Use knowledge of team dynamics as driver for team coaching and enhancement of self organization. Have you seen teams go through phases in their development and maturity as a team? Have you had trouble how to best support a team in different situations? A great ScrumMaster needs to be able to handle situations like the above. This is often done by observing the team and deciding how to best coach it to become self organized. In this session we will take a look at different approaches to the coaching of a team dependent on which development phase the team is in.

1. Arne Åhlander
Coaching Teams to
Self Organization
www.aqqurite.se!
Twitter: @ArneAhl!
http://se.linkedin.com/in/arneahlander!
arne.ahlander@aqqurite.se
”Coming together is a beginning;
keeping together is a process;
working together is success.”
–Henry Ford

2. Learning Objectives
❖ After attending this session, attendees will be able to!
❖ list different phases of team development!
❖ tell how to best possibly support and coach a team
through the different phases!
❖ tell how you as a ScrumMaster can act in different
situations
Team Maturity
!
!
❖ List some differences
between a mature team
and an immature team?!
❖ What attributes do great
teams have?

3. Models of Group Dynamics
❖ Evolution of Team
Dynamics (Tuckman)!
❖ Wheelan´s Integrated
Model of Group
Development (IMGD)
Evolution of Team Dynamics
❖ Forming
Individuals meet and learn about goals, opportunities. Little shared
knowledge, no trust yet, strong desire for direction. !
❖ Storming
Conflict and polarization around interpersonal issues, roles, goals, standards
and processes.!
❖ Norming
Team identity and cohesiveness develops, new standards evolve, and new
roles are adopted.!
❖ Performing
High degree of cooperation and interdependence. Goals are achieved
smoothly and effectively with a minimum of conflict.

4. Forming
❖ Team gets acquainted!
❖ introductions!
❖ shared experiences!
❖ personal interests!
❖ personal histories!
!
❖ Team defines the task/goal!
❖ outcomes!
❖ explanation of goals!
❖ tasks needed to be done!
❖ resource and support!
❖ time lines!
❖ frequency of meetings
Members are flexible, agreeable, but
untrusting and careful about what they say.!
No procedures for working together.
Storming
❖ Team experiences conflict about:!
❖ Team purpose!
❖ Team leadership!
❖ Task assignments!
❖ Team operations!
❖ Storming characteristics!
❖ Communication becomes more honest.!
❖ Disagreements become more frequent.!
❖ People differentiate their personal
needs from those of the team.!
❖ Morale dips as people begin to think
the team will never “get it together.

5. Forms of Storming
❖ Negativity!
❖ Continual criticism of team activities.!
❖ Dissatisfaction!
❖ with anything and everything. Can lead to negativity and other problems.!
❖ Hostility!
❖ Can take form of a person being aggressive, argumentative, even threatening.!
❖ Crisis Mode!
❖ Team operating style where anything and everything is a crisis. Team must come
together and honestly confront the issues.!
❖ Shooting Down Ideas!
❖ Common activity. Can be a sign of all the other forms.
Norming
❖ Group has overcome differences and
agreed on how it will operate!
❖ Team rules and norms established:!
❖ How can the team exceed the
“standard” level of quality ?!
❖ What role each person is expected to
play.!
❖ How group leadership will be
addressed.!
❖ What types of communication will be
used ?!
❖ What are the rules of communication ?!
❖ How often the group will meet.

6. Performing
❖ Working toward the goal the team has
established. (effective, efficient,
healthy)!
❖ Team has established its goals and
rules.!
❖ Team has developed a way to
approach and resolve conflict.!
❖ Team can identify and solve problems
outside the group.!
❖ Everybody knows their role, what is
expected of them and the quality of
work that must be done.!
❖ Communication is free and effective.
Wheelan´s Integrated Model of Group Development (IMGD)
Dependency
& Inclusion
Counterde-pendency
&
Fight
Trust &
Structure
Work &
Productivity
Concerns(
about(safety(
(of(the(group)(
and(inclusion(
issues.
Conflict(is(an(
inevitable(part(of(
this(process.
Trust,(
commitment(to(
the(group,(
willingness(to(
cooperate
Intense(team(
productivity(and(
effectiveness

7. IMGD (Integrated Model of Group Development)
Dependency
& Inclusion Counterde-pendency
&
Fight
Work &
Productivity
Trust &
Structure
High
Productivity
Low
Focus on leader
and relations
Focus on work
and results
Group Assignment
1. Form groups of six (6)!
2. Introduce yourself within the
group!
3. Select a model!
4. Discuss what kind of support
or possible coaching questions
a team might benefit from in
the different phases of the
selected model.!
Please write your answers on flip
chart papers

8. Pair Assignment
1. Pair with someone from another group!
2. Discuss what learnings you have made
during this session!
3. Identify 2-5 things you can apply
back home at your office!
4. Write down your identified things to apply
Conclusion
!
!
❖ Gather in a ring!
1. Catch the token!
2. Tell about one thing you will bring home!
3. Throw the token to next person

9. References
❖ Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and
Leaders, by Susan A. Wheelan
http://amzn.com/8132110862!
❖ The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, by Patrick Lencioni
http://amzn.com/0787960756
Arne Åhlander
Thank you!
www.aqqurite.se!
Twitter: @ArneAhl!
http://se.linkedin.com/in/arneahlander!
arne.ahlander@aqqurite.se