the loneliness of the sprint manager or 'where is my team?

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The loneliness of the agile short-sprint manager

Dr. Dror Zernik

dror@agilesparks.com Cell:+972 52-8305999

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Team– revisited

Multi-functional, self-organized, auto-managed group of people with a common goal?

better

Axiom 1: Work in the modern world is carried out in teams

• Is this true only for Dev teams?• Which teams do I (manager) belong

to?

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Loneliness

Axiom 2: Oh, It’s lonely at the top

• The CEO is lonely… (?)• Does this reflect downwards?

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Loneliness – revisited I

• I feel lonely when my interests are not aligned with the team’s interests?

• I feel lonely when there is a gap between my perception of the situation and the other team member’s perception?

• I fee lonely when both of the above happen a lot/too much…

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Loneliness – revisited II

• Is the Product Manager lonely in his work? What is his reference team?

• Project Manager?• Dev Manager?• Other Managers? QA/Infra/…?

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Management path – revisited

Axiom 3: As a manager I’m in the path from being a team member to becoming the CEO (?)

So – as a manager I’m training to become lonely!?

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Is every meeting I attend a team?

• What role am I expected to play in the meeting?– Leader?– Professional?– Observer?– Responsible adult?– Team member?

• Am I required in this meeting? Just to stress out its importance?

• Can a decision be taken without me?

Recurring

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Agile – revisited

• Does Agile make it worse? Or better?• Can I use agile thinking to solve the

conflict?

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So what is a team? Revisit II

- Processes – product backlog preparation – team?

- Change management team?- Multi-team coordination team?

(Steering, core)- Task force team? Thinking tank team?- Emergency handling team?- The team I manage (managers, often)

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New definition of a manager?

• A multi-team member• A creator/owner of multi-functional

teams• A team member participant that plays

varying roles in each team; the role may be rapidly changing based on the situation…

• A person in charge of aligning all the teams bellow him to their goals?

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Sample case 1

• An unexpected change in product plan– Action plan – management team– Product backlog team (discovery

process)– R&D plan – my manager’s teams

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Sample case 2

Strategic decisions in he project I’m leading contradict my opinion…

– I wish the project would fail…?– How do I get the team to believe me and

the new decisions?–What are my goals???

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The bottom line?

• As a manager - I should find the teams I’m really relevant for/relevant for me…

• Larger organizations should construct middle level management teams, cross multiple levels (1st – 3rd, 2nd - 4th)level

• Create clear joined goals for management teams. Take good care of these teams…

• Where is the CEO? • Truly waiting for audience ideas…