Hi,
today I want to share with you a bit of my 2 years experience working in a partial time team.
The first question to come, perhaps from the most unfaithful one could be: does it work?
I answer. Yes! It works! The key for the success is how to make it works.
But let's start from the very beginning. First, here is some risks that are common to occur due to this condition.
- A) Only one team member has knowledge about a particular functionality, and that member is not present when the rest of the team is needing him;
- B) Moments in which no member of the team that worked on the previous day is present in the current day to attend the standup meeting and tell what happened the day before;
- C) One team member is alone and needs to make important decisions.
Well, to overcome these risks and to make the Scrum works, in this scenario, we need to be aware of some:
– Communication: It is necessary that exists communication among everyone involved in the project, but especially among the team members. It must be at an EXCELLENT level of communication. There can not exist that thought of "should I give my opinion?". Yes! You must give your opinion! Everyone wants to hear it. There can be no doubt, and everyone must have the same understanding about everything in the project to follow the same way, even if not everyone are present. You must remember there will be times when the way should be followed only by you, and you'll be alone. Thus, never leave a Planning Meeting or Standup Meeting with any questions in your mind.
– Transparency: It is connected to the previous point. There should be no secrets and everything should be shared among the team members.
– Combined / Rules: To make everything works, will probably be necessary to establish some rules. In my project for example, the team members agreed that, when a person goes home and did not finish the item he was working on, and will not work the next morning, this one must inform everyone of the team what he did, what is left to do and what was the difficulties found. We use the e-mail to or the description of the task itself in Scrumhalf. Thus, another team member may proceed on the next day.
– Commitment: This value is important to achieve the success in any Scrum team. In partial time teams I would say it is ESSENTIAL.
– Scrum Master available: What to do when you are alone, you have a lot of activities to do, and you will need some information? Ask your Scrum Master for some help! He/She will try to communicate with anyone (a member of staff that is absent or the PO), get that specification that was missing, etc..
– Taskboard always up to date: Keep the Taskboard updated is the best way to not get lost in the stories and know who is doing what.
– Confidence: You find yourself alone and need to release that version will be presented on the following day. Take a deep breath and keep calm, if everything I wrote up here is being done, you will be fine! Scrum is that. We create the necessary conditions for the success. The rest of the team trust on you.
– Faith: You gotta have faith. Faith in the process, in your work, in your team.
Of course the cases I listed are not the only obstacles. Just like in any project, even with full time team, a bunch of other problems can appear and we have to do the best to get through them.
Giving attention to the points I mentioned, you minimize the risks and create solutions to the problems that will come up. Your chances of success will greatly increase!
Leave your opinion, especially if you have worked in partial time teams. Share with us your experience.
Till next post.
