Distributed Teams
Maximising Your
Chances Of Success
Tom Reynolds Copyright © 2015 The Agile Mindset Ltd
Tom Reynolds
2
@tomjreynolds
uk.linkedin.com/in/tomjreynolds
Agile Coach & Trainer
Organisational & Relationship Systems Coach
25+ years in software development
Multi Certified Trainer
Kanban
SAFe
Agile since 2007
Collaborating Co-Located
Team 1
UK Poland
Team 2
Images from Visual AGILExicon a trademark of Innolution LLC & Kenneth S Rubin
Deliberately Distributed
Team 1
UK
Team 1
Poland
Team 2
UK
Team 2
Poland
Images from Visual
AGILExicon a trademark of
Innolution LLC & Kenneth S
Rubin
Our Goal
A harmonious team that works as
effectively as a co-located team
delivering a single goal as one
cohesive unit
In case you
need to edit
Start the
right wayCreate
shared
working
experiences
Create
shared
social
experiences
Build trust
Working Together On-Site
Create The ConditionsTeam Start Up’s
Shared vision
Expectations for high
performance
Working agreements
Journey lines
Start The Right Way
Working Together
Mentoring and pairing
Delivering real work as a
team – Early success
Building technical
skills as a team
Empowered and self
organising team
culture
Create Shared Working Experiences
Creates Experiences
Creates Social CapitalPlaying Together
Team lunches
Know each other on a
personal level
Evening events
Have fun
Create Shared Social Experiences
Starting The Right
Way
Shared Working
Experiences
Shared Social
Experiences
TRUST
Trust Built By Shared Experiences
Allow teams
to remain
strong and
together in
stormy times
Bind people
together
Without Trust Built By Shared Experiences
Communication
breakdownIsolation
Them and us
Arguments
Shared Experiences
Rule
In case you
need to edit
Working
agreements
Impact on
you and the
practicalities
Promoting
culture and
communication
Sustainability
Preparing To Work Off-Site
Who
Team decides on what
they are
Team owns them
Working Agreements
WhyWho
Team decides on what
they are
Consider the difficulties
they will face
Team owns them
Shared understanding
of our responsibilities
to one another
Working Agreements
Working Agreements For Self Measurement
7
8
8
759
7
8
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Appropriate use of technology
Updating of online tool
Voice communication over typed
Maintenance of physical board
Team meetings when off site
Response times to emails
Awareness of communication messages
Maintaining our working culture
Team average of our off site working agreements
The Daily Standup
Voice communication
Visual communication
Impact On You And The Practicalities
WhyThe Daily Standup
Voice communication
One team who are in it
together
Visual communication
Avoids isolation
Impact On You And The Practicalities
RetrospectivesSprint Review &
Planning
How do people stay
involved and
engaged?
How does it affect
planning?
How will people
contribute?
How do standard
exercises work?
Impact On You And The Practicalities
CommunicationCulture
Take time to
understand the
different cultures
Turn the uncomfortable
into the comfortable
Acknowledge
significant cultural
differences
Self organization is
increasingly important
Promoting Culture And Communication
35
89
66
35
25
68
60
64
93
32
77
48
56
40
61
49
65
63
49
Power Distance Index Individulaism Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Index Long Term Orientation
Cultural Differences
UK Poland India South Africa
Source –
Geert Hofstede
35
89
66
35
25
68
60
64
93
32
77
48
56
40
61
49
65
63
49
Power Distance Index Individulaism Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Index Long Term Orientation
Cultural Differences
UK Poland India South Africa
Source –
Geert Hofstede
PDI – Power Distance Index
The extent to which the less powerful members of institutions
and organisations within a country expect and accept that
power is distributed unequally
35
89
66
35
25
68
60
64
93
32
77
48
56
40
61
49
65
63
49
Power Distance Index Individulaism Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Index Long Term Orientation
Cultural Differences
UK Poland India South Africa
Source –
Geert Hofstede
IND – Individualism
The degree of interdependence a society
maintains amongst its members
35
89
66
35
25
68
60
64
93
32
77
48
56
40
61
49
65
63
49
Power Distance Index Individulaism Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Index Long Term Orientation
Cultural Differences
UK Poland India South Africa
Source –
Geert Hofstede
MAS – Masculinity /
Femininity
The fundamental issue here is
what motivates people, wanting
to be the best (masculine) or
liking what you do (feminine)
35
89
66
35
25
68
60
64
93
32
77
48
56
40
61
49
65
63
49
Power Distance Index Individulaism Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Index Long Term Orientation
Cultural Differences
UK Poland India South Africa
Source –
Geert Hofstede
MAS – Masculinity /
Femininity
The fundamental issue here is
what motivates people, wanting
to be the best (masculine) or
liking what you do (feminine)
UAI – Uncertainty Avoidance
Index
The extent to which the members of a culture
feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown
situations and have created beliefs and
institutions that try to avoid these
35
89
66
35
25
68
60
64
93
32
77
48
56
40
61
49
65
63
49
Power Distance Index Individulaism Masculinity/Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Index Long Term Orientation
Cultural Differences
UK Poland India South Africa
LTO – Long Term Orientation
The extent to which a society shows a pragmatic future-
orientated perspective rather than a conventional historical
short-term point of view
Note – South Africa not measured
NurtureCultivate
Re-seed the personal
ties
TrustRe-seed the shared
experiences
Relationships
Sustainability
Conclusions
Team 1
UK
Team 1
Poland
Can deliberately distributed teams
work?
Does it require additional effort?
Do you have to constantly work at
it?
Is it easy?
If you don’t put the effort in will it
work?
If the team are not highly self
organising will it work?
Can deliberately distributed teams
work? Yes
Does it require additional effort? Yes
Do you have to constantly work at
it? Yes
Is it easy? No
If you don’t put the effort in will it
work? No
If the team are not highly self
organising will it work? NoImages from Visual AGILExicon a trademark of Innolution LLC & Kenneth S Rubin
Questions?
@tomjreynolds
uk.linkedin.com/in/tomjreynolds