Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Team building within a fast changing environment


A few words

I like the Microsoft software process. Basically they are using SCRUM on large scale (~1000 engineers) with few rules and a debt commitment by teams. Debts have to be delivered by teams. I don’t want to spend words on team forming, storming, norming and performing model by Tuckman. I adapted the Microsoft approach a little to make it work for my company’s environment where team members often change and I am confronted with virtual teams all the time.

 New teams to build:


  • A short kick off meeting 
    • Face to face is best
    • Sometimes virtual because of our matrix and international organization
  • A few ground rules, fewer rules is better
  • Commitment by team regarding debts

Debts are:


  • Minutes after a meeting (usually I do them)
  • Chosen software process, here it’s SCRUM
  • Only a certain bug amount is tolerated. If a threshold amount is reached the team has to go into bug fixing mode.
  • Non-functional requirements e.g setup has to work after each Sprint
  • No issues about functional development, because everyone loves this work usually.

Existing teams


Check for common rules. It can be truly discouraging to team members if a product owner/ project manager doesn’t know about existing ones. Once I had an Asian team and they were used to have a short tea break at 11.30am. I didn’t know at that time and scheduled meetings regularly. Later, I discovered and the whole team thought I wasn’t happy with their work which wasn’t the case. 

My debts as project manager

  • A clear communication of scope and expectations
  • Discussion to understand the current game field
  • Listen to the end
  • Keep the team environment great

Retrospective

I am trying to do it regularly on short periods. I don't have a good experience with feedback sessions after a half year or year has passed by. Much has been forgotten and usually one gets a vague picture (not specific, measurable, appropriate, relevant and timely). I just use it to adjust and tune, means  a step at a time, not a stormy way changing everything at once after each session.


Usage of collaboration tools to improve working situation of virtual teams

  • Kanban boards, I really like Trello, it is great to present tasks in a swim lane view
    Trello: Kanban tool
  • Webex / Lync with drawing and highlighting feature
  • JIRA, only internally because if one is confronted with quick changing processes and external contributors it hasn’t the flexibility I need especially because I have to go through IT
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