLIMENTARY SKILLS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO A COMMON PURPOSE, PERFORMANCE GOALS AND APPROACH FOR WHICH THEY HOLD THEMSELVES MUTUALLY ACCOUNTABLE.

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

J. Katzenbach - D. Smith

THERE IS ONE MISSING PIECE

A TEAM IS A TEMPORARY ORGANISATION

* KINDLY TAKEN FROM PRINCE2 PROJECT DEFINITION

AND IF IT IS TEMPORARY, IT HAS A LIFECYCLE!

* WELL, EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD HAS A LIFECYCLE

THIS TIME I WILL SHOW JUST FEW SLIDES ABOUT THE MOST FAMOUS TEAMS' LIFECYCLE MODEL: BRUCE TUCKMAN’S MODEL

FORMING STORMING NORMING PERFORMING (ADJOURNING)

Bruce W. Tuckman - Developmental Sequence in Small Groups

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

TUCKMAN’S TEAM DEVELOPMENT SEQUENCE

STAGE CHARACTERISTICS

FORMING Unwilling to undertake the work and unable to do so.

Lack of knowledge and lack of skills. Tendency to focus on themselves rather than the team

STORMING Willing to attempt the work but unable to do it as the skills are missing.

High conflict potential with team members. Challenges ideas

NORMING Unwillingness returns, possibly due to lack of self-confidence in newly

acquired skills, but they are able to do the work. Focus tends to be on rules and procedures and processes

PERFORMING Willing and able to do the work and to act as an effective team. Focus changes to delivery of the objectives

ADJOURNINGGroup disengages.

Anxiety about termination and separation, sadness. Feelings toward leader and group members

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

TUCKMAN’S MODEL: A GRAPH REPRESENTATION

FORMING

ADJOURNING

STORMING NORMING PERFORMING

BEFORE CONTINUING, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT A MODEL IS LIKE A MAP

A MAP IS NOT THE TERRITORY IT REPRESENTS, BUT, IF CORRECT, IT HAS A SIMILAR STRUCTURE TO THE TERRITORY, WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR ITS USEFULNESS.

Alfred Korzybski (1933)

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

IN THE SAME WAY A MODEL IS A SIMPLIFICATION OF THE COMPLEXITY OF REALITY

SOMETIME A MODEL IS AN OVER-SIMPLIFICATION

SOMETIME A MODEL IS SIMPLY WRONG

ALL MODELS ARE WRONG, SOME ARE USEFUL

George Box

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

SAID THIS…

…LET ME INTRODUCE ANOTHER MODEL

THE WHITE-FAIRHURST TPR LIFECYCLE MODEL

IN 2007 ALASDAIR A. K. WHITE AND JOHN FAIRHURST FORMULATED A PERFORMANCE HYPOTHESIS BASED ON SEVERAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

ALL PERFORMANCE WILL INITIALLY TREND TOWARDS A STEADY STATE, PARTICULARLY AFTER A PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE UPLIFT, AND THAT STEADY STATE WILL THEN DEVELOP A DOWNWARD CURVE LEADING TO A SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCE DECLINE

ALASDAIR WHITE

Taken from Alasdair White paper: “From Comfort Zone to Performance Management - Understanding development and performance”

THE COMFORT ZONE IS A BEHAVIOURAL STATE WITHIN WHICH A PERSON OPERATES IN AN ANXIETY-NEUTRAL CONDITION, USING A LIMITED SET OF BEHAVIOURS TO DELIVER A STEADY LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE, USUALLY WITHOUT A SENSE OF RISK

Alasdair White From Comfort Zone to Performance Management

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

THE TPR MODEL

STAGE BEHAVIOUR / CHARACTERISTICS OF TEAM’S MEMBERS

TRANSFORMINGUnwilling/unable, defensive, fearful. Then willing/

unable but aggressive, argumentative, challenging. Then unwilling/able, lack of self confidence.

