Thoughts/experiences on engagement with virtual teams working in agile (Scrum) software development.

[Julia Miller]

My company has recently gone to Scrum for software development management. I'm noticing some really great benefits in terms of engagement and some real challenges as well. I was wondering if any other members of the network have had any experiences to share. I'm only 6 weeks into this new process and 8 weeks into a new organization. So, maybe some of the challenges will become clearer with just a little more time! I'd love to hear from anyone whose already been there...

Benefits
1. Getting to know each other. Having the team meet for 15 minutes every morning on a discussion very focused around the current day's tasks and any challenges gets them focused on working through problems together. This is really bonding them as a team and helping them be engaged in the work. Some of the really quiet ones are even speaking up more and breaking out of their shells.
2. Clearer priorities. Having short sprints of 2 weeks of work with priorities laid out lets them see why these tasks are being done. This has turned people from complaining about doing bug fixes to understanding and doing. This understanding is helping them be engaged in what they are doing and the work gets done much faster.
3. Learning to deal with conflict. Scrum's use of "self-managing" teams is helping them have positive disagreements and be comfortable with disagreeing. They don't always do this but seem to somehow accept my guidance quicker that they have to work this out more than they did in the old system. "Scrum says to do this so I'll give it a try even though I don't think it will work". Then when it works they are surprised!
4. Building a spirit of team work. Small focused teams are great for building reliance and engagement between the team members. Four of my 14 people had been working together for a year. They are now part of a 5 person team that works as one unit to get things done. They are all smiling, laughing and working through some hard issues.
5. Less need for long term vision. Long term vision doesn't seem to matter so much if they know why they are doing something now. Before they were complaining about not having a long term vision. We got all scrambled up in February and Product Management is working on a new direction. But when I've asked how they are doing with that they say they believe we'll have the vision and they are just busy now.

Challenges
1. Keeping myself engaged. This is a big change for me. I can see benefits. But my role is now as a coach. I have no input on product decisions, priorities, etc. I'm not sure I want to be a manager of a group where this is my whole role. But the company isn't there to make me happy and this seems like a mostly positive thing for my team. So, I'm doing my best and figuring out how to make my way.
2. Feedback is much harder now. I have 3 teams going across 4 physical geographies. The meeting times conflict and that can't be helped. When their "self managing" breaks down, I find it harder to give feedback because I've often missed part of the problem. (I'm not invited to some meetings/discussions.)
3. Their engagement with me is less. I'm officially not a member of their team. I can't vote on issues. I'm not supposed to talk at standups. (They do table things for after the main part and I help resolve issues sometimes. But it's supposed to be the Scrum Master asking for my help.)
4. Their engagement outside their small team is less. Small & focused helps them solve problems. But they are doing less interaction with the people outside their small team. We have weekly team meetings where I try to have them work to solve problems across the groups. But that's a hour every two weeks. This team was put together from people who hadn't worked together and had no common experiences. I cannot assign any tasks for people to do directly outside of the corporate initiatives, training I work out for them, etc. For example, I'm focusing on quality because they identified it as an issue. Before, I would have delegated researching and creating a proposal. Now, I'm doing most of that work because I cannot assign anything to them. Once I have a proposal, I can work with them and try to influence Product Management to make it happen. But part of the problem is the Product Management picks revenue generating tasks over other things they know they should do. (I get the "I know we should do this and we'll do it later...but I have this customer need now". Later never comes!)

[Nancy]

"Long term vision doesn't seem to matter so much if they know why they are doing something now."

I think that's one of the major keys right there. Knowing "why" tends to keep employees from feeling like their role is as mundane as they often perceive it. I find that workers are happier when they don't feel like they're being left in the dark to work in a cave. The one thing I don't like about this exact team management method is the purely democratic vote. Sometimes the project manager knows best and must step in as the dictator.

The geographical challenges sound troubling. It would be good to cycle through different meeting times to perhaps alternate accommodating each of your groups. Otherwise while it's no substitute for voice or in person conversations you could have a team discussion board set up for them to post progress, problems and other development thoughts.

need help to reward staff or clients.....promotional products