Craig Smith presentation from Agile Australia 2010. High performing teams are something that all organisations aspire to, but how exactly do you turn a team from good to great? There is much discussion in the community about management versus leadership, working in a factory versus embracing a tribe and how to motivate a new generation of employees. In this presentation we will look at these topics and determine what makes a high performing team, how Agile techniques can help, what tools and techniques you can use to create this environment and how you can measure performance.

1. Building an A-Team: I Love It
When A Team Comes Together
Craig Smith
Suncorp

2. Welcome
Image: http://www.savagechickens.com/images/chicken80stv.jpg

3. The A-Team
(The original
one, not that
remake...)
Image: http://mimg.ugo.com/200802/3914/a-team_dvd.jpg

4. Back
to
basics
Image: http://www.toonpool.com/user/997/files/review_basics_ten_commandments_235585.jpg /

5. “A” is for agile: Umbrella term
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trektrack/2389559700

6. Agile Manifesto

7. Agile Pyramid
Approach
Practices
Principles
Values
Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lyng883/2168146740

8. Core Agile Values
Trust Innovative Accountability
Courage Honesty
Image: http://ppdev2.asu.edu/zpmi1/morrisoninstitute.asu.edu/Portal/morrison-memo-1/safety-net/image_preview

9. It’s All About Culture
Image: http://home.pacbell.net/fantomdj/dk/donkey_kong_barrel.gif
http://www.greenenergyinvestors.com/index.php?act=Print&client=printer&f=2&t=2991

10. Definition:Team
“A team is a small number
of people with
complementary skills who
are committed to a
common purpose,
performance goals, and
approach for which they
hold themselves mutually
accountable”
(Katzenbach & Smith)
Image: http://staging.hbp.internetkeep.net/on/wp-
content/uploads/2008/10/katzenbach-smith_3670.jpg

11. “Results”
(Drucker)
Image: http://www.extensor.co.uk/articles/peter_drucker/peter_drucker.jpg

12. Defining an
A Team
Image: http://www.coolcarsinmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/1983-gmc-vandura-a-team-van.jpg

13. Image: http://www.vintek.net/images/page/logo/company_about_us_mission_statement.jpg
Well-defined focus

14. Image: http://www.rebinder.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/pizza.jpg
Small teams

15. Image: http://www.nataliedee.com/091805/way-better.jpg
Commitment to self

16. Image: http://butterfliesandbugs.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/help_wanted_sign_50f8.jpg
Complementary support

17. Image: http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170686255l/68143.jpg
Image: http://loveyoursweets.co.uk/images/Jar%201L%20Jelly%20Beans.jpg
Collective intelligence

18. Image: http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/megaphone-kid-cropped.jpg
Communication

19. Image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Blackwood_roundabout.jpg
Control

20. Image: http://www.ecboe.org/sardis/lib/sardis/Continuous_Improvement_Icon.gif
Continuous improvement

21. Image: http://thedockingstation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/disco-stu.gif
Rhythm

22. Identifying
a not-so
A-Team
Image: http://www.oldbug.com/061604%20147.jpg

23. Stuck
Image: http://businessonpurpose.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/stuck-in-a-rut.jpg

24. Missed delivery
Image: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/ffximage/2008/11/24/letters_wideweb__470x314,0.jpg

25. Culture of blame
Image: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zKBbtj9rWrU/S146BYd4HYI/AAAAAAAAEKY/kk_5w7vSDFw/s400/conan+leno+finger+pointing.jpg

26. Punch clockers
Image: http://www.robdicesare.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/sam_and_ralph_clock.png

27. How
Agile
Practices
help
A-Teams
Image: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kss7biY7Ka1qzr38no1_500.jpg

28. Focussing Question

29. Success Sliders

30. Image: http://www.mikerogers.info/images/standup%20mic.jpg
Daily standup

31. Image: http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.57250908.jpg
Retrospective

32. Image: http://www.cubefigures.com/graphics/IThome.jpg
Co-location

33. Project
Sponsor
Project
Manager Program
Manager
Consultants
Iteration
Manager
Team
lead
Comms
Officer
Busines Core Team
Member
Owner
Team
Quality
Assurance
Bus.
SME
Project
Officer Team
Specialist Support
Other key Analyst
stakeholders
Extended
Team
Image http://www.befitlifestyle.com/images/CorporateTeamHands.jpg
Cross functional team

34. Image: http://www.m-t-d.co.uk/images/06.Feedback.jpg
Continuous feedback

35. Image: http://www.m-t-d.co.uk/images/06.Feedback.jpg
Sustainable pace

36. Image: http://blogs.atlassian.com/developer/pairon.jpg
Pair programming

37. Image: http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/rap_sheet/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bb-whistle-swinging.JPG
Coach