PERFORMING Willing/able, works independently, confident

REFORMING Disengaging, seeking new confort zone, needs new goals

COLIN CARNALL STUDIED HOW PEOPLE REACT WHEN THEY MANAGE CHANGE IN ORGANIZATIONS: HE OBSERVED THAT, WHEN PEOPLE ARE SUBJECTED TO ‘CHANGE’, THIS HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THEIR SELF-ESTEEM. HE NOTED THAT “LINKED TO THIS IMPACT ON SELF-ESTEEM WILL BE AN IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE”

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

THE COPING CYCLE (CARNALL)


DENIAL When significant changes are first mooted the initial response may be to deny the need for change. Increase in anxiety

DEFENCEDefensive behaviours emerge. People try to force the new reality

into the old model that has allowed them to continue to perform in the current comfort zone

DISCARDING People discard and abandon the old ways of doing things and either commit to new work methods or invent new ways of acting

ADAPTIONPeople expend significant levels of energy on finding ways of

making things work. They align themselves with what they have to do.This boosts self-esteem

INTERNALISATION People have adopted and adapted the new working methods and made them their own

From Colin Carnall – Managing Change in Organizations

YET ANOTHER MODEL: SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP

* FROM KEN BLANCHARD - ONE MINUTE MANAGER

EFFECTIVE TEAM LEADERS ADJUST THEIR STYLE TO PROVIDE WHAT THE GROUP CAN’T PROVIDE FOR ITSELF

Kenneth Blanchard - Builds High Performing Teams

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP (II MODEL - KENNETH BLANCHARD)

S1

S2S3

S4DIRECTING

COACHINGSUPPORTING

DELEGATING

SUPP

ORTI

VE B

EHAV

IOUR

DIRECTIVE BEHAVIOUR

D1D2D3D4

DEVELOPMENT LEVEL

HIGH COMPETENCE HIGH COMMITMENT

MODERATE TO HIGH COMPETENCE VARIABLE COMMITMENT

LOW TO SOME COMPETENCE LOW COMMITMENT

LOW COMPETENCE HIGH COMMITMENT

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP


DIRECTING The leader provides specific direction and closely monitors task accomplishment

COACHINGThe leader continues to direct and closely monitor task

accomplishment but also explains decisions, solicits suggestions and support progress

SUPPORTINGThe leader facilitates and supports people’s efforts

toward task accomplishment and shares responsibility for decision making with them

DELEGATING The leader turns over responsibility for decision making and problem solving to people

From Ken Blanchard – Leadership and the One Minute Manager

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

MERGING ALL THE MODELS TOGETHER

TUCKMAN’S STAGES

TEAM LEADERSHIP

STYLE

COPING PHASES IN MEMBERS

CONFORT ZONES

PERFORMANCE MODEL (TPR)

FORMING DIRECTING DENIAL

FIRST PERFORMANCE

LEVELTRANSFORMINGSTORMING COACHING DEFENCE

NORMING SUPPORTING DISCARDING

PERFORMING DELEGATING ADAPTATION TRANSITION PERFORMING

ADJOURNING - INTERNALISATIONSECOND

PERFORMANCE LEVEL

REFORMING

HOW TO REDUCE THE TRANSFORMING DURATION?

FIRST: KEEP YOUR TEAM SMALL

TEAMS SHOULD BE NO LARGER THAN TWO PIZZAS CAN FEED

Jeff Bezos

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

IN THE WEST, TEAMS FUNCTION BETTER IF AND ONLY IF THEY ARE SMALL AND CONSIST OF DIVERSE, SPECIALISED PEOPLE. THIS MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES CAN BE TRACED BACK TO EACH SPECIALIST.

Rolf Dobelli

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

MOST ORGANISATIONS INTRINSICALLY PREFER INDIVIDUAL OVER TEAM ACCOUNTABILITY

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

J. Katzenbach - D. Smith

SOCIAL LOAFING IS A RATIONAL BEHAVIOUR: WHY INVEST ALL OF YOUR ENERGY WHEN HALF WILL DO - ESPECIALLY WHEN THIS LITTLE SHORT-CUT GOES UNNOTICED? … WHEN PEOPLE WORK TOGETHER, INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES DECREASE.

