Facing Reality: The Key to Team Evolution in Agile Environments
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Chapter 1: The Importance of Acknowledging Reality
In order for any team to progress, they must learn to confront reality head-on.
Throughout my ten years of experience with over 50 Scrum teams, I’ve observed a significant trait among the most successful teams: they refuse to sugarcoat reality. Acknowledging the truth enables teams to tackle the right issues and move forward. For example, if you discover a leak in your ceiling, would you simply cover it with tape and pretend it’s not there? Such a tactic would only worsen the actual problem. Yet, many teams adopt this mindset, neglecting the truth and living in denial.
It's essential to confront reality, regardless of how uncomfortable it may be. Avoiding or distorting it only hinders progress.
I've encountered frequent scenarios where teams and organizations overlook the truth and, in doing so, miss opportunities for growth. I would like to share these observations in hopes of helping you recognize and address similar challenges.
Section 1.1: The Sprint Fails, But No One Cares!
Consider football, a universally understood sport. Winning requires scoring more goals than your opponent, and the coach’s role is to guide the team toward victory. In Scrum, each Sprint has a goal, and achieving it is essential for success. Failing a Sprint isn’t inherently problematic; it’s part of the journey. However, it becomes concerning when teams fail to acknowledge their setbacks.
If a team has never experienced failure, it likely means they are stuck in their comfort zone. High-performing teams understand that failure is a necessary component of growth. Unfortunately, I’ve seen many teams disregard their Sprint Goals, focusing solely on delivering features instead. When they miss their goals, they often move on as if nothing happened, sometimes attributing their shortcomings to external factors. In reality, Scrum thrives on inspection and adaptation; without honest self-reflection, teams remain stagnant.
It's far easier to blame external circumstances than to confront the fact that something within the team needs to change.
Section 1.2: Accumulating Technical Debt and Diminishing Quality
After a hectic Sprint Planning session, a frustrated developer confronted the Product Owner:
"Sprint after Sprint, you assure us we’ll address our technical debt. Yet today was just another instance of the same old story. You keep telling us to deliver features to satisfy stakeholders, and then we'll have time to fix our tech debt. I've lost faith in your promises."
The Product Owner, taken aback, struggled to find a response.
"The stakeholders are pressuring me for these features, and I understand their urgency. They’re under pressure too. We’re helping them, and everything is actually fine. We just need a bit more patience before we can tackle our tech debt."
The developer retorted, "You’ve said that before. For six months, we’ve only been adding features while our tech debt grows and our quality declines. Is that acceptable to you?"
The Product Owner maintained, "I believe we’re doing a great job, and stakeholders appreciate our efforts. I’m comfortable with this situation because I know we’ll address our issues in due time. For now, we’re on the right track."
How do you view this scenario? It’s a clear denial of reality. The Product Owner fails to advocate for the product’s best interests, while the team grows increasingly frustrated, insisting that "everything is fine." Some Product Owners lack the necessary skills, and when they succumb to pressure, the Scrum Team becomes trapped in a cycle of mediocrity. Denying reality only ensures a lack of progress.
Chapter 2: The Exodus of Team Members
I’ve experienced a recurring pattern in several companies. Each month, during our Daily Scrum, a developer would announce their departure, prompting a collective sigh from the rest of the team.
"Please don’t tell us you’re leaving," a colleague would often interject, only to hear confirmation that indeed, they were resigning.
Every month, at least one team member would exit, and what did company leadership do about it? Nothing. Instead of working to improve conditions for those who remained, they took on the role of victims, blaming external circumstances. The narrative was always the same: "People are just mercenaries, lured away by slightly higher salaries," or "We can’t compete in this market; it’s impossible to pay such wages."
While it’s true that many left for better compensation, their primary motivation stemmed from a lack of purpose and recognition. Employees felt their opinions were disregarded, and the focus was solely on meeting production targets. With no motivation to stay, they opted to explore the job market. Yet, it was easier for leadership to blame external factors rather than confront the truth: the company culture was failing.
"To me, emotional fulfillment in work is worth more than any paycheck."
― Sonal Takalkar
Final Thoughts
Every team and organization faces challenges; this is perfectly normal. You don’t need to resolve every issue you encounter. As the saying goes, "pick your battles." Some challenges simply aren’t worth the investment of your energy. However, denying or distorting reality is a poor strategy.
Reality is what it is. While confronting it may be uncomfortable, ignoring it only leads to a fantasy world, where opportunities for growth are missed. A major difference between average teams and high-performing ones lies in how they handle reality. Average teams may deny or overlook it, while high-performing teams face it honestly. They do not shy away from the truth; they confront it.
"Truth — specifically, an accurate understanding of reality — is the vital foundation for achieving favorable outcomes."
― Ray Dalio
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