Recently, I participated in a Daily Sync to observe, as the Scrum Master informed me that the Development Manager had some remarks for the team.
From my understanding, the Development Manager asked for a task to be completed quickly for reporting purposes, requiring a short turnaround time (hours, not days). The request was directed to a Technical Lead who was already busy with other team responsibilities. The Development Manager expressed concerns about the team's communication, stating that responses to management requests should be prompt and that there were reports of poor communication within the team.
After he started to recycle the same points, I stepped in to say,
"This is not the forum for this conversation."
When asked, "Why not?" he replied.
In response, I said, "This meeting is a game planning session for the team."
He agreed and exited the meeting, agreeing to a follow-up discussion.
I requested the Scrum Master to identify any blockers requiring immediate attention but to conclude the meeting to allow the team to unwind from the discussion.
The following day, we had a Conflict Resolution discussion with the following format.
Agenda
Identify the Issues
Have a Neutral Stance
Reframe the Conflict
Solutions-Oriented Discussions
Agreement of Review
Follow Up
Ground Rules:
Each person would have the opportunity to speak in a constructive manner
No one is allowed to interrupt; other, than the facilitator
What we discovered?
Although, this was only one request, the team had received so many priority requests over the past 2 weeks the priority was not understood and pushed to the side.
The Scrum Master owned up to not responding in a timely manner.
The Technical Lead had to work extensive hours to respond to the request of the Development Manager.
Team members were not comfortable bringing up issues with one another.
What was the outcome?
Communications with the team would be directed to the PO so that these items could be prioritized accordingly.
We developed a Management Request Protocol.
Asked for a lead time of 48-72 hours
In absence of lead time; negotiation on delivery time frame.
Clear expected outcomes and potential issues with delivery timeline would be surfaced immediately
In the event, the person/team would not be able to meet deadline. The requestor would be informed in no less than have than half the team to meet the deadline.
We asked the Development Manager to redirect questions about process to the Retrospective. Where there were specific behavior related issues should be directed to the reporting manager if it couldn't be addressed in a one-on-one discussion.
We'll connect in a month or two Sprints, to see how these changes will impact the team.
What would you have done different?
Duane Nicholson is a Change Management professional who focuses on utilizing agile methodologies to enhance the efficiency of teams involved in software and/or systems development. If your teams are stuck in the storming phase, schedule a call to talk about strategies to move forward.
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