Rolf Dobelli- The art of thinking clearly

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

NUMBER OF LINKS THAT NEEDS TO BE MANAGED AMONG MEMBERS

1

36

10 N(N-1) / 2

EVERY STEEP JUMP IN LINKS ALSO PRODUCES A STEEP JUMP IN THE POTENTIAL FOR MISMANAGEMENT, MISINTERPRETATION, AND MISCOMMUNICATION.

Janet Choi

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

HOW SMALL IS SMALL?

▸ The magical maximum team size was heralded at 7±2

▸ Someone now says it is 5±2

▸ Team should have an odd number of members. This prevents ties and improves the odds of making a correct decision. Even-numbered groups can make decisions, but the decision-making can take more time

http://sheilamargolis.com/2011/01/24/what-is-the-optimal-group-size-for-decision-making/https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-harness-science-best-team-size-georg-fasching

SECOND: FORM YOUR TEAM ASAP

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

REDUCE DISTANCE BETWEEN MEMBERS

▸ Before starting: Boot camp ▸ Build from day 1 personal relationships ▸ Personal histories exercise: life stories and

interesting backgrounds ▸ Experiential team exercises: ▸ outdoor activities ▸ escape rooms

▸ “Working agreements” ▸ On the way: ▸ 360-degree feedback ▸ Personality and behavioural profiles

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

ESTABLISH WORKING AGREEMENTS ASAP (TEAM NORMS)▸ Guidelines developed by the team as to how they must work

together to create a positive, productive process ▸ Working agreements describe positive behaviours that often are

not automatically demonstrated in team process ▸ Working agreements should be: ▸ limited in number ▸ important to the team ▸ fully supported by each member ▸ reminded to members when they are broken

▸ Working agreements should be posted on a board for easy reference through the team process

https://www.scrumalliance.org/community/articles/2015/march/how-to-create-agile-team-working-agreements

THEN: KEEP YOUR TEAM STABLE AND "SAFE"

ADDING MANPOWER TO A LATE SOFTWARE PROJECT MAKES IT LATER.

Fred Brooks - The Mythical Man-Month

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

CHANGING TEAM’S MEMBERS IMPACTS SCOPE

Scope

Scope

Cost

Time Cost

Waterfall AgileTime

Fixed

Variableplan driven

value & vision driven

A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT DOESN’T OPERATE IN A VACUUM; IT OPERATES WITHIN A LARGER ORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENT. WHEN THE WIDER ORGANISATION WITHHOLDS RECOGNITION, RESOURCES, OR SUPPORT, DEVELOPMENT TEAM WILL FEEL ISOLATED AND ABANDONED - NOT AN ATMOSPHERE THAT MAKES FOR EFFECTIVE WORK.Jim Highsmith - Agile Project Management

GET YOUR TEAM TO PERFORM

CHECK AND ACT (INSPECT AND ADAPT)

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

WHAT TO OBSERVE IN GROUPS

▸ Communication and participation ▸ Decision making ▸ Conflicts ▸ Leadership ▸ Goals ▸ Roles and behaviours ▸ Group norms ▸ Problem solving ▸ Climate / Tone

Kenneth Blanchard

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS



OBSERVE ROLES / BEHAVIOURS

NO SHARP DISTINCTION CAN BE MADE BETWEEN LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERSHIP FUNCTIONS, BETWEEN LEADER AND MEMBER ROLES. GROUPS MAY OPERATE WITH VARIOUS DEGREES OF DIFFUSION OF “LEADERSHIP” FUNCTIONS AMONG GROUP MEMBERS OR OF CONCENTRATION OF SUCH FUNCTIONS IN ONE MEMBER OR A FEW MEMBERS.

