The Art of Agile Development

Trust

Note

Whole Team, Coaches

We work together effectively and without fear.

When a group of people comes together to work as a team, they go through a series of group dynamics known as “Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing” [Tuckman]. It takes the team some time to get through each of these stages. They make progress, fall back, bicker, and get along. Over time—often months—and with adequate support and a bit of luck, they get to know each other and work well together. The team jells. Productivity shoots up. They do really amazing work.

What does it take to achieve this level of productivity? The team must take joint responsibility for their work. Team members need to think of the rest of the team as “us,” not “them.” If a team member notices something that needs doing, she takes responsibility for it, even if it’s not her specialty: she does it, finds someone to help her do it, or recruits someone else to take care of it.

Conversely, team members must rely on each other for help. When one member of a team encounters a question that she cannot answer, she doesn’t hesitate to ask someone who does know the answer. Sometimes these quick questions turn into longer pairing sessions.

Trust is essential for the team to perform this well. You need to trust that taking time to help others won’t make you look unproductive. You need to trust that you’ll be treated with respect when you ask for help or disagree with someone.

The organization needs to trust the team, too. XP is strange and ...