8 Best Kept Secrets of High-Performing Agile Teams

I’m sure this is yet another article you’ve stumbled upon agility on how to reach high performance amongst your teams. Rest assured you want to continue reading because in this article we’re sharing eight secrets of high-performing agile teams. 

Buckle up and take notes!

According to Forbes, the essence in building a high-performance agile team is compassion. Research shows that organizations who lead with compassion have employees who are more engaged, passionate and committed to their work. 

But what does it mean to lead with compassion?

“Compassion means having positive intentions and authentic concern for others. Compassionate leaders see their team as vital contributors to the organization as well as on a deeper level, as people. They aim to genuinely understand each team member's needs and support them to achieve their goals.”

Does that ring a bell? Below we share 4 tips to keep in mind if you wish to lead with compassion:

1. Understand how your team works
2. Create a safe space
3. Small gestures, do count!
4. Coach with intention

8 secrets for high-performing agile teams 

High-performing agile teams often have a set of practices and principles that contribute to their success. Sometimes they can be overlooked or undervalued. Here are some of the best practices you should be taking notes: 

1. Clear Vision and Goals

Having a clear vision and goal as to where you wish to take your organization is key. If no one is clear as to where the destination point is at, how do you expect your teams to excel and deliver?

• Mission Alignment: Team members understand the overall mission or goal of the project. This clarity helps everyone align their efforts towards a common objective.
• OKRs: Objectives & key results ensure that everyone knows what success looks like and can measure progress.

2. Empowered and Cross-functional Teams

Creating an atmosphere where collaborators feel motivated while doing their work sets the tone for the organization and teams. Providing autonomy to each collaborator helps each one to work with confidence and authority. 

• Self-Organization: Teams have the autonomy to make decisions on how to best achieve their goals.
• Cross-functional Skills: Each team member has a diverse set of skills, reducing dependency on external resources and improving efficiency.

3. Iterative Development and Continuous Improvement

There is always room for improvement and knowing how to address those improvements and when to do it, plays a big role in staying high-performant and agile. 

• Sprints: Short, time-boxed iterations allow for quick feedback loops and adjustments.
• Retrospectives: Regular meetings where the team reflects on what went well, what didn't, and how to improve.

4. Transparent Communication

What is the point of giving your teams objectives if they don’t have the goals they are working for? Leaving objectives, projects, tasks, documentation clear is the first task you need to take into consideration when deciding when to go high-performance and agile. 

• Daily Stand-ups: Quick, daily meetings where team members discuss progress, challenges, and plans for the day.
• Tools to work transparently: A visual tool that fosters transparency, and facilitates collaboration amongst teams. 

5. Quality Focus

Staying focused and on track is crucial if your organization goes through it frequently. Knowing the ins-and the outs and knowing how to react quickly and effectively is a secret you want to learn if you wish your teams were more performant. 

• Automated Testing: Writing automated tests ensures that new features don't break existing functionality.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment: Automated processes for testing and deployment reduce errors and increase speed.

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Below we share an insightful video by Simon Sinek: He shares practical advice on avoiding common leadership traps and fostering an environment where mistakes are stepping stones to success.

6. Embracing Change

Changes can be daunting and at times, scary. But knowing when to adjust your boat's sailing drapes will save your organization time and money. Adapting to an ever-changing industry is key if you wish to stay at the forefront, but knowing how and when to do it is a secret we share below. 

• Adaptability: High-performing agile teams are open to change and can pivot quickly based on new information or requirements.
• Managing Risk: Identifying risks early and having plans to mitigate them reduces the impact of unexpected changes.

7. Leadership Support

Being a leader is not for everyone, and being an inspiring leader is rare in today's day and age. Having said that, becoming a leader of service that will catapult your organization is a skill that can be acquired and learned. But how so?

• Servant Leadership: Leaders support the team rather than micromanage, helping remove obstacles and providing resources.
• Resource Allocation: Ensuring the team has the necessary tools, training, and support to succeed.

8. Focus on Well-being and Culture

Obtaining a high-performance organization means one thing: investing in your collaborators, making sure they are at its best and taken care of. A healthy organization is run by collaborators who are passionate, motivated and overall who believe in what they are doing. So make sure your collaborators are operating with motivation and with an overall happiness. 

• Work-Life Balance: Avoiding burnout by encouraging reasonable working hours and time off.
• Celebrating Success: Recognizing achievements, both big and small, fosters a positive team culture.
  

Did you take notes?

These practices contribute to a culture of collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement, leading to high-performing agile teams that deliver value consistently. 

Are you looking for a tool to help your teams reach high performance? Take a peek into Holaspirit and start giving your teams autonomy!

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