Kenneth Benne - Paul Sheats - Functional Roles of Group Members

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

26 ROLES/BEHAVIOURS (KENNETH BENNE - PAUL SHEATS)

TASK ROLESSOCIAL ROLES

SELF-ORIENTED ROLES

AGGRESSOR

BLOCKER

RECOGNITION SEEKER

DOMINATORDESERTER

PLAYBOY

ENCOURAGER

HARMONISER

GATEKEEPER

TENSION RELIEVER

CONCILIATOR

FEELING EXPRESSER

FOLLOWER

INITIATOR INFORMATION SEEKER

INFORMATION GIVER

ORIENTERER

OPINION SEEKEROPINION GIVER

ELABORATORCOORDINATOR

DIAGNOSTICIAN

ENERGIZERPROCEDURE DEVELOPER

SECRETARYEVALUATOR

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

6 (+1) SELF-ORIENTED (DESTRUCTIVE) ROLES/BEHAVIOURS

AGGRESSORThe aggressor criticizes everything said within the team environment. This individual has the ability to block the introduction of new ideas and concepts by minimizing and deflating the status of other team members and creating a sense of intimidation.

BLOCKERThe blocker is a dominant personality who automatically rejects the views and perspectives of others out of hand. This individual blocks the team’s ability to brainstorm and discuss the merits of new concepts and ideas raise.

DESERTERThe deserter holds back his or her personal participation and refuses to become active within the team environment. This individual focuses the team on his or her immature behavior and attempts to resolve the conflict and unrest it creates, which effectively limits the team’s ability to make progress on problems and assigned projects.

RECOGNITION SEEKER

The recognition seeker looks for personal attention and in so doing monopolizes the discussion by continually asserting his or her personal ideas, suggestions and viewpoints. The recognition seeker is also attempting to win the team over to his or her ideas and opinions.

PLAYBOY The playboy displays a lack of involvement in the group through inappropriate humor, horseplay or cynicism.

DOMINATORThe dominator displays threatening and bullying behavior within the team setting. This individual uses intimidating and minimizing behavior in an attempt to take over the team and control all discussions.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE

While the devil’s advocate in the sense of introducing different viewpoints into the team discussion is a positive team function, it can become a negative role when used to block team progress or consensus. In this regard, the devil’s advocate is simply a naysayer that refuses to allow the team to move forward.

PERSONAL EXERCISE

TRY TO REMEMBER YOUR ROLE(S)/BEHAVIOUR(S) DURING YOUR LAST MEETING

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS



MANAGE CONFLICTS

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

CONFLICTS ARE INEVITABLE

▸ Conflict between team members is a fact of life ▸ Conflicts occur at all levels of interaction ▸ Conflict is a critical event in the course of a relationship ▸ Whether a relationship is healthy or unhealthy depends

not so much on the number of conflicts between members, but on how the conflicts are managed and resolved

▸ We should recognise which is the level of conflicts in our team

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

TEAM CONFLICT LEVELS (SPEED LEAS’S FRAMEWORK)Level/Name Characteristics Language used Atmosphere/Attitude

1 Problem to

solve

Team members engage openly and

constructivelyOpen, fact based Persons have different

opinion

2 Disagreement

Conversation changes to make

room for self- protection

Open to interpretation,

guardedSelf protection becomes

important

3 Contest

Distorted language, over generalisations,

real issues lost Include personal

attacksDiscussion becomes

either/or and blaming flourishes

4 Crusade

Becomes more ideological Ideological The overall attitude is

righteous and punitive.

5 World War

Features full-on combat

Little, non existent

Persons must be separated

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

TEAM CONFLICT LEVELS (SPEED LEAS’S FRAMEWORK)Level/Name How to (try to) resolve the conflict

1 Problem to solve

‣ Don’t take any immediate action to resolve the conflict ‣ Construct a collaborative scenario and help to build consensus around a decision that everyone can support

2 Disagreement

‣ Don’t take any immediate action to resolve the conflict ‣ Empower the relevant team’s member to solve the problem ‣ Restore a sense of safety to the team

3 Contest

‣ Don’t take any immediate action to resolve the conflict ‣ Accommodate people’s different views ‣ Compromise work, but don’t compromise team’s values

4 Crusade

‣ Use diplomacy ‣ De-escalate conflict ‣ Use a facilitator / negotiator to convey messages between different parties

5 World War

‣ It’s unresolvable ‣ Give people ways to exit from team ‣ Separate opposing individuals to prevent further harm each other

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

SIX CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES (SPEED LEAS)Style Behaviour

Persuading‣ Present both side ‣ Present your favoured viewpoint last ‣ Be for, not against

