The nature of Agile methodology is that it must be a collaborative effort, so any minor mistakes within the team can be highly damaging to its overall productivity.
While there are many forms of anti-patterns (see https://age-of-product.com/sprint-anti-patterns/), here are two good examples of negative Agile anti-patterns and how these can lead to unwelcome disruptions or even failure.
1. Not all team members pulling their weight
It is no good having a scrum team in place, if not all of the members are 100% committed, and 100% available, to the team at all times. Workers need to be entirely focused on the task at hand and therefore should not be switching from one product to the next, dealing with varying contexts throughout their working day or week. It is also vital that all of the team members bond and build solid professional relationships with one another, so that they can work together as a team and be able to evolve collectively.
If a member is not pulling their weight for one reason or another, whether it be in or out of their control, it will have a negative impact on the harmony of the team (as set out above), but also on the speed at which the team can deliver its goals. With the Agile methodology, there are frequent feedback loops to consider, as well as intense periods of collaboration. This, and this alone, should be everybody’s priority for the group to achieve success.
2. Team members being present, but not really being there
Following on from the above, it is of utmost importance that teams interact on a face-to-face basis, and not via emails or video calls. Absent team members can impede the efficiency of the scrum, as there is nothing quite like talking to someone directly.
Communication should be headed up by a trained scrum master, who will be driven to encourage effective collaboration within his or her team. You can find details on scrum master training in Dublin by visiting www.althris.com.
Communicating using other sources or across different time zones can wind up leading to confusion, misunderstandings, and an overall significant waste of valuable time. Time effectiveness is key to scrum, so enhanced communication must come in the form of bringing the whole team together and having the quality time they need to deliver their intended goals.
