Comments on: The Role of Leaders on a Self-Organizing Team http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team Succeeding With Agile® Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:51:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mike Cohn http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-312286 Mike Cohn Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:27:34 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-312286 Hi Christophe-- I hate to say anything is specifically always first, but you'll have a hard-time having a self-organizing team if you have a traditional, directive project manager. Hi Christophe–
I hate to say anything is specifically always first, but you’ll have a hard-time having a self-organizing team if you have a traditional, directive project manager.

]]> By: Christophe http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-312283 Christophe Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:25:58 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-312283 Hi Mike, When doing the transition to agile and self-organised teams, it seems the bottleneck could be the project manager: both the team and management rely on the project manager to not only organise the team but to control the team too. So would you recommend to have project manager's responsibilities shared across the team, the P.O. and the Scrum Master AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (and no more project manager)? Is that the very first step to have a chance to get self-organised teams? Regards, Ch Hi Mike,

When doing the transition to agile and self-organised teams, it seems the bottleneck could be the project manager: both the team and management rely on the project manager to not only organise the team but to control the team too.

So would you recommend to have project manager’s responsibilities shared across the team, the P.O. and the Scrum Master AS SOON AS POSSIBLE (and no more project manager)? Is that the very first step to have a chance to get self-organised teams?

Regards,
Ch

]]> By: Mike Cohn http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-90375 Mike Cohn Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:33:31 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-90375 Hi Lonnie-- I'm glad you found this helpful. You may also want to check out the chapter on this topic in the <a href="http://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/books/7-succeeding-with-agile-software-development-using-scrum" rel="nofollow">Succeeding with Agile</a> book. Hi Lonnie–
I’m glad you found this helpful. You may also want to check out the chapter on this topic in the Succeeding with Agile book.

]]> By: Lonnie Weaver-Johnson http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-90349 Lonnie Weaver-Johnson Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:48:11 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-90349 Hi Mike, A group of my ScrumMasters just asked me for some more examples of how they can really help their teams become self-organized. I started searching for some fresh ideas and landed here. Thanks for the tips! I look forward to sharing them. I especially like the idea of bringing on someone who can challenge the domineering team member. Lonnie Hi Mike,

A group of my ScrumMasters just asked me for some more examples of how they can really help their teams become self-organized. I started searching for some fresh ideas and landed here. Thanks for the tips! I look forward to sharing them. I especially like the idea of bringing on someone who can challenge the domineering team member.

Lonnie

]]> By: Top 20% Good Reads http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-65050 Top 20% Good Reads Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:19:55 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-65050 [...] The Role of Leaders on a Self-Organizing Team [...] [...] The Role of Leaders on a Self-Organizing Team [...]