Compelling / Forcing‣ Increase your authority, both tacit and explicit ‣ Use clear statements to get a clear response ‣ Be able to bring sanctions to bear immediately upon non-compliance

with your demands

Avoiding / Ignoring / Accomodating / Fleeing

‣ Procrastinate! ‣ Use when the cost of working a problem through is greater than the value of having worked it through ‣ Use when the conflict is on many fronts ‣ Use when people need time or space to cool down

Collaborating‣ Win-win: involve the others ‣ Jointly acknowledge there is a problem ‣ Jointly agree on how deal with the problem ‣ Jointly invent options for mutual gain and then jointly choose an

optionNegotiating / Bargaining

‣ Sorta-win-sorta-lose: try to obtain as much you can ‣ Parties involved must share some information ‣ Stress the desirability of agreement ‣ Present positive points before the other does

Supporting‣ The other owns the problem ‣ Make short and neutral statements ‣ Reflect the feeling content of a person’s words or actions ‣ Help the other to feel strong and confident that he can deal with the

conflict

ANOTHER MODEL FOR OBSERVING MEMBERS' BEHAVIOUR IN CONFLICTS

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT (THOMAS - KILMANN INSTRUMENT OR TKI)COMPETING COLLABORATING

COMPROMISING

AVOIDING ACCOMODATINGASSE

RTIV

ENES

S Fo

cus

on m

y nee

ds

Impersonal complier

Tough Battler

Friendly Helper

Problem Solver

Manoeuvring Conciliator

I’m OK, you are not OK

I’m OK, you are OK

I’m not OK, you are not OK

I’m not OK, you are OK

COOPERATIVENESS Focus on others’ needs

www.slideshare.net/bhaskardiwakar/conflict-management-11475906* Similar tool: Blake and Mouton’s Conflict Grid

ARE BAD PERFORMANCES ALWAYS A PROBLEM OF CONFLICTS?

DYSFUNCTIONAL TEAM MANAGEMENT

ABSENCE OF TRUST

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

THE FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM

FEAR OF CONFLICTLACK OF COMMITMENT

AVOIDANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

INATTENTION TO RESULTS

Patrick Lencioni

TRUST LIES AT THE HEART OF A FUNCTIONING, COHESIVE TEAM. WITHOUT IT, TEAMWORK IS ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE.

Patrick Lencioni - The five dysfunctions of a team

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

5 DYSFUNCTIONS…Dysfunction Characteristics

Absence of trust‣ Hesitate to ask for help or provide constructive feedback ‣ Hesitate to offer help outside their own areas of responsibility ‣ Waste time and energy managing their behaviors for effect ‣ Dread meetings and find reasons o avoid spending time together

Fear of conflict‣ Have boring meetings ‣ Create environments where back-channel politics and personal attacks thrive ‣ Ignore controversial topics that are critical to team success ‣ Waste time and energy with posturing and interpersonal his management

Lack of commitment‣ Creates ambiguity among the team about direction and priorities ‣ Watches windows of opportunity close due to excessive analysis and unnecessary

delay ‣ Revisits discussions and decisions again and again ‣ Encourages second-guessing among team members

Avoidance of accountability

‣ Creates resentment among team members who have different standards of performance

‣ Misses deadlines and key deliverables ‣ Places an undue burden on the team leader as the sole source of discipline

Inattention to results‣ Stagnates/fails to grow ‣ Rarely defeats competitors ‣ Loses achievement-oriented employees ‣ Encourages team members to focus on their own careers and individual goals

Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

…AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM…Dysfunction How to deal with

Absence of trust‣ Personal Histories Exercise and Personality and Behavioral Preference Profiles ‣ 360-Degree Feedback ‣ Experiential Team Exercises ‣ Demonstration of vulnerability first by leader

Fear of conflict‣ Mining for conflict ‣ Real-Time Permission ‣ Demonstration of restraint by leader when people engage in conflict

Lack of commitment

‣ Cascading Messaging ‣ Contingency and Worst-case scenario analysis ‣ Low-risk exposure therapy ‣ Ability of leader to not place too high of a premium on consensus or certainty


