How to Help Your Team Overcome Failure.

Software development is a tricky business.  The nature of the work is changing so rapidly that what worked eighteen months ago could fail today.  The mercurial world of software development is the reason why the agile reformation got started.  We do an outstanding job teaching the basics of agile to others.  Unfortunately, we take these essential skills and rub up against the reality of working in a contemporary business environment.  It is a recipe for disillusion and frustration.  As coaches and scrum masters, we need to do a better job helping people who join the agile reformation navigate the hills and valleys of the business's fallen world.  

I say failure is the ultimate teaching tool.  Each day, a business person confronts failure.  It humbles a person.  It pushes them forward to do better.  Finally, it educates in a way no success can.  We need a way to look at our failures dispassionately to create future success.  When the team fails, the best place to address it is the retrospective.  Create a safe and secure environment for people to discuss the challenge.  It also helps to remind everyone about the retrospective prime directive created by Norm Kerth,

"Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills and abilities, the resources, available and the situation at hand."

Talk frankly about what happened and how the team could have done things differently.  It is crucial to develop an action plan to address the things that the team can control. 

The next thing a team should do is ask if they are facing a constraint with the organ
ization.  For instance, if network services must schedule a time to promote code to production servers.  It is a classic constraint according to Eliyahu M. Goldratt's book, "The Goal." Understanding the condition of the network services team, the developers can devise ways to exploit the constraint and find ways to mitigate it later.  The process of exposing and mitigating constraints will empower the team and give them a sense of control.  

Finally, please write down your experiences and review them.  A coach or scrum master should keep a daily log of what they do.  It should feature the high points of each day and the low points.  Look it over each week.  It also serves as a contemporaneous memo you can provide your leadership to remain updated on your progress.  Over time, looking over these reports provides an oral history of the project, and you can apply the theory of constraints to help challenges you see recurring.  

Business is a fallen world.  As a person, you face failure and disappointment regularly.  Your team is going to disappoint you.  We do not say this enough in the agile world.  What defines a team that succeeds over one which suffers, in the long run, is the ability to recognize and overcome previous adversity. To deal with these disappointments, use the power of the retrospective.  Have the team apply the theory of constraints.  Finally, keep a journal of contemporary events to track progress and learning.  

Frustration and disillusionment are natural by-products of leading change.  Do not let that stop you.  The fallen world of business can get better, but only if coaches and scrum masters learn to face challenges with an approach that helps them improve. 

Until next time.