]]> By: Revue de Presse Xebia | Blog Xebia France http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-64290 Revue de Presse Xebia | Blog Xebia France Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:55:47 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-64290 [...] Mike Cohn, auteur de nombreux livres sur l’agilité et membre fondateur de l’Alliance Agile, revient sur le rôle des managers au sein d’une organisation de type agile. Un des principes forts des méthodes agiles est la mise en place d’une équipe auto-organisée, où il n’y a théoriquement plus de chef de projet. Cependant, Mike nous averti qu’une auto-organisation ne veut pas dire les développeurs font tout ce qu’ils veulent. Au contraire, Mike explique que des managers ont tout à fait leur rôle à jouer dans ce type d’organisation. Ainsi, il développe l’idée d’une influence subtile et indirecte des managers sur l’équipe. C’est alors au fur et à mesure des challenges, des échecs et réussites que l’équipe évolue d’elle-même vers l’organisation la plus appropriée. Les managers sont néanmoins là pour poser certaines limites et contraintes. A la fin de son article, Mike nous présente un exemple concret d’un scrum master au prise avec un développeur, qui est un peu trop solitaire, et nous expose comment il pourrait résoudre ce problème de manière subtile. Le scrum master peut être alors vu comme un agitateur au sein de l’équipe pour l’aider à devenir plus agile. Et, c’est là l’un des plus gros challenges d’un scrum master, qui consiste à naviguer entre un subtil mélange de contrôle et d’influence. [...] [...] Mike Cohn, auteur de nombreux livres sur l’agilité et membre fondateur de l’Alliance Agile, revient sur le rôle des managers au sein d’une organisation de type agile. Un des principes forts des méthodes agiles est la mise en place d’une équipe auto-organisée, où il n’y a théoriquement plus de chef de projet. Cependant, Mike nous averti qu’une auto-organisation ne veut pas dire les développeurs font tout ce qu’ils veulent. Au contraire, Mike explique que des managers ont tout à fait leur rôle à jouer dans ce type d’organisation. Ainsi, il développe l’idée d’une influence subtile et indirecte des managers sur l’équipe. C’est alors au fur et à mesure des challenges, des échecs et réussites que l’équipe évolue d’elle-même vers l’organisation la plus appropriée. Les managers sont néanmoins là pour poser certaines limites et contraintes. A la fin de son article, Mike nous présente un exemple concret d’un scrum master au prise avec un développeur, qui est un peu trop solitaire, et nous expose comment il pourrait résoudre ce problème de manière subtile. Le scrum master peut être alors vu comme un agitateur au sein de l’équipe pour l’aider à devenir plus agile. Et, c’est là l’un des plus gros challenges d’un scrum master, qui consiste à naviguer entre un subtil mélange de contrôle et d’influence. [...]

]]> By: Mike Cohn http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-64097 Mike Cohn Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:22:51 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-64097 Excellent list, Lisa! Thanks for sharing it and your realization of how full-time being a ScrumMaster can be. Excellent list, Lisa! Thanks for sharing it and your realization of how full-time being a ScrumMaster can be.

]]> By: Lisa Owens http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-64095 Lisa Owens Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:11:06 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-64095 Hello All, I'm responding to a post from Mike on January 7th at 5:18 p.m. I'm the ScrumMaster he's talking about. I used to be the ScrumMaster, Office Manger, and HR. The Management Team decided to hire a new person to be Office Manager and HR and put me into a full time ScrumMaster position. At first I was scared to death. After all, I'm working with a mature, self directed team who has been doing Agile for many years now. I didn't feel at the time that the role of ScrumMaster was a full time job. How was I going to fill my time? After some very good guidance from my supervisor, I have come to realize that it is indeed a very full time job. Here is a list of *some* of the things I do, which keeps me very busy. 1. Gather matrix - information about the sprint 2. Chart things on big visible charts - burn down, threads of the sprint - could be a whiteboard) 3. Manually test so things so I'm "in the weeds", file bugs. 4. Follow up on bugs I find. 5. Talk to story owners throughout the sprint (daily if necessary) 6. Conduct daily Scrums 7. Conduct successful estimating meeting 8. Conduct brainstorming meetings and keep people on pace with developers and story owners (don't let them wonder into implemntation discussions) 9. Fix impediments that happen during the Scrum. 10. Keep everoyn on track with Agile techniques 11. Find and introduce new ideas - continually find new ideas to improve the team. 12. Communicate, communicate, communicate, with all parties involved. 13. Be the basic babysitter for the whole team and keep it running like a smooth and graceful machine that we know we can do. The manual testing has been a really good contribution to the team. Once I test something, I can then take screen shots, or use a projector to show the things to the story owners - before the Sprint Review. I often get feedback early and am able to get the developers to make any changes before we release. The story owners seem to like this type of communication and it keeps everyone in the loop. Lisa Hello All,

I’m responding to a post from Mike on January 7th at 5:18 p.m. I’m the ScrumMaster he’s talking about.

I used to be the ScrumMaster, Office Manger, and HR. The Management Team decided to hire a new person to be Office Manager and HR and put me into a full time ScrumMaster position. At first I was scared to death. After all, I’m working with a mature, self directed team who has been doing Agile for many years now. I didn’t feel at the time that the role of ScrumMaster was a full time job. How was I going to fill my time?

