Top 10 Agile Team Dynamics

Mike Griffiths is an experienced project manager, author and consultant who works for PMI as a subject matter expert. Before joining PMI, Mike consulted and managed innovation and technology projects throughout Europe, North and South America for 30+ years. He was co-lead for the PMBOK Guide—Seventh Edition, lead for the Agile Practice Guide, and contributor to the PMI-ACP and PMP exam content outlines. Outside of PMI, Mike maintains the websites www.LeadingAnswers.com about leading teams and www.PMillustrated.com, which teaches project management for visual learners.

  Agile   Communications Management   Talent Management  

There are some great books on agile team dynamics nowadays. My personal favorites include:

• Collaboration Explained by Jean Tabaka
• Agile Retrospectives by Esther Derby, Diana Larsen, Ken Schwaber
• Right-Brain Project Management by Michael Aucoin
• Great Boss Dead Boss by Ray Immelman
• The Blind Men and the Elephant by David Schmaltz

The problem is that most people do not get the time they want or need to read about these topics. So, I have created the following list of Top 10 Team Practices to remind us of some of the basic points. If you lead a team, print them out and post it somewhere visible--and do a mental inventory of the practices from time to time. If you are a member of a team that could do with a boost, print a copy and post it on your manager’s wall...I am sure they will thank you for it! (Actual results may vary…)

1. Empower them. By giving control for local decision-making and work sequencing to the team, we gain the advantages of additional insights, better motivated teams and more practical plans with less waiting. 

2. Listen to them. The team is closer to the technical details of the project--and also best placed to determine the most successful solutions to project challenges and problems. Encouraging the team to solve the project problems has two main benefits. It demonstrates they are valued for …

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