TeamworkTechniques

Teamwork Techniques BOF

This session was a followup to the workshop MirrorMirrorOnTheWall. It explored techniques - workshops, project techniques and the like - that we've used successfully, and explored where you might use them.

We then took four of these techniques, and explored them in more detail.

Here is our 'elevator pitch' for each of these four techniques.

Name: Six Thinking Hats

Problem Solved

Decision making – finding appropriate approaches to issues

When to use it

In decision making meetings.

How it works

Idendified different mindsets and ways of thinking. Gives a language

Result

People step out of default behaviour

Want to know more

Google Edward De Bono

Name: Burndown Charts

Problem Solved: “90% done” 90% of the time
When to use it: Throughout a project
How it works: Track and plot outstanding tasks as graph in units or “fluffy bunnies”.
Result: [Picture] Crosses down, line through shows project velocity. Then show ‘generating value’. See http://blog.nayima.be/2005/10/15/final-burn-updown-chart/ for an example of burn down/up chart.
Want to know more: Mike Cohn book: Agile estimating and planning.

Name: Responsibility Model

Problem Solved

Introducing change, Issue/problem management

When to use it

Yourself when dealing with other people;
Ditto, when dealing with yourself
Educate team/peers for shared understanding
Management expectation of change adoption rate.

How it works

Denial – blame – castigation – shame – obligation – responsibility. (or leave?)

Result

Self-organising team; Empowered team; Happiness.

Want to know more

Chrisavery.com

Name: Nine Boxes

Problem Solved: Solving Real problems, Enthuse the players.
When to use it: Project initiation, Problem solving
How it works: Structured interview
Result: Everyone involved and enthusiastic. You solve the REAL problem.
Want to know more: Solution selling (http://solutionselling.com/). See http://dnicolet1.tripod.com/agile/index.blog/1765142/nine-boxes/ for a description on the technique and how to derive User Stories from the interview.

Full list of techniques

Here is the full list of techniques we identified:

Phase: Start of project

Speed networking, Daily standup, XP Game, Personal sales pitch, Team lunch together, Mentoring, Daily standup, Wiki, Release planning, Constant feedback, Indentify hobbies and interests, Team rota for the dirty jobs, XP metaphor workshop, Brianstorming, Kickoff workshops, inter-team introductions.

Phase: During project

Squeaky toy, Demo to everyone, Design the box, Online chatting with Campfire, IM, Socializing – weekliyt meeting – team night out, Code review, Checkin daily – the bug – clean and green – not test no checking, Make it fun, One-to-one talk, Active listening, Video context, Twitter, Ask questions; don’t give answers, Pair programming, Buy cookies, Pizza, chocolate, Sit together, Build noise (pinger), Positive reinforcement, Give responsibilitiy, Rotate leadership responsibility,

Phase: End of project

Reward success, Let me start by asking what I’m doing wrong, Describe your feelings, Project postmortems, restrospective, Root cause analysis.

Outside Project

Conch/talking stick, Improv theatre, role playing, Three wishes, Getting things done, Brown bag training, SPA conference, Belbin team roles, Peer coaching, Test driven working, Transactional analysis, Empower the customer, Cooperative planning, Complaints and recommendations, Kai Zen

[Written up by CharlesWeir and PascalVanCauwenberghe]