the loneliness of the sprint manager or 'where is my team?
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The loneliness of the sprint manager or 'where is my team?'By Dror Zernik @ AgileIL12http://agilesparks.com/LonelinessManager-DrorZernikTRANSCRIPT
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The loneliness of the agile short-sprint manager
Dr. Dror Zernik
[email protected] 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…