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individual vs. team

There IS an I in an Agile Team

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There IS an I in an Agile Team

I’m beginning to think that we’re too focused on the team when we talk about agile. Everything is focused towards that end.

Team this and team that.

But what about the individual on the team? I contend that they count too.

  1. Make sure your voice is heard; in many team’s individuals can get lost. Often the loudest of voices seem to become the default voice of the team.
  2. Make sure you take time for yourself; self-learning, downtime / reenergize, reflection are keys to your personal growth and learning. Always increase your value proposition – you.
  3. If you’re introverted, give yourself permission to be alone; this includes working from home and “separating” from the team on occasion to work by yourself.
  4. Gain personal feedback; don’t get caught up in team-only feedback loops. While important, you need personal feedback as well. Make sure you’re getting it from your team and leaders.

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Individual vs. Team Arithmetic - The choice is yours…

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Individual vs. Team Arithmetic - The choice is yours…

Introduction

This article has been floating around my head for quite a while. It will encompass several themes. The first being, how do we “account for” the time and focus within our agile teams? Second is, how granular do we plan for and monitor the focus of our agile teams?  And finally, when planning and forecasting, should we plan at the individual level?

The “we” in these is a bit broad. I would include managers, directors, VP’s, C-level folks, the PMO and Project Managers. Virtually anyone who is tasked with “caring about” a technical team and what, how, and when they do what they do.

The Dinosaur Age

Well in this case, it’s not that long ago, but the analogy feels right to me. In this Dinosaur Age, project managers and “all management” for that matter, cared about people and their time. What are some of the aspects of that?

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The Agile Project Manager—There is no ‘I’ in Team

A couple of weeks ago I was teaching a group new to agile some of the basics surrounding Scrum and related agile practices. It was going well. And, as is sometimes the case, I was getting full of myself and feeling over confident. Things were going smoothly, the attendees were “getting agile”, and life was very good.

Then it happened—from left field and without warning.

We were talking about the nature of a self-directed agile team. I was trying to paint the picture of group-based accountability and responsibility. How empowering it was and how it led to the best results. How teamwork, well basically ‘Rocked’, and how agile teams truly collaborated around the customer to deliver creative and high-quality solutions.

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