‣ Publication of goals and standards ‣ Simple and regular progress reviews ‣ Team rewards ‣ Ability of leader to allow the team to serve as the first accountability mechanism

Inattention to results

‣ Public declaration of results ‣ Results-Based rewards ‣ Setting the tone for a focus on results from the leader


THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

…AND WHEN TEAM WORKS WELLDysfunction Team’s members

Absence of trust

‣ Admit weaknesses and mistakes ‣ Accept questions and input about their areas of responsibility ‣ Give one another the benefit of the doubt before arriving at a negative conclusion. ‣ Take risks in offering feedback and assistance ‣ Offer and accept apologies without hesitation ‣ Look forward to meetings and other opportunities to work as a group

Fear of conflict‣ Have lively, interesting meetings ‣ Extract and exploit the ideas of all team members ‣ Minimize politics ‣ Put critical topics on the table for discussion

Lack of commitment‣ Creates clarity around direction and priorities ‣ Aligns the entire team around common objectives ‣ Develops an ability to learn from mistakes ‣ Moves forward without hesitation


‣ Ensures that poor performers feel pressure to improve ‣ Identifies potential problems quickly by questioning one another’s approaches without hesitation ‣ Establishes respect among team members who are held to the same high standards ‣ Avoids excessive bureaucracy around performance management and corrective action

Inattention to results‣ Retains achievement-oriented employees ‣ Minimizes individualistic behavior ‣ Enjoys success and suffers failure acutely ‣ Benefits from individuals who subjugate their own goals/interests for the good of the team ‣ Avoids distractions


WHAT IS TRUST?

GROUP EXERCISE

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

TRUST FALL EXERCISE

THE POWERFUL EFFECT OF TRUST IS THAT IT ENABLES COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOUR WITHOUT COSTLY AND CUMBERSOME MONITORING AND CONTRACTING.

Robert F. Hurley - The Decision to Trust

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

THE DISTRUST-TRUST CONTINUUM

Taken from The Decision to Trust - Robert F. Hurley

Distrust TrustNeutralSuspicion Zone‣Caution ‣Reluctance to

cooperate ‣Marginal

commitment ‣Anxiety

‣Cooperation ‣Commitment ‣Flourishing ‣Confort

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

DECISION TO TRUST

From Robert F. Hurley - The Decision to Trust

Decision to trust

Trust B in matter X Distrust B in matter X

Broken Affirmed End relationship Continue with Caution

Situational factors

Repair Not repair Repair Not repair

PERSONAL EXERCISE

USE “5 WHYs” METHOD FOR UNDERSTANDING WHY YOU PROFESSIONALLY TRUST IN SOMEONE IN YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT

USE “5 WHYs” METHOD FOR UNDERSTANDING WHY YOU PROFESSIONALLY DISTRUST IN SOMEONE IN YOUR CURRENT WORKING ENVIRONMENT

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

THE DECISION TO TRUST MODELTrust Factors

Risk Tolerance some people are risk takers others are cautious

Adjustment some people are optimists others are pessimists

Power some people have authority others suffer from it

Situational FactorsSecurity sometimes the stakes are high sometimes they’re low

Similarities some people are similar to each other others aren’t

Interests sometimes interests are aligned sometimes they aren’t

Benevolent Concern some are nice to us others… not so much

Capability some know what they’re doing others… not really

Predictability/Integrity some people deliver on commitment others… forget it

Communication some can communicate well some… —uhm

Taken from The Decision to Trust - Robert F. Hurley

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS



IT’S ALL ABOUT DECISIONS

[HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAMS] ARE CONSENSUS-DRIVEN, WITH FULL DIVERGENCE AND THEN CONVERGENCE. AND THEY LIVE IN A WORLD OF CONSTANT CONSTRUCTIVE DISAGREEMENT.

Lyssa Adkins

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

CREATE FULL DIVERGENCE…

…USING BRAINSTORMS?

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

SOME BRAINSTORMING TECHNIQUES

▸ Quiet writing (Brain writing) ▸ Round Robin ▸ Free-for-all ▸ Role-storming ▸ Stepladder technique ▸ Crawford's Slip Writing Method

..THEN QUICKLY CONVERGE..

