In my last blog I mentioned how important it is for Agile Teams to understand and implement effective teamwork processes. We’ve been so convinced of the importance of Agile Teamwork that we’ve teamed up with the Team Management Systems organization to help Agile Teams improve their performance. In this blog I thought I’d write about the nature of work.
A starting point for all teams is to understand the nature of the work that teams need to focus on. The Team Management Systems Types of Work Wheel identifies eight distinct ‘Types of Work’ that need to be undertaken by all teams, regardless of their industry. There are important learnings here for our industry of Agile Project Management. The eight work functions are listed below, with the approval of Team Management Systems.
Types of Work Wheel
The Advising function is associated with the gathering of information from all stakeholders and responding quickly to changing requirements. It involves keeping up-to-date with developments inside and outside the organization and passing advice on to others to help them in their work. It requires a transparent flow of knowledge of ‘what’ is going on and ‘where’, and a focus on ‘consulting skills’ so that information can be gathered quickly, accurately and effectively.
The Innovating function involves generating new ideas and new ways of doing things. This requires the development of creative problem-solving skills so that the team remains one step ahead of its competitors. To do this well requires original thought, imagination and innovative thinking.
The Promoting function is concerned with the identification of opportunities and the ’selling’ of these opportunities to others, both inside and outside the organization. It often involves the application of influencing skills and the making of presentations to others. It can also involve communicating the team or organizational ‘vision’. High visibility throughout the organization may also be required.
The Developing function is associated with the turning of concepts into ‘reality’. Ideas are worked on to produce practical products and services. In many cases it may also involve developing workable and practical solutions when problems arise. Agile teams need good analytical skills so that requirements can be quickly prioritized, enabling accurate estimates of iterations and burn down charts.
The Organizing function involves organizing people and resources efficiently by setting clear goals and objectives and making team members accountable for their actions. It is also associated with the implementation of quick effective action when problems occur, so that the planned outputs are always capable of being achieved. In summary it is the function that ensures that the work of the team is structured and focused towards common objectives.
The Producing function focuses on outputs, ensuring that iterations are completed to high standards of effectiveness and efficiency. It is the function associated with the regular delivery of releases and other services. It requires a systematic approach to work and an emphasis on the delivery of products on time.
The Inspecting function requires an attention to detail and an emphasis on the monitoring of systems, contracts and outputs. It is also associated with a focus on accuracy, ensuring that work outputs are always delivered to the right quality. This function is the classic control function where procedures are regularly monitored for their efficiency. It’s often a core feature of the sprint review process.
The Maintaining function is a support function which ensures that proper standards of conduct and ethics are upheld and that quality is maintained. It is also associated with supporting others in the team so that the team processes follow agreed ground rules. Personal conviction and loyalty are often important to this function as is an interest in helping others.
Work Preferences
For teams to be high-performing it’s essential that these eight Types of Work are done well. But Team Management Systems has discovered that rarely does anyone actually enjoy doing all of these functions. People show distinct ‘work preferences’ for maybe just two or three of these activities.
Work Preferences are dimensions of individual differences in tendencies to show consistent patterns of relationships, thoughts, feelings and actions in the work environment. Work Preferences determine the conditions we all set up to allow our mental and psychic processes to flow freely. Preferences are usually transparent and are often the first thing we notice in others – ‘He’s rather quiet, isn’t he?’ or ‘She never stops talking.’ Some people prefer to think things through on their own whereas others need to talk out loud to clarify their ideas. Preferences are readily visible to others and are usually the basis of first impressions.
When we are working to our preferences we set up conditions where our psychic energy can flow freely. If we are more extroverted we like work where there are lots of interactions with others, both inside and outside the organization. If we are more introverted, then we like conditions where we can work on our own with few interruptions and a minimal requirement for meetings. Under these conditions our energy can flow freely with minimal resistance. Just as electrical energy generates heat when it meets resistance so our psychic energy generates tension and stress when it has to flow through areas that are not our preference.
I have a preference to work in the Advising and Innovating areas on the Types of Work Wheel and I don’t really enjoy Promoting or Organizing activities, so wherever possible I’ll spend time thinking about new ideas or finding out as much as I can about the project.
What happens in an Agile team is that there’s likely to be an imbalance when you look at the work preferences of all the team members. If everyone is like me then there’ll be a tendency to give priority to making changes and incorporating the latest ideas. Teams like this may have the weakness of never tracking their burn-down charts!
Other weaknesses occur if everyone enjoys just Organizing and Producing. Your team may be well organized and on-target but is it really delivering what the stakeholders want or indeed need?
So, if your Agile Team is to be truly effective you must understand the work preferences of all team members and look at the preferences balance. It will give you an immediate picture of strengths and weaknesses, as far as teamwork is concerned. Information like this helps ensure that everyone’s work preferences are matched to the critical demand of the job they have to do. Where the match is high, our energy flows freely, we are more likely to enjoy our job, stress is lower and we feel happier at work. But all eight work functions must receive the priority they need and never be relegated to lower importance.
Is your team coping with working in an Agile way? Take the free Agile Performance Quiz now and rate your current or future Agile project. You’ll get a free 8-page assessment of what you think about your team’s performance.
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It was 20 years ago this week that the Berlin Wall fell. The event symbolized massive change and hope for the future. It spelled an end to years of communist indoctrination, and offered a new way of thinking to millions of people. Watching the anniversary on TV got me thinking about things that are happening around us in the IT world and what changes are afoot.