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Understanding various team patterns in scrum patterns

2022-04-23 19:42:00 【InfoQ】

When learning and exchanging agile related knowledge and experience , We often hear the names of various teams , for example ：Self-Organizing Team( Self organizing teams ),Autonomous Team( Autonomous team ),Development Team( R & D team ),Scrum Team(Scrum The team ),Cross-Functional Team( Cross functional team ),Stable Teams( Stabilize the team ),Collocated Team( Co located team ),Small Teams( Small team ). Are there many kinds and have heard of ？ Are they talking about similar definitions ？ There are still some differences ？ How do we understand them ？ fortunately Jeff Old man's Scrum Patterns These definitions are described in detail . Today I will share my learning experience . Welcome to communicate with each other .

Because it involves 8 The description of each mode will be very long , So let's summarize my personal understanding first . If you want to know more details, you can read the following detailed mode introduction . from High Level I like to put this 8 A pattern classification 3 Different perspectives ：

Team behavior ： Self organizing teams , Self control team , R & D team .

Team composition ：Scrum The team , Cross functional team .

Team attributes ： Co located team , Small team , Stabilize the team .

Give a brief overview of this 8 Definition of a team model ：

Self-Organizing Team( Self organizing teams )
From the organizational level , Any team in the organization should preferably be self-organized , Not a command and control team , In order to work more efficiently . Self organizing teams don't just say Scrum The team . It's all kinds of teams in the organization .

Autonomous Team( Autonomous team )
Is the importance of autonomy at the team and individual levels . Team autonomy requires the individual autonomy of each member first . Autonomy does not mean closure , The team needs to make internal decisions , Actively receive information externally , Response variation .

Development Team( R & D team )
Focused on the relationship between individual and team , Why do you need a team , What kind of composition does the team need , Ideal team size, etc . The team here is not limited to Scrum Category . For a good R & D team , The best goal is an autonomous team , It's a self-organizing team .

Scrum Team(Scrum The team )
The focus is different from that of the above teams , The R & D team defines how to do things well . And whether the output is more valuable or not depends not only on the R & D team , It also needs the participation of business parties . At the same time, the continuous improvement of the team also needs the support of the coach .Scrum The team is just Scrum Within the framework of , What is an ideal team like . So the latest version 《Scrum guide 》 Pointed out that ,Scrum Teams can not only decide how they work , Can also decide what to do . It also echoes the self-organizing team , Autonomous team , R & D team .

Cross-Functional Team( Cross functional team )
How the team responds to the increasing demand for skills , Continuously meet changes . How to cross function , What are the differences between team self creation and dependence on external teams ？ This model will explain the meaning clearly .

Stable Teams( Stabilize the team )
This model helps the team grow , And share their expertise over time , To reduce the risk of losing team members . A stable team will build a sense of collective identity , This sense of identity can be used as the basis of common pride in products and team belonging .

Collocated Team( Co located team )
This model is about the relationship between communication and distance within the team . Emphasize that even if there are many technologies to shorten the communication distance between people , Nor can it replace the advantages of physical location . As the Allen curve shows , It's better to be in the same room than on the same floor , Better than the same building , Better than the same city , At least in the same time zone .

Small Teams( Small team )
This model says why a small team is preferred , for example ：7+-2 The scale of . From team stability , Communication efficiency and other aspects .

The following is a detailed introduction to the mode （ It's a little longer , Please tidy up your mood and read slowly :)）：

Self-Organizing Team( Self organizing teams )

reason

To reduce complexity and uncontrollability , The organization will standardize the structure and process . These best practices may be developed through the adoption of best practices or through the history of organizational culture . But the only constant in the real world is change . So these best practices will change over time 、 The improvement of technology brings about changes in the surrounding environment . As a result, best practices are no longer best . But the company's solidified systems and processes have kept many organizations from moving forward . In fact, it can be seen that the people involved in specific work know the current work context best , And can most effectively put forward the correct improvement scheme . But if his leader is a layman , Or not very familiar with the job , Then it is likely that these improvements will not be proposed or passed . In real life, we can find that in an enterprise with strong hierarchy , The ability limit of a department often depends on the ability of its immediate leaders rather than the members of the team . On the other hand , Development team members usually have specialized skills ; It is beneficial to use their differences to work effectively . however , If everyone only works within their area of expertise , The task may be delayed , Instead of more evenly distributing and completing .

