High performing teams are a real possibility. They look, feel and move like a unit. A high performing team moves with an attitude of “us” and “we”, as opposed to “I” and “me”. Such teams fulfill the vision that Agile promises and are a delight to behold.
But how do we create effective and sustainable teams? That is a million dollar question.
Here are some thoughts on how to achieve such high performing team:
1) Serve and lead
A servant-leader is motivated to serve and grow their people to become wiser, more independent, and with a sense of purpose.
Their focus is on people, helping them reach their true potential, and ultimately creating other great servant-leaders.
2) Create a feeling of oneness within your team
When team members are bound by a common sense of purpose, they “belong” to one another. “This is MY team, what can I do to make it successful?” Such teams operate as a well-oiled machine and move as a unit.
3) Help your team focus on bringing high value to their common cause or goal.
Each member’s involvement and support is important, no matter how small or big it is. A good servant leader communicates and re-communicates the vision to the team and in the process of doing so, inspires everyone to contribute wholeheartedly. As a result, there is a sense of pride in the team for what they have accomplished.
4) Create transparency and visibility
A good team realizes the power of making all work visible. They prioritize work, and execute with the big picture in mind (“Are we building the right product” to “Are we building the product right?”). They know their capacity and only take so much work as they can during a sprint.
5) Create an environment of trust and safety
An elemental part of building a successful team is to satisfy their basic human needs of Trust and Safety.
A servant-leader scrum master would create a working environment where personal bonding is easy to establish.
6) Adopt a more “human” mindset.
Our actions reflect how we think. If we consider people as resources, it will reflect on how we treat them. People are humans, not resources.They have likes and dislikes, feelings and emotions, fears and anxiety. They respond to love and kindness and thrive when they feel safe and trusting.
In the end, it is not about processes and tools, but about people. Remember, the first value from the Agile Manifesto, “Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools”?
