Brewing Great Agile Team Dynamics

Written By Allison Pollard

Photo by Shawn Rossi

One of my coworkers texted me the other day asking if I could bring her a Diet Coke. She was teaching a full-day class, and it was mid-afternoon. I was thrilled to have finished my last meeting of the day so I could oblige. Why?

Because we're teammates. Because she does a lot and asks for little in return. And because this was a small way that I could show my appreciation.

Years ago, this coworker and I worked together at another company and did a DISC workshop to learn about our behavior profiles. We learned our own behavior and communication preferences, and more importantly for our coaching team, we learned about each other's profiles. That's when I recognized that this coworker of mine is high in Steadiness (and that the colleagues I found challenging to work with had the exact opposite profile of mine). People high in steadiness are reliable, humble, and enjoy being part of a team. Knowing that and my own preferences has made it easier for us to work together.

Want to learn more about DISC and how it can be used with your team? Listen to Barry Forrest and I chat with Ryan Ripley on the Agile for Humans podcast, read our Brewing Great Agile Team Dynamics presentation slides from AgileIndy, or sign up for an Agile Team Dynamics workshop.

Allison Pollard

Allison Pollard is a coach, consultant, and trainer who brings the power of relationship systems intelligence to go beyond tasks, roles, and frameworks to create energy for change. She engages with people and teams in a down-to-earth way to build trust and listen for signals to help them learn more and improve. Allison focuses on creating alignment and connection for people to solve business problems together. Her experience includes working with teams and leaders in energy, retail, financial, real estate, and transportation industries to help improve their project/product delivery and culture. Allison currently volunteers as program director for Women in Agile’s mentorship program. Her agile community focus is championing new voices and amplifying women as mentors and sponsors for the next generation of leaders. Allison earned her bachelor’s degrees in computer science, mathematics, and English from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), a foodie, and proud glasses wearer. Allison is a prolific speaker at professional groups and international conferences, including Scrum Gatherings and the Agile Alliance Agile20xx conferences. Allison is co-owner of Helping Improve LLC.

http://www.allisonpollard.com
Previous

Inviting Others to the Community
Next

Every Agile Coach is Different