Pattern

Because of the above reasons , So the development team is actually the most familiar person in the field of work , They are the people who know best how to make their work better , It's also a group of people who know how to cooperate with each other . And the summary behind all this behavior is “ Self organizing ” The meaning of . A self-organizing team can repair itself , It can see its own mistakes and has the ability to fix them . This is a Scrum One of the most important models an organization needs to master . Because the team has gained freedom and corresponding responsibility . They will begin to have a say in how to build the product , At the same time, they will be more proud of themselves and products .

Be careful ：

Self organization does not mean random , He needs maturity and discipline to support . meanwhile , Not everyone likes self-organization .

The potential risk of removing a clear oversight role is , Another person on the team may fill this role , To avoid this .

A brief description of the definition of self-organizing team can be said ： The R & D team running according to the autonomous team is the self-organizing team . For the definitions of self-made team and R & D team, please continue to see the following explanation .

Autonomous Team( Autonomous team )

reason

A new team starts Scrum How it works , Or an existing team starts adopting Scrum Work . In any case , Teams must first understand how to work together . At this time, some processes or regulations of the enterprise , May not apply to all situations . Different teams have different people and their unique behaviors . and , A team with specific responsibilities and the expertise necessary to complete the task knows how to best get started . Where are the stakeholders Scrum Have a vested interest in the success of the project . therefore , It's natural to want some control over the development work . Because it makes them feel safer . However , Stakeholders outside the development team may not know the details of the development work , So the strategy and process they want may not be suitable for the needs of the team , It could be counterproductive . Last , The enterprise itself may have some existing “ Best practices ” To guide the team , However , One team's best practices may not be suitable for another team .

Pattern

Generally speaking Scrum The decision-making of the team is not under external control , Although it is an open system focusing on the outside , But the team sets its own direction according to its pursuit of value , Without undue external influence . Autonomy includes building one's own culture , Including any code of conduct and reward system . It also includes how the team works . But that doesn't mean the development team has the right to simply do whatever it wants to do .

Be careful

In an autonomous team , One possible danger sign is that teams may turn a blind eye to their weaknesses . therefore , Give Way ScrumMaster Work with autonomous teams , Give them feedback , Deliver feedback from outside the team , And keep them open to feedback from other sources .

All in all , When people have autonomy , They are usually more proactive . When successful , This creates a virtuous circle . So in an efficient organization , Autonomous team this is an important success factor . At the same time, it can be extended to the individual autonomy of the members themselves .

Development Team( R & D team )

reason

Many great efforts cannot be achieved by individual efforts alone ; The greatest strength in production comes from teamwork . Great individuals can create great products , But starting from one person will make future development difficult . At about 6 In months , The addition of each new person will reduce the efficiency of other members of the team 25% (James Coplien The rule of thumb ). On the other hand , It is difficult to form a consistent direction in an overly large group , The so-called many people make things worse . A development team composed of a few people can finally reach a consensus , But usually this can only be done after a long period of mutual consultation . In a responsive industry, such delays are intolerable .

Pattern

The size of the R & D team recommended here is about 5 Composed of two configured individuals , They are committed to a common goal . The team is autonomous ： Self selection 、 Self organization and self-management . Give everyone a collective identity to realize the vision of the product owner . The product owner can tell them ：“ This is your product —— Do it .” In this way, everyone establishes a new identity associated with the product vision , While respecting each other's identity . It's not about expanding personal potential to increase productivity to a certain level of production , But to change the paradigm of development , Form collective thinking , Form a whole that can achieve the goal better than the sum of individuals .Scrum Avoid any dependency within or across teams, resulting in non autonomy , All the work of each deliverable is carried out in one development team . It means , There is no separate test team , There is no separate team to link development and maintenance aspects .

All in all , A R & D team should work together , Focus on common goals , And gather around a single development increment , Not alone “ Invest time in your position ”.