After some very good guidance from my supervisor, I have come to realize that it is indeed a very full time job.

Here is a list of *some* of the things I do, which keeps me very busy.
1. Gather matrix – information about the sprint
2. Chart things on big visible charts – burn down, threads of the sprint – could be a whiteboard)
3. Manually test so things so I’m “in the weeds”, file bugs.
4. Follow up on bugs I find.
5. Talk to story owners throughout the sprint (daily if necessary)
6. Conduct daily Scrums
7. Conduct successful estimating meeting
8. Conduct brainstorming meetings and keep people on pace with developers and story owners (don’t let them wonder into implemntation discussions)
9. Fix impediments that happen during the Scrum.
10. Keep everoyn on track with Agile techniques
11. Find and introduce new ideas – continually find new ideas to improve the team.
12. Communicate, communicate, communicate, with all parties involved.
13. Be the basic babysitter for the whole team and keep it running like a smooth and graceful machine that we know we can do.

The manual testing has been a really good contribution to the team. Once I test something, I can then take screen shots, or use a projector to show the things to the story owners – before the Sprint Review. I often get feedback early and am able to get the developers to make any changes before we release. The story owners seem to like this type of communication and it keeps everyone in the loop.

Lisa

]]> By: Matthew Huges http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-64026 Matthew Huges Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:13:44 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-64026 Mike - thanks for the quick response. I agree wholeheartedly and I'm glad that's your experience too (I might have read that section of your book too fast). I'm finding that my strategy applies beyond just me. In meetings "leaders" seem to rise up (which is great) but sometimes the team then steps down (which is horrible). So when I say "I'm not voting on this" or "Don't look at me, this is *our* problem", I also find I have to find ways to make sure others who step up don't start leading the team without letting the team think for themselves. The leader-follower is an interesting dynamic. Mike – thanks for the quick response. I agree wholeheartedly and I’m glad that’s your experience too (I might have read that section of your book too fast).

I’m finding that my strategy applies beyond just me. In meetings “leaders” seem to rise up (which is great) but sometimes the team then steps down (which is horrible). So when I say “I’m not voting on this” or “Don’t look at me, this is *our* problem”, I also find I have to find ways to make sure others who step up don’t start leading the team without letting the team think for themselves. The leader-follower is an interesting dynamic.

]]> By: Mike Cohn http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/the-role-of-leaders-on-a-self-organizing-team/comment-page-1#comment-63963 Mike Cohn Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:32:41 +0000 http://blog.mountaingoatsoftware.com/?p=483#comment-63963 Hi Matthew-- It should not be a policy that the ScrumMaster must remain silent. There are obvious examples: "Hey, Mike, you met with the client earlier this week. Do you think they are even slightly flexible on this UI they showed us? I ran into some problems when I started implementing it. Should I bother calling them?" In my mind, if the team is already very comfortable with agile/Scrum and team members are behaving as you'd expect of such a team, the ScrumMaster can act like any other team member. When I've been with such teams I've willingly chimed in with "Why don't we design it this way...." even though I would never say that with other, newer teams. The newer teams would have taken my suggestion as a dictate ("The ScrumMaster has spoken. Let it be so...") So, adjust your silence or participation to the maturity of the team. Hi Matthew–
It should not be a policy that the ScrumMaster must remain silent. There are obvious examples: “Hey, Mike, you met with the client earlier this week. Do you think they are even slightly flexible on this UI they showed us? I ran into some problems when I started implementing it. Should I bother calling them?”

In my mind, if the team is already very comfortable with agile/Scrum and team members are behaving as you’d expect of such a team, the ScrumMaster can act like any other team member. When I’ve been with such teams I’ve willingly chimed in with “Why don’t we design it this way….” even though I would never say that with other, newer teams. The newer teams would have taken my suggestion as a dictate (“The ScrumMaster has spoken. Let it be so…”)

So, adjust your silence or participation to the maturity of the team.

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