Albrecht Günther

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Team health check

In agile environments, the health and effectiveness of teams are crucial for delivering value and achieving success. Team Health Checks are valuable tools used to assess and improve the well-being and performance of Agile teams. So let’s have a look into some popular approaches to Team Health Checks and their benefits.

One common method is the Spotify Team Health Check, inspired by Spotify’s innovative organizational culture. It evaluates various aspects of team dynamics, collaboration, and psychological safety, fostering transparency and open communication within teams.

Excerpt of the health check questionnaire.

Another approach is the Team Radar, which uses a visual representation of key dimensions such as trust, communication, and alignment. By providing a clear snapshot of team health, it facilitates meaningful discussions and action planning.

Similarly, the Agile Health Radar assesses team health across dimensions like collaboration, delivery, and learning. It encourages teams to reflect on their practices and identify areas for improvement, promoting continuous learning and adaptation.

Furthermore, the Scrum Team Health Check, specific to Scrum teams, evaluates factors such as commitment, focus, and courage. It helps teams identify impediments to their effectiveness and develop strategies to address them, enhancing their ability to deliver value incrementally.

In conclusion, Team Health Checks play a vital role in Agile environments by promoting transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement. By leveraging these tools, organizations can nurture high-performing teams capable of adapting to change and delivering value effectively.

Sources:

  1. Spotify Engineering Culture (Part 2), by Henrik Kniberg and Anders Ivarsson, 2014
  2. https://engineering.atspotify.com/2023/03/getting-more-from-your-team-health-checks/
  3. Agile Team Health Radar, by Atlassian, https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/health-monitor
  4. Agile Health Radar, by Agile Pain Relief, https://www.agilepainrelief.com/blog/the-agile-health-radar
  5. Scrum Team Health Check, by Scrum.org, https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/team-health-check-measure-impact-your-scrum-team
  6. https://medium.com/agile-outside-the-box/team-health-checks-b4874c15bd73
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