The agile method for a more efficient team

The agile method is often used in project management because it guarantees a certain speed and flexibility. To put it in place, the team must be strong and versatile. An agile team is made up of a set of people who have all the skills necessary to work, test, and develop projects. The team must be well trained in agile method practices in order to deliver products or complete projects as quickly as possible. Here are the reasons why consultants choose an agile framework for their projects:

1. They are more productive
2. Customer expectations and goals 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 that work in a dynamic environment and have very tight deadlines. This is even more true in the technology industry where agile methods and teams are favored for their innovative and adaptable conditions.

Form an agile team:

An ideal agile team typically includes 3-10 people who are highly skilled and willing to work together closely until the project is completed. These people must have different expertise such as design, programming, analysis etc. This team must be disciplined and ready to share failures and successes together during the project.

There is a manifesto including 12 principles and 4 values that the team must respect.

How does an agile team work?

Agile is a method that requires breaking down the project into several shorter objectives. Team members achieve each of these goals one after the other with the goal of achieving overall success for the project. Here are two ways to lead an agile project.

1. Scrum
2. Kanban

These methods both allow you to better visualize tasks in progress, overdue or completed. Also here are some characteristics of agile workflow that should be followed by the agile team:

Meetings :

These meetings organized by the team are used to discuss together what is working, the work that has been done and the remaining tasks to be completed. It is an opportunity for everyone to share their doubts and questions with others. But also to take stock of the actions to be taken for the next 24 hours and to discuss the obstacles to overcome.

Goals :

As mentioned earlier, it is required to break down the objectives in order to make them shorter. These are carried out in the shorter term and are examined later to know the results. Any changes to these goals should be shared at the daily meeting.

Agile teams must maintain consistency and quality of work using peer assessment and management feedback. Evaluations are organized before and after the completion of the short objectives.

A vision of its role:

Projects with shorter goals and tighter schedules benefit the most from this method because it increases team coordination. Having a vision of the next steps to take is essential. It is important that everyone knows their role and that it is clear to everyone. However, this does not preclude remaining flexible enough to allow team members to make critical 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 form a good team, and there are 3 roles to assign:

1) The Project owner:

The project owner is the great captain. This is often a company executive or one of the project stakeholders. His responsibility is to help his team achieve long-term goals in line with the vision of the project he created. He remains in direct communication with his team to inform them of any progress on the project.

2) Scrum masters:

They are like the captain's lieutenants in the project. This role is very similar to that of a project manager. They should oversee the entire process, provide feedback, and guide team members as needed. Scrum masters take care of daily functions related to the project. They update the Scrum boards and project targets.

3) Team members:

They complete the project and their role is to leverage their skills to complete the tasks and achieve the objectives assigned to them, while meeting deadlines.

Read the article and watch the video: 5 phases of project management

How to be an effective agile team ?

It is 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 very effective, such as:

• Sharing experiences and knowledge:

Since agile is technology-driven, there are tools to become familiar with: Team members need to share their expertise with others to speed things up. Additionally, it helps build trusting relationships within the team and ensures better collaboration. This can be done through presentations, practical applications, etc.

• Managing organizational change:

When businesses go through transformational changes, employees must maintain a positive attitude throughout these changes and contribute. It’s important for agile teams to adapt and alter their plans as necessary. These changes should 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 must trust each other and be open. This will allow 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, applying this culture between shareholders and team members is an important success factor.

• Self-organized teams :

To execute the work, tasks must be assigned to different 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 further to overcome the sometimes complex stages of the project.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, the people on your team are as important as the plan and structure of your project. It's essential to assign members to roles in which they excel and hold them accountable for achieving their goals. This will achieve the best possible results for a project and the team will gradually improve its performance.

To keep a team running, it is crucial to resolve problems between people in the group. Train your teams on Scrum and Kanban methods. To stay in tune with agile best practices, follow the agile manifesto.