Everyone is “going Agile” these days. Even though Agile Software Development methodologies have been around for awhile, there seems to be more and more buzz about them, offering a plethora of options such as the popular Extreme Programming (XP) and Scrum methodologies. New variations continue to pop up and many organizations seem to work in an environment that is kind of a hybrid of Waterfall and Agile, wanting to maintain the discipline of Waterfall and the flexibility of Agile. So what exactly is Agile?
A team of 17 technologists got together in February, 2001, and authored the Agile Manifesto:
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.
While the various methodologies outline detailed processes aimed at implementing these guidelines, the key to success lies in effective communication, collaboration and teamwork between business folks, developers and testers. Because communication, collaboration, and teamwork are all more easily accomplished from face-to-face time, typically it’s recommended that agile teams are co-located – not just working at the same site, but actually sitting together as they work. (I’ve heard tales of XP teams being locked up in a conference room together until they finished a project, though the person that told me that tends to exaggerate. I’m sure the custodian let them out for biological needs.)
With all this emphasis on skills that are more effective in a co-located environment, is an agile team that is geographically dispersed destined for failure? With current trends of global teams, outsourced teams, and telecommuters, it’s not always possible for teams to sit together. The prospect of flying these people to work together for weeks at a time is very difficult and expensive.
With all the tools and technologies that we have available to us today, can’t the same things be accomplished in a virtual way? It’s important to look at why face-to-face teamwork seems to be more successful and to determine ways to foster those attributes in a virtual world.
Tools
Depending on your methodology, different techniques come into play that are more suited for face-to- face brainstorming. One technique, for example is a Wall Chart where various team members use sticky notes placed on a whiteboard or chart that is split into categories. Team members are able to easily move sticky notes between categories as changes are noted and discussed. Though some may argue you need to be face-to-face for this type of brainstorming event, Agile tools are available that allow for virtual brainstorming. A virtual Wall Chart complete with virtual stickies can be used. This is just one of many tools to facilitate remote collaboration. I would venture to say that today, with all the tools and technologies that are available to us, many
of them free of charge, that we can easily find any tool to do the same kind of work that is done face-to-face. Using tools to document our agile processes has the added advantage of allowing us to easily archive our thoughts so they will be available for future discussions or teams.
Availability and Convenience of Immediate Communication
Another factor in the success of co-located teams is the ability to yell over to your next-door teammate “Hey, come look at this!”If you have to pick up the phone, or send an email, you are often a lot less likely to ask for help. Sometimes it just takes too much time to explain the problem-dujour. It’s much easier to show your teammate and work together on a solution.
Desktop sharing tools are now available for us to be able to share our working environment, so we can easily have a “come look at this” type of conversation with our remote team-member. Tools like Instant Messenger Chat allow us to see when our teammates are available and easily interrupt them, just like we do with our office neighbour.
Friendships and Trust
Perhaps the biggest key to a successful team is due to the friendships that develop amongst the team members. As we get to know one another, we learn who we can trust. We look forward to working together and helping one another, not just because of the company or the project, but because we like our friends. We gain a feeling of camaraderie as we scratch our heads together, searching for solutions. We celebrate our wins together, going out for lunch or happy hour, patting each other on the back at our brilliant collective genius.
So, how can we emulate this on a virtual team? We need to learn to form friendships that are as strong as they are when working together side-by-side. This means we need to open up more and share a little of our “personal” self with our team-mates. We need to connect with them on more of a personal level. The social networking tools such as Twitter and FaceBook allow us to share more of a silly side of ourselves. OK, admittedly, some people take this a little too far. It isn’t necessary to share our dancing-withthe-lampshade-on moments. But we can share photos and videos that are more personal in nature – family photos or photos of the hobbies or activities we do outside of work. When we do this, we get a sense of who a person is, beyond
just their professional image. We find out things other than our work that we have in common, and we form friendships.
But uploading our photos and telling our team about ourselves is not enough. As leaders such as Dale Carnegie and Steven Covey taught us, we need to spend more time learning about other people than we spend talking about ourselves. Share of yourself, but engage with others on the team. Call them up. Joke with them. Tell them you appreciate their efforts on the team. Send them your “virtual smiles” in whatever way you can.
We live in a world that allows us to connect to people any time and any place. We have tools and technologies allowing us to communicate more effectively than ever before. Nothing can ever replace the value we get from a face-to-face smiles, but we can do quite a lot to foster strong communication, collaboration and teamwork. And however you communicate, whether it’s via email, on the phone, or face-to-face, let your smile shine through. You are likely to find, not only a strong teammate, but another BFF (Best Friend Forever).
No comments yet.