Understanding Agile Team Dynamics

Nick KramerBuilding Sustainable Agile Solutions

Andre Simones

Building Sustainable Agile Solutions

What makes an Agile team?

• Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.

• Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.

• Deliver working software frequently, from a  couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.

• Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

• Build projects around motivated individuals.  Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.

• The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.

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Agile Principles

• Working software is the primary measure of progress. • Agile processes promote sustainable development.  • The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant

pace indefinitely. • Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility. • Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.

• The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

• At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

Building Sustainable Agile Solutions

Agile Principles

Building Sustainable Agile Solutions

Attributes KeyConceptual • Intuitive about

ideas • Imaginative • Visionary • Enjoys the unusual • Learns by experimenting

Structural • Practical thinker • Likes guidelines • Cautious of new

ideas • Predictable • Learns by doing

Social • Intuitive about people • Socially aware • Sympathetic • Empathic • Learns from others

Analytical • Clear thinker • Logical problem

solver • Enjoys math • Rational • Learns by mental

analysis

• Quiet • Reserved • One-on-one • Prefers safety • Keeps feelings

private

Expressiveness

• Alone • Calm • Avoids

spotlight • Introverted

• Seeks attention • Talks to strangers • Lively • Extroverted

• Chatty • Outgoing • Talkative • Gregarious

It Depends

Assertiveness

• Compliant • Peacekeeper • Avoids

confrontation • Pacifier

• Winning isn’t everything

• Accepting • Passive • Deliberate • Amiable

• Determined • Ready for action • Competitive • Aggressive • Driving

• Tough • Powerful • Telling • Forceful

It Depends

Flexibility• Focused • Firm • Absolute • Narrows options • Prefers defined

situations

• Strong opinions • Dislikes

changes • Decides easily • Impatient

• Accommodating • Affable • Handles ambiguity • Changeable

• Genial • Easygoing • Adaptable • Supportive

It Depends

Thinking Attributes

Conceptual •Intuitive about ideas

•Imaginative •Visionary •Enjoys the unusual •Learns by experimenting

Structural •Practical thinker •Likes guidelines •Cautious of new ideas

•Predictable •Learns by doing

Social •Intuitive about people •Socially aware •Sympathetic •Empathic •Learns from others

Analytical •Clear thinker •Logical problem solver

•Enjoys math •Rational •Learns by mental analysis

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•Quiet •Reserved •One-on-one •Prefers safety •Keeps feelings private

Expressiveness

•Alone •Calm •Avoids spotlight

•Introverted

•Seeks attention •Talks to strangers •Lively •Extroverted

•Chatty •Outgoing •Talkative •Gregarious

It Depends

Assertiveness•Compliant •Peacekeeper •Avoids confrontation

•Pacifier

•Winning isn’t everything

•Accepting •Passive •Deliberate •Amiable

•Determined •Ready for action •Competitive •Aggressive •Driving

•Tough •Powerful •Telling •Forceful

It Depends

Flexibility•Focused •Firm •Absolute •Narrows options •Prefers defined situations

•Strong opinions •Dislikes changes •Decides easily •Impatient

•Accommodating •Affable •Handles ambiguity •Changeable

•Genial •Easygoing •Adaptable •Supportive

It Depends

Building Sustainable Agile Solutions

Behavior Attributes

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16

30

28 47%

29%

Steve Higgins •Prefers order, likes a step-by-step approach, intuitive about others. •Prefers a quiet, peace-keeping, focused environment.

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Discuss Thinking and Behavior Attributes

20 min

• Review project handouts and team member profiles. • Which team members will derive energy? (+) • Which team members will struggle? (-) • Is the team missing any thinking preferences? • Put a + or - on each team member.

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Agile Implementation

• Given your team’s current thinking preferences and behaviors, design an Agile process.

• Consider roles, ceremonies, artifacts, and practices.

15 min

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Thank You