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Facilitation Techniques for

Agile Teams

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Introduction

Svetlana Mukhina

ICAgile ICP, ICP-ATF, ICP-BVA, PSM I

Agile and Career Coach at Luxoft Agile Practice

Experience: 12+ years in IT, Project and department management,

Computer Linguistics, Technical Writing, Quality Assurance

Interests: Project management, Agile transformation, Career and

performance coaching, Psychology

Hobbies: Horse riding, music, poker, travelling

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Warm-up

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Warm-ups How To

Purpose:

• Find out name, position, interesting facts

• Warm-up atmosphere

• Increase trust and collaboration level

Do

• Time-box it

• Make it comfortable

• Make it positive

• Involve all participants

• Start with it when awaiting for participants

• Explain purpose

Don’t

• Prevent critics

• Avoid kinesthetic exercises

• Don’t leave the group

• Decrease side conversations

Examples

• Tribes

• Say your name and adjective

• Constellation

• My Thing

• Journey Line

• My Word

Usage

• New team forming

• New Team member introduction

• Retrospective

• Town-Hall

• Project or Release planning session

• Stakeholders meeting with a team

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Team Facilitator?

- Know the right answer for all questions

- Judge opinion of others

- Evaluate group decisions

- Control the conversation

- Fight with bad opponents

- Take a side of good fellows

- Lead rescuing activities

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Team Facilitator?

- Invisible

- Professional

- Tactful

- Respectful

- Trustful

- Understandable

- Energizing

- Encouraging

- Open-minded

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Agile Team Facilitator Behaviors

Treasure Agile Values

Follow Agile Principles

Master Facilitation Techniques

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Agile Values

Individuals and interactions overprocesses and

tools

Working software over

comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over

contract negotiation

Responding to change over

following a plan

That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

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Agile Principles

1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.

2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive

advantage.

3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.

4. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job

done.

6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face

conversation.

7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.

8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant

pace indefinitely.

9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.

10. Simplicity – “the art of maximizing the amount of work not done” - is essential.

11. The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

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Gathering Information

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BrainSwarming

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BrainSwarming on Practice

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BrainSwarming Game Rules

1. Moderator chooses an insight puzzle and initiates the Brainswarming graph on the board. Moderator writes the goal at the top and the known resources

at the bottom.

2. Moderator explains the insight puzzle to the group (e.g., Stuck Truck Problem).

3. Moderator explains (or reminds) the group how Brainswarming works. Here are the main points to cover.

- No talking is necessary among the group while Brainswarming is going on. Simply write your contribution on a Post-It note (or on the board) and draw a

line to what it should be connected to.

- There are three types of contributions you could make.

- First, you could break a resource into one of its parts. In this case, put your Post-It note just above the resource and draw a line to the resource.

- Second, you could make a goal more specific. For example, the top goal in Figure 2, free truck from underpass, is very general. Ask yourself,

“How could I achieve this goal?” One way is to lower the truck, so this sub-goal should go below the goal free truck from underpass. In general, ask

yourself the How question to make goals more specific and concrete.

- Third, you could add an interaction such as put oil from the truck engine on the top of the truck so the truck will slide more easily. On the

Brainswarming diagram, this interaction is indicated very simply by adding lines that connect oil, the truck top, and slide the truck. If the interaction is not

clear to people, the contributor can write it in more detail on a different part of the blackboard so as to not clutter up the Brainswarming diagram.

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BrainSwarming How To

Purpose:

• Generate lot’s of solutions in silent mode

• Improve collaboration

• Gamify information gathering process

• Encourage up-bottom and bottom-up thinking

• Team-building (aha-tasks)

Do

• Prepare environment (tables or walls with enough space near it)

• Prepare stationary (flipcharts, markers, stickers)

• Explain the purpose

• Explain the rules

• Clearly define problem

• Time-box

• Track the rules

• Contact the author (Tony McCaffrey) to discuss results and find out more details of the technique

Don’t

• Stop verbal communication during exercise

• Don’t insist on making this exercise, if the group can’t get its meaning, although you can suggest to try it and see the results

• Don’t encourage competition inside the team

Usage

• Meetings on complicated and long-lasting issues

• Problem solving session, where domain experts are not available

• A-Ha tasks, where it’s necessary to think out-of-the-box

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Mindmapping

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MainMapping How To

Purpose:

• Information visualization and structuring

• New way of thinking

• Unlock creativity

Do

• Start with center topic

• Use images/symbols

• Select key words

• The lines should be connected

• Use multiple colors and lines thickness

• Keep the mind map clear by using radial hierarchy

Don’t

• When you don’t want to focus on ideas/concepts connections

• It can’t incorporate large chunks of text

• It is not the fastest way to structure information

• In case of map personalization it can be difficult for others to understand what it is about

