As a new team leader, effectively mediating conflict within your team is crucial for maintaining a healthy work environment and ensuring team productivity. Here, we’ll delve deeper into specific strategies and skills you can employ to mediate conflicts as they arise. 1. Active Listening Skill: Develop active listening skills to fully understand the perspectives of…
Our guiding model for managing conflict in teams is the Tuckman Model, also known as Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development. Developed by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in 1965, this model describes the four distinct stages that teams typically go through as they develop and mature. This model also indicates how conflict builds up in a team…
When it comes to building a successful agile team, one of the key elements to consider early on is establishing team norms. Instead of hosting a formal “Team Norms Meeting,” it’s often more effective to introduce the topic naturally during one of your team’s initial gatherings, perhaps alongside the creation of your team charter. Here’s…
In the fast-paced world of agile development, effective communication is the lifeline that keeps your team in sync and your sprints on track. But how often have you left a stand-up meeting thinking everyone understood the tasks, only to find out later that something was misinterpreted or forgotten? Enter closed-loop communication—a powerful technique that can…
Imagine you’re giving feedback to a team member about their presentation skills. You tell them they did well but need to improve how they handle questions at the end. Weeks later, you notice they haven’t made any changes. Turns out, they didn’t really understand your feedback. They wonder, “What’s particularly good about my presentation?” and…
Have you ever been in a team where everything just clicked? Where everyone seemed to know exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to work together seamlessly? If so, you’ve experienced the power of Shared Mental Models (SMMs) – a fancy term for when team members are truly “on the same page.”…
The research on Shared Mental Models (SMMs) offers a wealth of insights that a Scrum Master can use to enhance their Agile team’s performance. Here are some practical interventions based on each of the five SMM dimensions to get your team on the same page: Equipment Mental Models: Host a “Tools and Tech Talk” session…
In the dynamic world of Agile teams, team reflection is of the utmost importance. This concept serves as the cornerstone for achieving heightened performance and effectiveness within Agile frameworks, especially for Scrum Masters navigating the complexities of team dynamics. Let’s delve deeper into this essential aspect. Deciphering Team Reflection Team reflection encompasses the collective process…