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| Element Name: self_organize_work_assignments.xmi<br/><br/> |
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| <!-- START:presentationName,_rmBEkJjsEduad8I_c-ogIA CRC: 2367156984 -->Self Organize Work Assignments<!-- END:presentationName,_rmBEkJjsEduad8I_c-ogIA --> |
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| <!-- START:briefDescription,_rmBEkJjsEduad8I_c-ogIA CRC: 3586622655 -->Agile software development teams organize the work that needs to be done together as a team.<!-- END:briefDescription,_rmBEkJjsEduad8I_c-ogIA --> |
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| <!-- START:mainDescription,-e26WOHRbTVQrDssK5zijVA CRC: 1018634906 --><p> |
| A "self organizing team" has the authority to choose the work that it will perform and the responsibility to do that |
| work in the way that it chooses. Important aspects of a self organizing team are: |
| </p> |
| <ol> |
| <li> |
| The team selects its own work. At the beginning of an iteration the team collectively selects the <a href="./../../../openup/guidances/termdefinitions/work_item_EE5CE155.html" guid="_jyVgcEvKEdunZcj9T5hrMQ">work item</a>s from the prioritized <a href="./../../../openup/workproducts/work_items_list_39D03CC8.html" guid="_rGNWsCbSEdqh1LYUOGRh2A">Work Items List</a>. Work selection is performed within given constraints, including |
| the priorities set by <a href="./../../../openup/roles/stakeholder_9FFD4106.html" guid="_dTa6gMAYEdqX-s4mWhkyqQ">Stakeholder</a>s, time (such as the length of the current <a href="./../../../openup/guidances/concepts/iteration_C20B1904.html" guid="_lam4ADkBEduxovfWMDsntw">Iteration</a>), the budget, and the skills of team members. |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| Individuals select their own work. Individuals are empowered to select their own work. Someone will choose to do |
| something because they are good at it and know that they can do the work effectively, because they want to gain |
| more experience at something and hope to improve their skill-set by working with someone with such experience, or |
| because they know that the work needs to be done and that it's their turn to do so. Although an individual fulfills |
| one or more roles on a project team that doesn't imply that the person is constrained to only doing specific types |
| of work. |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| The team determines how to perform the work. At the beginning of an iteration the team will hold an "all hands" |
| planning meeting where it determines the general strategy for doing the work and the tasks required to do so. More |
| detailed planning, if required, will be done on a just-in-time (JIT) basis by the individual(s) doing the work. |
| Note that the team is still constrained by your organization's standards, technical infrastructure, regulations, |
| and so on. |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| Everyone commits to the work. The team commits to accomplishing the work that it has agreed to do by the end of the |
| iteration. Individuals also commit to doing the work that they say they will do, although as the iteration |
| progresses various tasks may be renegotiated as required. |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| The team coordinates regularly. To ensure that the work is accomplished the team must coordinate its efforts |
| effectively. This is typically done through daily stand up meetings of the team and impromptu discussions between |
| individuals. |
| </li> |
| </ol> |
| <p> |
| This is a participatory approach to decision making where everyone has the opportunity to provide input and to listen |
| to the decision making process. The goal is to make decisions at the right place within the organizational structure, |
| empowering teams by giving them both the responsibility and the authority to get the job done. It improves motivation |
| amongst team members, and thereby their productivity, by giving them control over their work. |
| </p> |
| <h3> |
| Project Manager Responsibilities |
| </h3> |
| <p> |
| There is still work for the <a href="./../../../openup/roles/project_manager_E657F936.html" guid="_0a0o0MlgEdmt3adZL5Dmdw">Project Manager</a> on self organizing teams. The project manager must still: |
| </p> |
| <ol> |
| <li> |
| Provide leadership. Team culture and project vision must be nurtured and evolved throughout the project, and |
| direction must be provided to the team. |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| Mediate disagreements. The manager must be prepared to step in and make a decision when other team members are |
| unable to come to a decision. |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| Ensure that team members grow their skill-set. From time to time the manager may need to motivate individuals to |
| take on new tasks that are outside their comfort zone or to work with others to help those people gain new skills. |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| Ensure that the team respects their limits. Self organizing teams have the authority to make decisions within the |
| scope of their responsibility, but that doesn't mean that they get to rethink everything that they feel like. For |
| example, the development team must still conform to the technical infrastructure and to the business strategy of |
| your organization: they likely don't have the authority to change these things even though they may not fully agree |
| with them. When an issue falls outside their scope of responsibility the team must either accept it or collaborate |
| with the people with the appropriate authority. |
| </li> |
| <li> |
| Summarize the project plan. External stakeholders, such as senior management or business representatives not |
| actively involved with the team, will want to know the current status of the project and the team's current plans. |
| The project manager may be required to summarize and communicate this information to those people. |
| </li> |
| </ol> |
| <h3> |
| What This Isn't |
| </h3> |
| <p> |
| The concept of self organizing teams often sounds like anarchy or non-management to traditional IT professionals, but |
| nothing could be further from the truth. Although self organization relies on team members being responsible and mature |
| it is tempered by the guiding hand of a good project manager. It is also tempered by organizational standards, |
| infrastructure, and external regulations. "Self organizing" doesn't mean that you have complete freedom to do what you |
| want. |
| </p> |
| <p> |
| Self organization isn't necessarily a consensus-based approach either; sometimes individuals will disagree with a |
| decision but will choose to go along with the will of the team. Nevertheless, consensus isn't ruled out by this |
| approach but it certainly isn't required. |
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