• If you are a linear thinker

• When you don’t have enough space for drawing

Usage

• Preparation for presentations, work-shops, trainings

• Group meetings for problem solving

• Retrospective event

• Project scope roadmap

• Project structure diagram (teams, projects, deliverables, stakeholders, milestones)

• Note taking

• Summarization

• Brainstorming and collaboration

• Collecting information

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Mindwriting/Brainwriting

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Mindwriting/Brainwriting How To

Purpose:

• Collect silently initial thoughts and ideas on a topic

• Eliminate disadvantages of speaking

Do

• Give yourself a time limit

• Keep your hand moving until the time is up

• Pay no attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, style

• Can be used as a background for many other group facilitation techniques e.g. “6-3-5 brain writing”

Don’t

• Don’t use it, if you have already several good ideas to choose from

• It is can be boring

• Avoid if quality, but not quantity is required

• Individual, not group technique

• Writing takes time

Usage

• Ideas gathering from everybody on Retro

• During any event when you need input from each participant

• In large groups/teams discussions

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Exploring Information

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Home and Away (World Café)

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World Café Principles

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World Café How To

Purpose:

• Collaborative dialog

• Connection of diverse perspective

• Team-building

Do

• Clarify the Context

• Create Hospitable Space

• Focus on What Matters

• Listen to Understand

• Link and Connect Ideas

• Encourage Contribution

• Share Collective Discoveries

• Draw, doodle,

• Have Fun

Don’t

• Does not work well for small (10-15 people) groups

• Requires at least 3 groups of 5 people each

• Stop chaotic movement from table to table, the teams should act synchronously

Usage

• During multi-teams collaboration sessions (PBR, Planning, Retro)

• As a team-building activity, discussion of a book, event, movie

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Six Thinking Hats

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Six Thinking Hats How To

Purpose:

• Encourage full-spectrum thinking

• Help to switch thinking pattern

• Separate ego from performance.

• Brings emotions, innovations, optimism, scepticism, facts and order into discussion

• Reduce confrontation

• Examine hypothetical consequences

• Practice respect and loyalty to different opinions

Do

• Use on individual, participant and group level

• Mention that this is just a game, as some participants can have difficulties with changing communication and thinking style

• Identify the complicated and complex issue.

• Describe the characteristics of hats

• Be available for questions

• Summarize the results

• Use T-shirts, colored cards or badges, or pens.

Don’t

• If you don’t have at least 6 participants in a group

• If there is no candidates for white and blue hats

• In case you can’t clearly explain the rules

• Better not to use without ice-breaker in a new team

• In unfamiliar culture (e.g., in China, "wearing a green hat" means that your spouse is cheating on you)

Usage

• Planning, discussion estimations

• Retrospective, discussion results

• Discussion over implementation approaches

• Training of a new thinking style

• Exploration of various perspectives

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Check-in

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Check-in How To

Purpose:

• Gather of information about participants feelings towards the meeting or situation in the given moment

• Focus on/off, reloading, switching, pause

Do

• Understand why you are going to use check-in, what is your purpose

• Prepare the necessary stationary beforehand

• Make is quick

Don’t

• No sense to use it if you don’t want to know the participants “status”

• Avoid its usage when you already know that morale is low, deal with the issue instead

Examples

• ESVP

• Happiness Radar (Mad Sad Glad)

• Dots (green, yellow, red)

• One word/image

Usage

• Standup

• At the mid of long meeting, e.g. Product Backlog Refinement

• Unclear situation

• Separator between two parts of a meeting (e.g. Scrum Planning)

• Wake-up after lunch or coffee break

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Evaluating Information

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Voting Techniques

Thumb Up

Five-to-fist

Voting with dots

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Voting Techniques How To

Purpose:

• Gives each participant a possibility to influence the decision

Do

• Define procedure to follow when voting is done

• Make sure all participants are fine with voting rules

• Make sure all make the voting even if they say that will follow any decision

Don’t

• If information is not well gathered and explored

• When a group needs for time for discussion

Usage

• Planning, to vote for Sprint Backlog candidates

• Retro, to vote for improvement backlog candidates

• Any meeting you need to come to a decision as a group

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Pro/Con List

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Pro/Con List How To

Purpose:

• Compare advantages and disadvantages of idea, approach, method

Do

• If you need to define and group facts into two categories

• Provide general/initial clarification of drawbacks andbenefits

• Filter information

Don’t

• With characteristics of significant difference and importance

• In case you need to avoid simplification

Usage

• Discussions over technological stack

• Choosing implementation approaches of a User Story, migration to a new platform, Data Base

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Affinity Line

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Affinity Line How To

Purpose:

• Provide initial estimation to a bulk of requirements, epic, features

Do

• Prepare list items (requirements, epics) understandable to participants

• Explain rules and answer questions

• Setup appropriate space, so everybody can take part

Don’t

• Avoid calling the results “Project Plan”, make sure the stakeholders understand that these is a high-level estimation and it can be changed when scope is better explored

