Steve then makes his own suggestion: “If you miss a meeting or event, you are expected to support the decisions made there.” Kirby, who already has experience with moderation, reminded Steve that if he really acts as a moderator as part of his ScrumMaster tasks, he is supposed to remain neutral and not bring his own ideas. Every few sprints, the work agreement should be updated, often by revising it retrospectively and asking a question such as: “Is this still our working modalities? What do we want to update? In which areas do new agreements need to be concluded? I`ve heard many complaints about underperformance, missed deadlines, or unmet goals from technical team leaders and managers who have tried to apply a cookie-cutter approach to new agile teams. It just doesn`t work. With a new sense of camaraderie, I thought it might be a good time to review these observations and get feedback. Once again, there was silence in the teams. A few minutes later, the Indian supervisor started speaking to represent his team as usual. I jumped in to get started. I told everyone that to improve as a team, we need to hear directly from each person. All team members made a difference and had a voice that needed to be heard. All opinions and contributions were greatly appreciated, whether we agreed or not. We have also defined the concept of the “Vegas Rules” to make it clear that all discussions within the team remain completely included. After 45 minutes, during which she was almost silent, the team finally began to open up.
It started with the American teams, but it didn`t take long for the Indian team members to step in and participate. Eventually, we heard and understood what things really were like in our team. This should be the beginning of something big. We have finally reached our AHA moment! In the retrospective, the Scrum Master asks the team about their previous problems and suggests working together to solve them in the form of a working agreement. Then, a discussion takes place during which team members express their ideas to improve their work. As a Scrum Master, be sure to guide the team by asking questions that will help them understand what needs to be included in the work agreement and how it may affect them as well as the collaboration process. Table 2. Questions that the team answered to reach a working arrangement I have just been promoted to administrative team leader.
My supervisor asked me to create a first working agreement layout. Working arrangements are created to avoid friction between teammates and to preserve all deadlines and schedules included in the project assumptions. It is important that the team creates the framework itself – the work agreement must meet all the expectations of the team and contain principles that allow the team to meet them. If you use a large policy and place your employment contract in a public place, you need to keep it simple. Otherwise, you will have the whole room covered with working arrangements. Short rules are also easier to follow, so don`t elaborate – encourage your teams to use short sentences as they train their practices. Describe the purpose of the exercise. I like to use the following introduction and description of what a work agreement is and how it can benefit a team: Teamwork agreements are designed to describe how team members work together to create a positive and productive process. The only way to do this is for each team member to add their two cents to create these strategies.
The opinions of all members are important, and inclusivity is the glue that holds the agreement together. This story of self-discovery traced the journey of a team of geographically dispersed and culturally diverse people. He highlighted the process of discovering hidden obstacles to create a better working environment for their team. They reached an “aha” moment that helped two distant groups come together as a team and work together. Their arrangement was formally rooted in the team`s culture, with a series of working arrangements connecting them. The following table summarizes what I learned as a trainer. The most important factor in developing a teamwork agreement is to identify the challenges your team faces. Focus on the unique challenges of collaboration for your team, and then focus on solving them in a targeted way. If, after a few sets of proposals, there is no consensus on a certain point, go ahead – they cannot reach an agreement in this area at the moment. Consider revisiting the item the next time working arrangements are discussed. Ask everyone to work on your work arrangement – all agile team members must be present at the creation. No one can impose it – not even the Product Owner or the Scrum Master, every team has to feel stubborn.
After the vote, the ScrumMaster counts the votes and shares the top five agreements with the team. It is worth reminding the team that these are the agreements they have agreed to follow in order to be a successful team, and that they must always stick to them. If a team member does not abide by one of the agreements, the other team members must remind them. As many people as I have to thank for helping me on this journey, I want to start by thanking the teams that have really grown through this process. Without them, I would not have been able to understand the power of work arrangements and that it is more about the journey of self-discovery than the construction of words. I would especially like to thank Kelli Derum, the PO for the team. I turned to her a few years later and she was more eager than ever to help him. I especially enjoyed the discussions we had and the time she spent while she had just had a baby! I also enjoyed the open comments she shared, which I recorded with minimal editing. Special thanks to my wife Deema for encouraging me to apply. She has always been a source of strength for me and has helped me find the strength to move forward when needed! A special thank you to my company and my bosses who, although anonymous, remain grateful to them for allowing me to share my story. Finally, I can`t find the right words to thank my shepherdess Susan Burk for her valuable support, insight and, most importantly, flexibility. Susan helped me reinvent the approach several times and focus on the essentials.
Thank you, my shepherd, without you I would not have succeeded! And I`m serious! Now that you know the basics, here are examples of a few clauses you can include in your team agreement. .
