An agile state of mind - cultivating successful distributed teams
Amy Luckey is an ex-colleague from Thoughtworks - a true champion of kindness at work. During our time as colleagues, she put together a comprehensive collection of materials for teams to work together in a remote first set up. When I was writing up the principles for async collaboration, I thought of Amy to write about how she thinks of agile as a state of mind, more than just a collection of practices. She was gracious enough to accept my request and I'm quite pleased to share with you what she thinks about living agile in the future of work.
Intention & attention.
Intention & attention.
Intention & attention.
This has been my mantra for the past three years as I’ve advised business leaders, mid level managers, and team members newly navigating the landscape of distributed teams.
We are in a time of massive flux: one that begs us to flex our agile mindset and muscles; to approach our day-to-day with curiosity; and to extend compassion towards ourselves, our colleagues and our customers. We can’t replicate the in-person team experience in remote and hybrid contexts; nor should we try. Instead, we can create new ways of achieving quality team connections and effective collaboration, regardless of our proximity to each other.
The teams and companies that are thriving now don't do Agile; they are agile. Starting with intentionality and attentiveness, here are six characteristics of the teams that are successful in our new environment.
1. They are intentional
This is an invitation for all of us to become more deliberate about how we spend our time together. It’s a reframing from the chaotic hustle and grind to remembering why we’re here in the first place. Yes, we need to get things done, but we’re doing them together with the intention of not draining ourselves and each other. We are constructively moving forward to create a positive experience on an individual and team level. We can’t simply copy/paste in-person experiences into the hybrid context. We need to stop and assess what a truly inclusive and collaborative experience looks like. Think big and start small; even micro changes in behavior can create significant impact.
2. They pay attention
…to the group’s unique dynamics and needs, name them, and adjust team practices to make improvements. Whether intentional or not, most companies' incentivize laser focusing on our personal contributions and accomplishments, prioritizing our own professional growth, and sometimes mentoring another individual. The health and functioning of teams in these environments are overlooked or misunderstood. We miss the forest for the trees, as the adage goes. The teams and leaders that recognize and actively attend to the team as a system will make better choices around new ways of working together, even when we’re apart.
3. They dedicate time
Positive relationships with our colleagues is an essential ingredient for working together well. Creating these connections takes time, which needs to be built into our work. Getting to know our colleagues isn’t extracurricular, it is part and parcel of the work itself. Thriving teams invest in these connections. They recognize that rather than a distraction, the time invested will contribute to more creative and effective business outcomes.
We also need to invest time in (re)designing distributed team experiences. This includes restructuring our meetings and asynchronous communications practices, as well as mastering tools such as virtual white boards, video messaging, cloud-based project management systems, and shared data analysis tools. This will require building new competencies and loads of troubleshooting, training, and tinkering, especially in these early days.
4. They are courageous
Working in new ways is challenging, especially when we’re all learning on the fly and change is constant. The teams that will excel are those in which members have hard conversations, step into discomfort, name and work through their interpersonal challenges, and exchange superficiality for direct, meaningful interactions.
5. They revisit and revise
This is the crux of what it takes to be a learning organization. We’re not experimenting if we don’t reflect upon and learn from our efforts. Did you have a hybrid meeting where those calling in didn’t contribute meaningfully? Tease it apart: What needs aren’t being met? How will you address them next time? The solution you devise might not “work.” What will you try next? Learn. Revise. Iterate. Iterate. Iterate.
6. They lead with love
Stellar teams don't happen by accident: they succeed when each team member cares about their colleagues. Caring for teammates doesn’t mean seeking close friendship, it’s simply seeing others’ humanity and valuing them as individuals. In other words, connecting with each other as humans. We are so much more than skills on stilts.
We can achieve enduring commercial success and allow our colleagues and ourselves some grace. Whether we are enduring challenging historic times, navigating intense project complications, or managing our own personal difficulties, we can enter our interactions with kindness and compassion.
It is time to live agile, bravely experimenting and discovering new ways of working together well. Let’s make our team experiences enlivening, enriching, and meaningful — together. Start with being intentional and paying attention. Let’s see where this leads.