Scrum Team(Scrum The team )

reason

Many great visions cannot be achieved by one person , To achieve this vision , You need to create complex products , And bring it to market . In addition, if there is no professional knowledge , Just some good ideas , Still unable to deliver a good product . Another point , The work rhythm of business personnel and development is different , Have their own focus on what they are best at . The good news is , While developing ready to deliver products , This gives business people the freedom to do other jobs . But the bad thing is , If the business transfers responsibility for product delivery to an independent development organization , There will be a handover . The result of handover may change the target from a business product to a deadline . Because business and development are separated , So the deadline can be arbitrary , The content delivered may not meet expectations . Last , Separation from the concerns of the entire product makes work meaningless , And deprive people of a sense of ownership of the vision , Or make them unable to agree with the purpose of the product . When people with different expertise and perspectives work together in the development process , Learning will be even more effective . People who focus on product development activities often don't have much time to think about how to improve .

Pattern

therefore ,Scrum Team is a model , He wants to build a team with all the necessary capabilities ： People who can make and deliver products ( R & D team ), The product owner who directs the product direction , And promote learning ScrumMaster. This echoes the previous pattern —— R & D team . But it is emphasized that only the R & D team can not make excellent products , If you want to build an excellent learning team , It also needs to be combined with the business side and the team coach .

Cross-Functional Team( Cross functional team )

reason

If one Scrum The team can't work independently , That means they don't have all the skills they need to complete complex tasks , It depends on the skills of people outside the team , The team cannot have the control to complete the task . This situation reduces the team's response to completion time , And may affect the output quality of the final result . It's hard to find all the talents needed by a team member , Not to mention in a particular individual . Therefore, teams in organizations often organize around capability areas ： Birds of a feather flock together , Birds of a feather flock together . So this kind of organization is called functional organization . However , Coordinating these functions across team boundaries is expensive , Because effective communication occurs between people who share the current work context —— Usually team members , Not between different teams . professional 、 Local practices and processes can be a source of efficiency in an organization , But it may also be the source of organizational boundaries .

Pattern

therefore , This model shows that ： Every Scrum The team should include all the talents needed to deliver the function . And recognize that when you first create a team , It's good to focus on skill set coverage , But more importantly , Give the team time to learn . Because things change over time , The team is unlikely to foresee all the long-term skills needs from the beginning . When new skill needs arise , Don't replace team members , It's about training people internally ( Team members now have the opportunity to learn second skills ), as time goes on , Cross train team members , Increase their skill set , To adapt to more and more areas of competence . This kind of team is more likely to be autonomous , It will also be easier to divide work equally .

Stable Teams( Stabilize the team )

reason

Stakeholders like the team that can meet their expectations in time , So the team will want their predictions to be more accurate , In this way, we can better realize our commitments to stakeholders . In traditional project management , There has always been a tendency to confuse people with human resources . It leads to “ Resource management ”, Match the needs with the capabilities of each team ( perhaps , The ability of each team member ) Combine , To complete the delivery . This also often leads to... At the beginning of the project , People move from one team to another , Or in the delivery process , From one crisis to another , This leads to an unstable environment , At the same time, it increases the cost :

Management keeps track of what people are doing .

Low efficiency , Because the team needs to integrate a new member , New members need to understand the team and its products ,

Contact Brooks law (“ Adding manpower to a software project that has been delayed will make it more delayed ”)

Based on these factors , The team always hopes to deal with the same needs , So that our changing resources can be delivered in a predictable time . However, targeting the demand for our products will hinder our learning , And ignore product changes that create the most value , So this is not a good solution .

Pattern

Keep the team stable , Avoid moving people between teams . Stable teams tend to understand their own abilities , This makes it possible for the business to have some predictability . Dedicate team members to a team as much as possible . Stable team members know each other . Team members experience each other's work styles , And find out how much work they can do together . A stable team grows in familiarity and consistency that meets mutual expectations , And began to develop into a trusted community . People who only work together for a short period of time may not invest much energy in improving their workflow or social interaction with each other , Because for months ( Or less ) after , They will work with others . And on the other hand , If people knew they would spend more time with the same colleague , They are more likely to invest in creating a pleasant team environment , Improve their workflow . At the organizational level, if flexible work assignment can be used instead of transferring personnel from one team to another “ flexibility ”. Then it's easier for the team to take on the work according to their current ability , This in turn leads to more accurate predictions . So it reduces the cost .

