Hello again. With the start of the course approaching, we're sharing with you the translation of another interesting piece.
The isolation of development and support teams is a common source of tension and bottlenecks. When teams work in isolation, cycle times increase while business value decreases. Recently, leading software developers have learned to overcome isolation through communication and collaboration, but restructuring teams is a more complex task. How can we work together while changing traditional behaviors and interactions?
Answer: stages of group development according to Tuckman
In 1965, psychologist Bruce Tuckman on the dynamics of small group development. For a group to generate new ideas, interact, plan, and achieve results, he highlighted the importance of four stages of development: forming, storming, norming, and performing.
At the stage of forming , the group defines its goals and objectives. Group members rely on safe interpersonal behavior and determine their boundaries for interaction. At the stage of storming , group members discover different working styles and build trust by sharing their opinions, which often leads to conflicts. At the stage of norming , the group comes to terms with its disagreements and begins to foster team spirit and cohesion. Team members realize they have shared goals and must work together to achieve them. At the stage of performing , the team achieves its goals, operates independently, and resolves conflicts on its own. Team members support each other and are more flexible in their roles.
How to strengthen agile teams
When isolation is removed, group members often start feeling confused due to a sudden cultural shift. A priority for leaders should be team building to prevent a destructive culture where team members do not trust and support each other. Applying Tuckman's four stages during team formation can improve dynamics.
Forming
When forming an agile team, it's important to pay attention to strengths and skills. Team members should complement each other, not duplicate, as an agile team is a cross-functional unit where each participant showcases their strengths to achieve a common goal.
After overcoming disunity, leaders should model and define the behaviors they want to see in the team. Team members will look to the leader, such as the Scrum Master, for guidance and mentorship. It's common for team members to focus solely on their tasks rather than viewing the group as a unified entity working towards a goal. The Scrum Master should help team members develop a sense of belonging within the group. After implementing an idea or sprint, the Scrum Master should gather the team for a retrospective to understand what went well, what didn't, and what can be improved. Team members can collaboratively set goals and foster team spirit.
Conflict
Once team members begin to see each other as part of the team, expressing their opinions can lead to conflicts. Individuals may blame others, so the goal at this stage is to build trust, communication, and cooperation.
The Scrum Master is responsible for helping team members resolve conflicts, ease tense situations, and educate them on workflows. They should calm tensions, mediate disputes, and help the team remain productive. By documenting decisions, striving for transparency, and collaborating on solutions, teams can create a culture that welcomes experimentation, viewing failures as opportunities for learning. Team members should still feel safe expressing opinions that differ from others. The focus should be on continuous improvement and finding solutions, rather than on arguments.
Normalization
Transitioning from conflict to normalization can be challenging for many agile teams, but once this transition is made, the focus shifts to empowerment and productive work. By learning to resolve conflicts in the previous stage, the team is able to embrace differences and consider issues from various perspectives.
Retrospectives at the end of each sprint should become a ritual. It is essential to allocate time for planning effective work during the retrospective. The Scrum Master and other leaders should provide feedback to team members, while team members should give feedback on workflows. At this stage of development, group members see themselves as part of a team working toward common goals. There is mutual trust and open communication. The team functions as a cohesive unit.
Functioning
At this stage, the team is motivated and interested in expanding its tasks. The team now operates autonomously, and leadership should take on a supportive role, focusing on continuous learning. As teams strive for improvement, they are able to identify bottlenecks, communication barriers, and obstacles to innovation.
At this point, the team is fully formed and productive. Team members work well together and communicate effectively, possessing clear self-awareness and vision. The team operates efficiently and embraces change.
When changes occur within teams or leadership, teams may feel uncertain and may revisit one or more of these stages. By applying these techniques within your team, you can support their growth and development, helping them uphold agile methodologies and culture.
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Source: habr.com