Usage

• Relative estimation

• High-level estimation

• Scope dependencies identification

• Project Roadmap creation

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Prioritization Matrix

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KANO Model

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KANO and Prioritization Matrix How To

Purpose:

• Features Prioritization

• Scope grouping

• Visualize stokeholds satisfaction level

Do

• Prepare a list of requirements, User Stories,features

• Make sure BA or PO is available to answer questions regarding features

• Clearly decide what is going to be done with each group of items

Don’t

• If you can’t influence Iteration or Release scope

• In case you don’t know the project scope at all, you should do some grooming at first

Usage

• PBR

• Strategic planning

• Product Re-branding

• Startup

• Stakeholders expectation management

• Review session, to discuss project future scope for 2-3 sprint ahead

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Dealing with

Dysfunctional Behavior

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Group Dynamics

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Choosing the Level of Facilitation Intervention

FORMING

Unclear Goals

Low level of commitment

Vаgue communication flow

Responsibility is mostly avoided

Absence of prominent leaders

Build a common purpose

Identify expectations

Encourage for leadership and motivation

Inspire to take responsibility

Support contribution and collaboration

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Choosing the Level of Facilitation Intervention

STORMING

High level of independence

Communication gaps

Misunderstanding

Uncertainty

Dysfunctional behavior

Differences and struggles

Reduce toxic communication

Invite different opinions and approaches

Recognize tolerance and loyalty

Define ground rules

Develop common goal

Involve everyone in discussion

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Choosing the Level of Facilitation Intervention

NORMING

Confidence and clarity

Relevance

Defined communication flow, goals, rules, roles

Built relations

Understanding of interdependence

Develop process of information sharing

Build feedback loops

Use sharing format frequently to track progress

Discuss discipline distribution

Support negotiation and consensus

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Choosing the Level of Facilitation Intervention

PERFORMING

Responsibility over tasks and relations

Stable progress and results

High level of proactivity

Self-organization and self-facilitation

Collaboration

Retrospect and seek for improvements

Celebrate success

Test and question habitual patterns

Evaluate results against purpose

Remember about rules, processes and focus

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Choosing the Level of Facilitation Intervention

ADJOURNING(postpone, suspend, transform)

Lack of interest

Irrelevant goals

High level of predictability and competence

Satisfaction

Stability

Increase complexity and unpredictability

Restructure the process

Discuss team dissolving/rotation

Transform to network/community

Remember success and results

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Functional Behavior Patterns

Involvement during meetings

Giving constructive feedback

Asking powerful questions

Providing specific examples

Active listening

Sharing information

Respecting the speaker

Confirming understanding

Being loyal to different opinions

Encouraging collaboration

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Dysfunctional Behavior Patterns

Providing unrelated details

Expressing strong negative reaction

Ignoring other’s opinion

Using lot’s of unknown terms

Distracting participants

Playing blaming game

Excusing for all the time

Criticizing without recommendations

Complaining on everything

Whispering with neighbors

Making generalizations

Talking loudly

Sitting silently during all discussion

Withholding information

Expressing strong emotions

Stealing ideas of participants

Repeating same ideas

Trolling participants

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Stages of Dysfunctional Behavior

From: The Secrets of Facilitation by Michael Wilkinson

Physical attacking someone

Leaving the room in disgust

Verbal attack directed at participants

Negative comments directed at participant

Audible sights of displeasure

Negative physical reaction to discussing

Doing other work on session

Side conversations

Folding arms, facing door or window

Silence, lack of participation

Arriving late, leaving early

Se

ve

rity

of D

isru

ptio

n

Degree Of Dysfunction

As the degree of dysfunction increases,

the severity of disruption caused by the

dysfunction increases as well

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Game on Dysfunctional Behavior Identification

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The Diagnosis-Intervention Cycle

Describe behavior and test for different views

Share interference and test for

different views

Help group to decide whether and

how to change behavior and test for different views

Observe Behavior

Infer Meaning

Decide whether, how and why to

intervene

Dia

gn

os

is S

tep

sIn

terv

en

tion

Ste

ps

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Intervention Strategies

Situation Intervention

The group don’t understand what

is expected from them

Repeat the purpose once again Explain the purpose in other

words and provide examples

Domination of a participant Stop the person Encourage others to speak up

Side conversations Ask to focus on the topic Ask to link it to the topic

Use of mobiles, laptops Ignore

Ask to stop using

Before the meeting together with

the group create ground rules

Late arrival of meeting

participants

Delay a meeting start to 5-10-15

min

Start on time

Start only when all members

arrive

Person repeating him/herself Tell him/her they you got it Use paraphrasing technique

Most of the group lost focus Ask them to be more attentive Make a brake

Participant discovered a new topic Ask him to come on track Ask him to link a new topic to the

main track

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