Growing Agile Teams

copyright 2011 agile42 consulting ltd

team name:

moredirective

moreguiding

each stage acts as a scaffold, offering guidance and support, for different phases of a team’s agile journey

agile teams first focus on smoothing flow and enhancing quality, leading to maximizing of value delivery

enhancing qualitymaximizing value

smoothing flow

☐ Everyone experiences SM☐ Team owns environment☐ Velocity guides release

☐ Reduces technical debt☐ Grow engineering practices☐ Automated PBI testing

☐ Business value drives work☐ Visible measure of value☐ Swarms on committed PBIs☐ Owns external dependencies

STEP 3. Maximize Valueorganize to deliver maximum value

☐ Cross-functional Teams☐ Regular backlog

grooming☐ PBIs broken into tasks☐ Transparent team

capacity☐ Daily stand-ups☐ Sprint burndown☐ Focus on 2-3 PBIs

☐ Working Agreement☐ PBIs for 1-2 sprints ☐ Impediment backlog ☐ Active Learning Cycle☐ Definition of Done☐ Definition of Ready☐ Potentially shippable☐ Vision and requirements

STEP 1. Organizepreparing the structures, work and

people

☐ Team takes 6-10 PBIs☐ Predictability over 90%☐ PBIs reviewed as done

☐ Shared code ownership☐ Technical debt identified☐ Bugs actively fixed☐ 1-3 improvement actions☐ Release Definition of Done

☐ Business value understood☐ PBIs done in priority order

STEP 2. Gain Experience

people, process and work all settling in, focus on learning

☐ Specialist knowledge shared ☐ Acceptance test-driven dev☐ Limited manual testing☐ Automated testing of NFRs☐ Communities of Practice☐ Shared Definition of Done☐ Stable and verifiable builds☐ Cross-cutting concerns☐ Entire team works on release

STEP 4. Scalegrow knowledge, share learning,

expand capabilities

the accompanying Growing Agile Teams worksheets provide more details behind the checklist for each step