AGILE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT: SELF-

ORGANIZING TEAM

Egle Niitvägi

TTU

Health Care Technology

WHAT IS AGILE SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

Agile software development is a group of software development methods based on iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams (Wikipedia).

HISTORY

In 2001 Manifesto for Agile Software Development was published.

Manifestos values were: working software, customer collaboration, responding to change and individuals and inetractions.

MANIFESTO PRINCIPLES 1

The Agile Manifesto is based on twelve principles:

Customer satisfaction by rapid delivery of useful software

Welcome changing requirements, even late in development

Working software is delivered frequently (weeks rather than months)

Close, daily cooperation between business people and developers

Projects are built around motivated individuals, who should be trusted

MANIFESTO PRINCIPLES 2

Face-to-face conversation is the best form of communication (co-location)

Working software is the principal measure of progress

Sustainable development, able to maintain a constant pace

Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design

Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential

Regular adaptation to changing circumstances Self-organizing teams

SELF-ORGANAZING TEAM

Team that doesn’t have any „bosses“ or managers.

People who are in the team are equal and usually are not „labeld“.

Salary doesn’t depend on the occupational name.

May occure some servent leaders but their job is to motivate and consult.

SERVANT LEADER

Servent leader, mentor, moderator, „the elder“

Person who mentors and gives feedback to the rest of the team.

Doesn’t resolve problems. Can only make leading questions and statements, but no prompting.

Organizes team meetings and leads them if necessary.

SERVANT LEADER

HOW DOES SELF-ORGANIZING TEAM WORK?

Set the common goal – shared vision?

Establish knowledge- sharing enviroment – trust, open, feedback loops.

Give each member a bit of authority – might involve conflicts.

Let team decide!

Set good Metrics!

MENTALITY

Main goal of self-organizin team is to emprise new thinking – achiving wanted goals, make customers happy and improve work quality.

Happier people work better and their outcomes are usually better then people who are under „bosse“ pressure.

Bigger responsabilty for team members.

Team members have to be team players not solo artists.

MENTALITY

Self-organizing team mebers have to be more creative.

Have to have a strong dicipline and work ethic.

Each person is committed to the project’s goals.

Team members respect each other. Everyone is focused on the work. Openness. Team members have to have the courage to

stand up for the project.

NEGATIVE SIDE

People have to trust each other and make efforts equally – otherwise there would be problems.

Team has to control time and selected goals by themselves.

All important decisions have to be decided with all team members (too much time).

TRADITIONAL VS SELF-ORGANIZING TEAM

TRADITIONAL VS SELF-ORGANIZING TEAM

Traditional: Only one brain is used Slow decisions (decision chain) Lower motivationo Self-organizing: More than one brain is used Usually quick decisions Motivated team members

CONCLUSION

Companies who are already using self-organizing team method are certain that:

Their customers are happier Their employees are happier Their costs have reduced Profit has risen

Stop working for the boss!Work to get THINGS done!

REFERENCES Agile software development. Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development (09.03.14)

Gaillot, E. (2013). Self-Organizing Organizations (For Real). http://www.infoq.com/articles/self-organizing-organizations (09.03.14)

Linders, B. (2013). Leadership for Self-Organized Agile Teams. http://www.infoq.com/news/2013/04/leadership-self-organized-teams (09.03.14)

Pozin, I. (2013).Want you company to grow? Fire Your Managers! http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130320152447-5799319-want-your-company-to-grow-fire-your-managers (09.03.14)

REFERENCES

http://www.stellman-greene.com/2012/06/10/scrum-and-self-organizing-teams/

http://www.slideshare.net/AlexSergeevich/self-organizing-teams

THANK YOU!