Collocated Team( Co located team )

reason

Complex collaborative development , Such as knowledge work , High quality communication is needed to be effective . It is difficult to predict the time of this communication necessary for success 、 Frequency and duration . We tried to make up for this by booking meeting space . But it seems that the number of meeting spaces in all buildings has not been designed , Resulting in increased spending of time together . The result is that people don't try to meet , Thus reducing interpersonal communication . People often turn to low fidelity means of communication —— im 、 E-mail 、 Telephone 、 Fax, etc . Communication doesn't just depend on sending and receiving messages : The recipient must also understand the message . A rich communication channel supports the nuances of interpersonal communication , Including linguistic and nonverbal attributes . When a message is to both the sender and the receiver “ caller ” when , There must be quick feedback to confirm understanding . Nonverbal communication is important for ” Expressing emotions , Communication and interpersonal relationships , Support language communication ” Very important .1977 The Allen curve in shows , When people are apart 10 When rice , Their probability of communicating at least once a week is less than 10%. Alan said , Despite the recent development of communication technology , But this has not improved . For example, the office is no longer just a physical place ; We can attend the meeting anywhere , Collaborate on documents without seeing each other . These techniques that seem to shorten the distance feel like breaking the Allen curve , Communication is no longer related to distance . But that's not the case . The Allen curve still holds . in fact , Engineers who share a physical office are more likely to keep in touch with engineers working elsewhere 20%. When they need close cooperation , The frequency of e-mail sent by colleagues in the same location is the same as that of colleagues in different locations 4 times , This makes the project completion time faster 32%.

Pattern

Put team members together , It's better to be in the same room , Even within talking distance .Alistair Cockburn It is recommended that the whole team sit within the length of a school bus . Allow people to easily engage in special conversations when working together . People regularly 、 Share information quickly . Employees can also freely talk about topics other than work , So as to enhance team cohesion . For organizations that like to have a large team or think it is necessary to have a large team , In the same position, this requirement can be very difficult . There may be a lack of space or a high cost of moving employees to a new location . For organizations , This will be an important decision . Refer to the small team model 、 Cross functional team model and Conway's law . Communication is a social process , When technology limits the nature of communication , Communication becomes less effective . This often confirms the shortcomings of teleconference and video conference in effective communication . It's easy to slip away 、 Don't focus on 、 Or low participation . In addition to facilitating efficient communication, Co located teams , It can also bring more pride and self-esteem to the team , Because more team consciousness , More sense of belonging .

Small Teams( Small team )

reason

Sometimes when the position of the team in the organization is directly proportional to the size of the team , Large teams may become part of organizational politics . The more people work together , The greater the cost of communication . Good communication is essential for effective teamwork . however , As the population grows , The information transmitted within the group is also reduced accordingly , But as the number increases , The information that needs to be transmitted also increases accordingly . In extreme cases , Communication and coordination costs consume almost all the resources of the team , There is little time to do productive work . In addition, as the number of people increases , Everyone's relative contribution will be reduced . This may have a motivational effect that cannot be ignored , Because as the team size increases , Hitchhiking and social laziness will increase ( Individuals contribute less to the team than themselves ). The result may be that large teams produce less results than small teams , Or the output quality of large teams is lower than that of small teams . therefore , When there are many people working together , More need to coordinate these people . under these circumstances , The team will add more and more roles to support coordination , And these roles don't add value , Instead, it reduces the productivity of the team （ The number of such roles in a team is Wally (Wally It's Scott · Where is Adam 《 Dumbert 》 The role played in ).

Christopher · Alexander (Christopher Alexander) Citing a study , The study shows that , Communication efficiency decreases with the increase of group size . In his model ,“ A small meeting room ”, He pointed out that , In the meeting ,“ One 12 Individual groups , There will be someone who never speaks .“ stay 24 In a group of people , Yes 6 People never talk ”.

Pattern

People who work in small teams have a stronger attachment to the team and its goals , Better communication in the team , More opportunities to be heard , Usually more productive . Small teams help overcome negative team effects , Such as social laziness and process loss , Promote more positive effects at the same time , Such as Kohler effect ( Motivate yourself not to be the worst performing member of the team ). Larger teams （ Statistically ） Smaller teams experience more attrition , therefore , The bigger the team , The less likely its members are to stabilize over time . therefore , Small teams are more conducive to the stability of the team . So if the team starts getting too big , Consider mitosis .

summary

Although there are many definitions of team mode , But the essence is to describe how to build a healthy team , From different perspectives, you can get a more comprehensive picture of an ideal team . I hope these summaries will help you build your ideal team .

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