38. Image: http://www.bulletforge.com/images/silver_bullets/223_rifle_silver_bullet.jpg
Agile helps... but...

39. Thinking
about
leadership
Image:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/files.posterous.com/jackalert/VlI8RcPIBCMVNSkZjYvNFfqD9xdp2fyWeMpjvHCO5hPvUe2FYkL0XB8X
gPJD/Hannibal_a-
team.jpeg.jpg?AWSAccessKeyId=1C9REJR1EMRZ83Q7QRG2&Expires=1284295305&Signature=k7jHsSjy1pZgdIqqFyN2uUB%2
FM94%3D

40. Factories & Tribes
Image: http://s3files.core77.com/blog/images/LSfactoryline.jpg

41. Carrots
Image: http://www.designbyego.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/dangle_carrot.jpg

42. Generation * are different
Image: http://audioporncentral.com/wp-content/plugins/hot-linked-image-cacher/upload/audioporncentral.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/11/02/generationgap.jpg

43. Leadership Aspirations
Image: http://www.tonynewlin.com/images/Follow_the_Leader.jpg

44. Motivation
of
A-Teams
Image: http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/6/66311/1244484-i_pity_the_fool_super.jpg

45. Hawthorne Effect
Image: http://idowns.net/uploads/090220/1_113417_1.jpg

46. Open Source
Image: http://www.noulakaz.net/weblog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/20081031-resistance-is.jpg

47. Intrinsic Motivation
Autonomy - the desire to direct our own lives
Mastery - the urge to get better and better at
something that matters
Purpose - the desire to do what we do in the Image: http://www.amnavigator.com/blog/wp-
content/uploads/2010/05/098_extrinsic-motivators.jpg
service of something larger than ourselves http://coursecreators.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Dan-
Pink-Surprise1.jpg
http://poder.dk/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/1.jpg

48. Fedex / Hackathon / ...
Image: http://blogs.atlassian.com/news/mktg-fedex-shirt.png

49. 20% Time
Image: http://cache.gawker.com/assets/resources/2008/05/GoogleLogoOnWall.jpg

50. HR Reloaded
Image: http://www.temple.edu/hr/departments/compensation/images/HierarchyPicture_010.jpg
Netflix has no vacation policy or tracking!
“There is no clothing policy at Netflix, but no one has come
to work naked lately.” (Patty McCord, Netflix)

51. Performance Reviews
Image: http://www.rd.com/images/cartoons/0611-MarkAnderson2-d.jpg

52. Innovation
Image: http://tm.mbs.ac.uk/files/2009/11/innovation1.jpg

53. Measure
your
A-Team
Image: http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/sep2009/1/3/the-a-team-pic-rex-740378810.jpg

54. Happy People
Image: http://www.codingelite.com/images/smiley1.jpg

55. Passion & Craft
Image: http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/091028_big-bang-theory.grid-6x2.jpg

56. Own the business
Image: http://creditcardforum.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/startup-capital.jpg

57. Safe to fail
Image: http://thelostjacket.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/trust.jpg

58. Wrap up
(or what
can I do
to get my
own
A-Team)
Image: http://media.nj.com/entertainment_impact/photo/the-a-team-the-complete-season-dvd-reviewjpg-b8d900a4cecd895e_large.jpg

59. Image: http://images.parenthood.com/tv-question-mark.jpg
Purpose

60. Image: http://www.mushon.com/spr09/nmrs/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/macgyver.jpg
Skilled cooperative team

61. Image: http://www.bobgarontraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Home-Improvement-Tim-Taylor.jpg
Practices

62. Image: http://media.photobucket.com/image/fonz/bloodyrose2310/28007169_fonz.jpg
Leadership

63. Image: http://media.photobucket.com/image/my%20name%20is%20earl/DirgeDevil/MyNameisEarl.jpg
Motivation

64. Image: http://www.iwatchstuff.com/2007/09/28/hoff-knight-rider.jpg
Performance

65. Image: http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/a-team-lunch-box.jpg
Delivery

66. Do you work
on or lead an
A-Team?
If not, what’s
stopping
you?
Image: http://www.popartuk.com/g/l/lgpp31670+i-love-it-when-a-plan-comes-together-weenicons-a-team-
poster.jpg

67. Questions ??
Craig Smith
http://www.suncorp.com.au
http://www.agileacademy.com.au
craig.smith@suncorp.com.au
@smithcdau
http://www.slideshare.net/smithcdau/
Suncorp is one of Australia and New Zealand's largest diversified financial services providers, supplying
banking, insurance and wealth management products to around 9 million customers through well-
established and recognised brands such as AAMI, Australian Pensioners Insurance Agency, Shannons,
Vero, Asteron and Tyndall, as well as Suncorp and GIO. Today, Suncorp is Australia's fifth largest bank
and second largest domestic general insurance group, with over 16,000 staff. Suncorp has
representation in 450 offices, branches and agencies throughout Australia and New Zealand.
(http://www.suncorp.com.au)
The Agile Academy is the next wave in Agile learning and collaboration. Designed for IT professionals,
the Agile Academy is a knowledge hub that promotes Agile related learning, knowledge sharing and
capability development across the IT industry. We offer an integrated curriculum of leading edge
courses across the entire solution development life cycle, covering all roles at varying levels.
(http://www.agileacademy.com.au)