How can Belbin and Myers-Briggs help with Scrum Team design? Companies in the twenty-first century are throwing out their old Organizational Structures. They are moving away from their Rigid Hierarchies, they are Adopting Teamwork as the best way of improving productivity. They are engaging employees and generally getting things Done. Much of this radical Change can be attributed to the Success Stories of Teamwork in IT. This is occurring particularly in Agile frameworks such as Scrum. Teams can be an effective way of Working. We will discuss the Team Dynamics within the Confines of Scrum within this article. It should however be noted that the Lessons within are appropriate to any Team.

Belbin and Myers-Briggs: How Teams Evolve and Mature

There are numerous Theories on Team Dynamics, some of which you might be familiar with. These include Belbin and Myers-Briggs theory, but the most commonly applied model in Scrum is Tuckman’s. Bruce Tuckman Developed a Theory on how Teams go through 4 stages of Team Development. These are the four stages on the Road to being a High-Performing Team. There are certain Dynamics that can be expected throughout these Stages. Some are Positive and some of which are Negative.

In a Scrum Project there is the Role of the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master needs to be able to recognise Changes in Dynamics and Manage them Intuitively and Proactively. Their Task is simplified by the way Scrum is Structured. Many of the fundamental Principles motivate the Development of an Effective and Collaborative Scrum Development Team. The person chosen for this Role is Required to be a Leader, but not an authoritarian. They must be a “Servant-Leader” who makes sure that the Team follows the Principles of Scrum. The Scrum Master Educates and Facilitates, but does not Dictate.

Belbin and Myers-Briggs: Dynamics of a Team

The Dynamics of a Team are never ever Static. There are specific Points where there is always Work to be Done, specifically:-.

• at the start of a Scrum.
• throughout the first two Sprints.
• at the Team’s first Retrospective.
• following a Scope Change Requested.
• when there is a Quality issue during a Sprint.
• at the point when a Team member leaves the Team.
• when a new Team member joins the team Mid-Project.

The experienced Agile Scrum Master understands the warning signs that they should be watching out for. They likewise know which Tools and Techniques can be used to reestablish Stability to the Team.

Team Dynamics Tool: Story and Task Estimation.

The Estimation of the Complexity of the User Stories is a powerful Tool and the first real Opportunity for Teamwork. Each User Story must be Assessed and given a score for Complexity. The objective is to reach an Agreement on how Complex the Work is. The aim is not the hours of effort Required. This is because an experienced team member may take less time to complete a Task than an inexperienced member. A common consensus of the score (in Points) for each Story must be reached. Once this is achieved it can be moved into the Sprint Backlog. This gives everybody an Opportunity to have their say. The Scrum Master must make sure that everybody gets involved.

The first Sprint Planning Meeting is the first Opportunity to Work as a Team. The team engage in debate and to get to understand each other. The Scrum Master sees the Team in action and has good insights into the different characters of his new Team.

Team Dynamics Tool: Story and Task Estimation.

The objective is to reach a typical Agreement on how Complex the Work is, not the hours of effort Required, as a knowledgeable member will take less time to complete a Task than an intern. A typical agreement of the score (in Points) for each Story need to be reached before it can move into the Sprint Backlog. This gives everybody an Opportunity to have their say, and the Scrum Master must make sure that everybody does get involved.

The first Sprint Planning Meeting is the very first Opportunity to Work as a Team, to participate in dispute and to get to understand each other. The Scrum Master sees the Team in action and has good insights into the different characters of his new Team.

We found these books great for finding out more information on Agile Scrum:

Early Days in the Project: The First Two Sprints.

No two Teams will mesh together at the same time or in the same way on any two Projects. It is possible that the first Sprint will be sufficient for the Team to form and overcome any personality clashes. This is what Tuckman referred to as “Storming”. This may depend on the length of the Sprint. A two-week Sprint may not going to offer adequate time for the Team to begin bonding. Two Sprints might not be adequate to get to the “Norming” stage. This was Tuckman’s Stage where the Team is working as a Team and not a bunch of individuals.

Belbin and Myers-Briggs: Team Dynamics Tools.

This 15-minute Daily Stand-up Meeting. This meeting requires each Team member to comment on the Work accomplished and what they Plan to do before the next Meeting. The brevity of the Meeting gives just enough time for everyone to have their say without time for recrimination or blame.

Belbin and Myers-Briggs: Eliminating the Blame Factor

The “Blame Game” can be quite pervasive in some Company Cultures and it is very destructive and counterproductive. Anyone can make a mistake. The team must feel free to admit mistakes. They should be able to ask for advice on how to avoid problems in the future without fear of victimization. This is where the Scrum Master uses the Retrospective. They use the meeting to Demonstrate that honesty and openness is Valued (as it must be according to the Agile Manifesto). They show that blame is not assigned to anybody, no matter the situations. The Retrospective is an effective Tool for balancing the Team. The team can Review what occurred in the Sprint. They discuss what was done well, as well as what needs to be prevented in the future. The team also discuss what actions the they should take. The Sprint Retrospective occurs after the Sprint Review meeting.

Scope Changes: Calming Troubled Waters.

Agile not only expects Scope Changes, it welcomes them. The impact of Scope Changes on the Team are often not discussed. However they can have a substantial unfavorable impact on the Team.

In cases where a User Story is Reviewed and does not meet the Acceptance Criteria, conflict can occur. This can have a negative impact on one or all of the Team members and can cause conflict between the Team members and the Product Owner. The Scrum Master has to restore morale and mood in such a case.

We found these books great for finding out more information on Agile Scrum:

Belbin and Myers-Briggs: Changes in Team Structure.

While Scrum Projects are short, and ideally there is no Change in the Team during the Project, this does occur. These changes can really set the Team back, particularly if the Team member (or members) who left was popular and a fantastic “Team player”. Any new member (or members) who are brought in to replace them is an outsider and have to be integrated into the Team. Hopefully the Team does not go through an extended “Forming” and “Storming” stage, but it is really dependant on the characters and the recognized Team Dynamics, which have been unbalanced.

Conclusion.

Managing Teams is complicated and varied. There are lots of events that can stress the Team Dynamics in a project. An excellent Scrum Master has an excellent talent if he can form a Collaborative Team.