Recently, I was reminded that we kicked off a large transformation program to transition a traditional IT organisation into an awesome Agile organization. This was back in February 2020, and one month later, we were not allowed to come to the office anymore due to Covid.
The agile manifesto principles were clear that effective and efficient teams are co-located and have face-to-face conversations.
Agile manifesto principle # 6: The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
We decided to continue the transformation and adopt to the new situation, after all, Agile is all about adopting to new circumstances, isn't?
Fortunately, Covid, lockdowns, and other restrictions are long behind us, but working from home has remained. Especially digital workers enjoy the benefits of working from their own home with fast internet, homemade coffee and lunch, and without spending mind-numbing time in daily traffic jams that every year get longer.
Now that we have a few years' experience in the remote work era, it is a good moment to analyse what this means for leadership and how an agile leader can still optimize the efficiency and effectiveness of the team without being co-located.
I recently also experienced joining a new team that works remote the majority of the work-week. I will share some of these experiences in this post.
Fostering team cohesion when working remote
One key aspect to consider is the importance of fostering team cohesion and comradery in remote settings. For instance, agile teams have implemented creative solutions like virtual happy hours and quick online surveys to maintain morale and a sense of community among team members. These activities, though seemingly informal, play a crucial role in supporting team spirit and creating a shared experience, which is vital for remote agile teams.
Moreover, the emphasis on qualities such as empathy, openness, respect, and courage becomes even more critical in a remote context. Agile leaders in remote teams are encouraged to assume positive intent in communications to prevent misunderstandings and foster a culture of trust and psychological safety. This approach includes practices like conducting anonymous biweekly surveys to gauge team sentiment and implementing tangible actions to address any concerns, thereby ensuring that team members feel valued and heard.
A challenge, I also personally experienced, is when you are not part of an agile development team but a more loosely coupled team such as a management team. Such a team typically spends less time together. Already when we were still all going to the office these teams had challenges to create some level of cohesion. For this kind of teams it is even more important to think about ways to keep team cohesion in a remote setting because a bi-weekly meeting with a full agenda is not giving enough space to grow as a team. A simple ritual such as a day start could already help a lot.
What about organisation cohesion?
Agile teams have found several ways of keeping team cohesion as described above. With the right mindset and sufficient disciple these are also not difficult to implement for a team of 7-10 people. However, an agile team is often part of a team of teams, a department, a large organisation or a company. How to keep cohesion on these levels? This is a similar challenge as described for the loosely coupled teams but not now with larger numbers. A day start with a complete department is not going to work, so other ways have to be found.
Some suggestions you could consider are:
You can organize virtual team-building exercises and casual meet-ups to encourage social interaction and strengthen relationships among team members. Activities could include virtual coffee breaks, online games, and virtual escape rooms. By the way, a fun activity is also a good reason to come to office (or any other place) to meet each other for real.
Way of working
Additionally, adapting agile coaching and development for remote environments is essential. Agile leaders should strive to replicate the personal interaction of in-person coaching through video calls and increase the frequency of feedback to maintain engagement and support among team members. This adaptation requires a deliberate focus on ensuring that all team members actively participate and that body language is observed during meetings to gauge engagement and understanding.
The shift to remote work also necessitates recalibrating agile processes to fit the virtual context. This recalibration might involve modifying scrum ceremonies and introducing new practices to keep teams aligned with organizational objectives. It's about focusing on outcomes rather than trying to replicate office-based processes exactly. For example, employing breakouts during video meetings or adopting department-wide meetings to ensure alignment on objectives and foster a sense of unity and purpose among remote teams.
Tooling
An important aspect when working in a remote setting is the use of Collaboration Tools. Leverage collaboration platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams to facilitate seamless communication and document sharing. These tools help ensure that everyone is on the same page, regardless of their physical location.
There are also tools to create Virtual Workspaces. These "virtual offices" mimic the environment of physical workspaces. This can include open video channels for casual conversations, digital whiteboards for brainstorming, and shared online documents for collaborative work.
Tooling (or the lack of tooling) should never be an excuse to not drive for good team work. However, in a remote setting the right tooling is a critical succes factor.
Some other Agile leadership suggestions
There are some other best practises Agile leaders could do and are not specific for a remote setting, but become even more important in a remote setting.
Celebrate Achievements
Recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements publicly within the organization. This can be done through organisation-wide emails, virtual award ceremonies, or shout-outs during team meetings.
Encourage Open Feedback
Create a culture of openness by encouraging team members to share their ideas, feedback, and concerns. Tools like anonymous surveys or regular one-on-one check-ins can provide valuable insights and help address any issues promptly.
Transparent Leadership
Ensure that leaders and managers are accessible and transparent about the organisation's goals, challenges, and successes. Regular updates from the leadership team can help employees feel more connected and engaged with the organisation's mission.
Invest in Professional Development
Something that could easily been overseen in a remote setting is the development of people. So offer opportunities for remote learning and professional growth. This can include online courses, webinars, and virtual workshops that not only contribute to personal development but also foster a sense of investment in the team's success.
Conclusions
Empathic leadership emerges as a critical factor in managing hybrid work models effectively. Leaders are required to adopt a goal-driven, question-oriented, inclusive, and inspiring approach to leadership. This style of leadership focuses on people over processes and encourages autonomous decision-making by clearly defining project goals, expanding stakeholder groups, and reinforcing goals and expectations.
Cultivating empathic leadership at scale involves transparent and authentic communication, which is vital for building resilient cultures capable of supporting hybrid work models.
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