Every agile team is different. That’s exactly what makes working with agile teams so exciting, but it also poses many challenges!

One major challenge is to understand which are simply a team’s quirks and what deviations from the target state can have a negative impact. This is not always easy to determine. We have put together 10 fundamental rules to help you recognize when it’s time to intervene and when you can allow your teams to continue without interference.

1. Live the SCRUM roles as intended

Many agile teams struggle to fully embrace the SCRUM roles as they should be: SCRUM Masters who do not challenge the team enough, Product Owners who are not sufficiently empowered to truly “own” the product, meaning they lack influence and authority. Teams shy away from proactivity due to past experiences. There are many more examples like this. Regularly assess how the reality in your teams compares to the SCRUM framework, and don’t hesitate to remind them, even for the fifth time, what the roles are realy about.

2. Don’t overcomplicate the system

Agile principles aim to minimize unnecessary and redundant work. Keep things simple. Adding components or tools to the system is often just a way of masking team weaknesses without solving them. This helps neither the product, the customer, nor your organization. Take a closer look when a change to the system is requested, and investigate why it is really needed.

3. Give the team ownership of change

These changes, however, can be incredibly valuable and may align well with the unique characteristics of your team. The team usually knows what it needs and what it doesn’t. Therefore, changes should always be initiated by the teams themselves, as this will reveal the truly important needs.

4. Take time for real training

Truly understanding the value of agile working takes time. An initial training, no matter how comprehensive, will only deliver the “Aha-moment” to around 30% of participants with no prior knowledge. For many, it comes in the following weeks, while for some, it requires a second round of training a few months later. Some concepts only become clear through practical experience.

5. Maintain a customer focus – Customer Journey & Value Stream Maps

Assigning value to a story can be difficult, and discussions around it can often become abstract. Take the time to document the Customer Journey and Value Stream Maps. It’s also highly recommended to revisit and update them regularly, for example, on a quarterly basis. As a reward, you will gain valuable insights into how you create value and where bottlenecks exist.

6. Take time for team hygiene

The social aspect of teamwork is often neglected, especially when working remotely. But even in a shared office, there is a need for social interaction. A good SCRUM Master has a sense of when to let a meeting run its course if the post-weekend check-in needs more attention than the actual agenda. While water cooler talk may not generate direct value, this time is essential for a functioning team.

7. Recognize proactivity and self-organization as difficult learning processes

Expecting a new agile team to be proactive, self-organized, and self-directed is asking a lot. These are the ideal states and core elements of a truly high-performing team, but the challenging journey to get there should not be forgotten. It’s important to be understanding and transparent about expectations. Regular discussions about progress and how the team members are feeling are critical to fostering proactivity and self-organization.

8. Fight causes, not symptoms

Systemic issues always have an underlying reason. Before taking any measures to address symptoms, take the time to really understand the root causes. While this sounds simple, it is rarely done in practice. As a result, teams often end up going round in circles for years.

9. Work with leadership teams to solve problems

Often, problems can only be solved if the leadership team is involved. What are the patterns in the leadership team that contribute to problems in the agile team, and what role does leadership play in the wider system? This is often where the root of many symptoms can be addressed.

10. Highlight positive examples

Highlighting and sharing positive examples is more inspiring than pointing out problems and mistakes. Many things are already good (enough), even if there is still room for improvement. Be proud of that and make sure to share it with others!

I wish you great success in staying on track!

Sincerely,

Benjamin Ruppel