The agile method for a more efficient team
The agile method is often used in project management, as it guarantees a certain speed and flexibility. To implement it, the team needs to be solid and versatile. An agile team is made up of a group of people with all the skills needed to work, test and develop projects. The team needs to be well-trained in agile practices in order to deliver products or projects as quickly as possible. Here are the reasons why consultants choose an agile framework for their projects:
- They are more productive
- Customer expectations and objectives are better met
Unlike other project management methods, agile allows teams to plan throughout the project. This makes adjustments easier and changes less disruptive. An agile team is often highly recommended for companies working in a dynamic environment with tight deadlines. This is even truer in the technology industry, where agile methods and teams are favored for their innovative and adaptable conditions.
Build an agile team:
An ideal agile team generally comprises 3 to 10 highly qualified people who are willing to work closely together right through to the end of the project. These people should have different areas of expertise, such as design, programming, analysis and so on. This team must be disciplined and willing to share failures and successes together over the course of the project.
There is a manifesto comprising 12 principles and 4 values that the team must respect.
How does an agile team work?
Agile is a method that requires the project to be broken down into several shorter objectives. Team members achieve each of these objectives one after the other, with the aim of achieving overall success for the project. Here are two ways of running an agile project.
- Scrum
- Kanban
Both methods provide a clearer picture of tasks in progress, overdue or completed. Here are also a few characteristics of the agile workflow that must be followed by the agile team:
Meetings :
These meetings are organized by the team to discuss what's working, what's been done and what's still to be done. It's an opportunity for everyone to share their doubts and questions. But also to take stock of the actions to be taken over the next 24 hours and to discuss the obstacles to be overcome.
Objectives:
As mentioned earlier, objectives need to be broken down to make them shorter. These are achieved in the shorter term and are reviewed later for results. Any changes to these objectives should be shared at the daily meeting.
Agile teams must maintain consistency and quality of work by using peer review and management feedback. Evaluations are organized before and after completion of short objectives.
A vision of its role:
Projects with shorter objectives and tighter schedules get the most out of this method, as it increases team coordination. Having a vision of the next steps to be taken is essential. It's important that everyone knows their role, and that everyone's role is clear. However, this doesn't mean you can't remain flexible enough to allow team members to make crucial decisions and exceed expectations.
The agile method with Scrum :
When teams follow the Scrum framework, they are more focused on results. Ideally, 5 to 6 members make up a good team, and there are 3 roles to assign:
1) The Project Owner :
The project owner is the grand captain. He or she is often a company executive or one of the project's stakeholders. His responsibility is to help his team achieve long-term objectives in line with the project vision he has created. He remains in direct communication with his team to keep them informed of any project progress.
2) Scrum masters :
They are like the captain's lieutenants on the project. This role is very similar to that of project manager. They must oversee the entire process, provide feedback and guide team members where necessary. Scrum masters take care of day-to-day project functions. They update Scrum boards and project targets.
3) Team members :
They complete the project, and their role is to use their skills to complete the tasks and objectives assigned to them, while meeting the deadlines.
Read the article and watch the video: 5 phases of project management
How to be an effective agile team ?
It's the team's responsibility to follow the manifesto. The values and principles of agile lead to a sustainable result. There are also other practices that help the agile team to be highly effective, such as :
- Sharing experience and knowledge :
Because agile is technology-driven, there are tools to become familiar with: Team members need to share their expertise with others to speed things up. What's more, this helps build trusting relationships within the team and ensures better collaboration. This can be done through presentations, hands-on practice, etc.
- Managing organizational change :
When companies go through transformational change, employees need to keep a positive attitude throughout and contribute. It's important for agile teams to adapt and alter their plans where necessary. These changes need to be relayed to stakeholders to improve collaboration and help them understand the culture and the company as a whole.
- A positive work culture :
Team members need to trust each other and be open. This will enable them to come up with new ideas to take the project to the next level. Celebrating successes and maintaining friendly relationships at work will reduce conflicts and problems among team members. At the same time, enforcing this culture between shareholders and team members is an important success factor.
- Self-organized self-organized :
To get the job done, tasks need to be assigned to individual team members so that they can achieve the short-term objectives of the project. They are trusted to make appropriate decisions, and everyone must be confident and ready to go the extra mile to get through the sometimes complex stages of the project.
Conclusion:
Finally, the people on your team are just as important as the plan and structure of your project. It's essential to assign members the roles in which they excel, and hold them accountable for achieving their goals. This will ensure the best possible project results, and the team will gradually improve its performance.
To keep a team operational, it's crucial to solve problems between people in the group. Train your teams in Scrum and Kanban methods. To keep up with agile best practices, follow the agile manifesto.