…USING SOME TECHNIQUE FOR BETTER DECISIONS

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

BE AWARE OF…

▸ Group-thinking ▸ HiPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) ▸ Halo effect ▸ Band wagon effect

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

.. BUT TRY TO USE PARTICIPATORY DECISION MODELS

▸ Simple voting ▸ Thumbs up/down/sideways ▸ Fist-of-Five voting (one finger: I totally support this

decision; five fingers: stop!) ▸ Jim Highsmith's Decision Gradient

IN CASE OF DOUBT: USE SPIKES

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

WHAT IS A SPIKE?

▸ It is a time-boxed experimental activity ▸ Two types of spikes: ▸ Technical spikes ▸ Functional spikes

▸ The purpose is to gain the knowledge necessary to reduce the risk of a technical approach, better understand a requirement, or increase the reliability of an estimate

▸ The output is demonstrable. This helps build collective ownership and shared responsibility for the key decisions that are being taken

http://www.scaledagileframework.com/spikes/

CREATE THE RIGHT TEAM SPACE

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

THE DREAM

▸Co-location ▸Face-to-face communications ▸Caves and common ▸Insulated space ▸Osmotic communication ▸Tacit knowledge ▸Low-tech, high-touch information radiators

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

THE REALITY

▸Teams are distributed "More than 82% of the respondents had at least some distributed teams practicing agile within their organisations, up from 35% just three years earlier“ (VersionOne, 10 Annual State of Agile Report)

▸Large rooms accomodate multiple teams

▸High-tech digital tools

LIMIT YOUR PERSONAL WIP

LIMIT "WORK IN PROGRESS" IS ONE OF THE FIVE CORE PROPERTIES OF THE KANBAN METHOD

David Anderson

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

http://www.djaa.com/principles-kanban-method-0

http://www.djaa.com/principles-kanban-method-0

PERSONAL EXERCISE

MONOTASKING VS MULTITASKING

MULTITASKING IS NOT ONLY DOING (OR SIMULATING TO DO) MULTIPLE TASKS AT THE SAME TIME

WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF INTERRUPTIONS

RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE, FOUND AFTER CAREFUL OBSERVATION THAT THE TYPICAL OFFICE WORKER IS INTERRUPTED OR SWITCHES TASKS, ON AVERAGE, EVERY THREE MINUTES AND FIVE SECONDS. AND IT CAN TAKE 23 MINUTES AND 15 SECONDS JUST TO GET BACK TO WHERE THEY LEFT OFF.

Brigid Schulte

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/06/01/interruptions-at-work-can-cost-you-up-to-6-hours-a-day-heres-how-to-avoid-them/

INTERRUPTIONS COME FROM EVERYWHERE

MY HUMBLE SUGGESTION IS TO USE A PERSONAL TIME MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE BUT AT THE TEAM LEVEL

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

PUT THE “POMODORO TECHNIQUE” IN YOUR WORK AGREEMENTS▸ The traditional Pomodoro ("chunk of work) is 30 minutes long: 25 minutes

of work plus a 5-minute break. ▸ A Pomodoro can’t be interrupted; it marks 25 minutes of pure work. A

Pomodoro can’t be split up; there is no such thing as half of a Pomodoro or a quarter of a Pomodoro. The atomic unit of time is a Pomodoro. (Rule: A Pomodoro Is indivisible.)

▸ Every four Pomodoros, stop the activity you’re working on and take a longer break, from 15 to 30 minutes.

▸ The length of a Pomodoro, 25 minutes, seems short enough to make it possible to resist being distracted by various kinds of interruptions. Interruptions can become a real problem. You need minimising unhandled interruptions and progressively increasing the number of Pomodoros that can be accomplished consistently without interruptions.

http://caps.ucsd.edu/Downloads/tx_forms/koch/pomodoro_handouts/ThePomodoroTechnique_v1-3.pdf

Francesco Cirillo

IT’S TIME FOR ADJOURNING. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

Massimo Sarti

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sartimassimo

Retrospective: feedbacks? suggestions?

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS

Leadership & Management

The wisdom of Teams