This document presents tips for improving geographically distributed agile teams, emphasizing the importance of project team chartering, building trust through travel, and creating effective visual systems. Key recommendations include establishing a time zone chart for scheduling, ensuring adequate infrastructure, and maintaining team cohesion to facilitate rapid feedback. The author provides resources for further reading and emphasizes the significance of nurturing a collaborative environment despite geographical challenges.

1. At Least FiveTips for ImprovingYour
Geographically Distributed Agile
Team
Johanna Rothman
New: ManageYour Job Search
@johannarothman
www.jrothman.com
jr@jrothman.com
781-641-4046

2. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
Let’s Gather a Little Data
How many of you are new
to agile, less than two years
in?
How many of you are trying
to do agile with a dispersed
team?
2

3. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
Johanna’s General Agile Picture
3

4. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
Tip #1: Charter the Project
Team creates the vision
Team creates release
criteria
Team creates team norms
Provides you a start on
knowing the culture of the
people on the team
4

5. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
Problem: CreateTrustWhen
Everyone is in a Different Place
Travel to the same place!
Builds respect
Cheaper than you think
“Wage cost is not the same as
labor cost”
Have you measured the value
stream, cycle time, or cost to
fix a defect?
5

6. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
Tip #2: Build aTime Zone Chart
When is everyone?
Can we have standups?
This time zone chart is
from a real project
Don’t do standups if
everyone is going to fall
asleep
6

7. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
Tip #3: Create aVisual System that
Works forThisTeam
What kind of a board do
you need? What will make it
easy for people to show
their work? How can
people do their best work?
Learn about the Cynefin
framework
7
Obvious
ComplicatedComplex
Chaotic
Known unknowns
sense-analyse-respond
Known knowns
sense-categorise-respond
Unknowable unknowns
act-sense-respond
Unknown unknowns
probe-sense-respond

8. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
CompareVisual Systems
8

9. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
Tip #4: Power the Infrastructure
Scrimping on licenses or
power is crazy
If everyone doesn’t have
access to everything, you
don’t have a project team
9

10. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
Tip #5:WatchWhereYou Put People
Where possible, put testers
near developers because of
feedback.You want feedback
fast in an agile team
If you can’t do that, what
else can you do?
10

11. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
Tip #6: KeepTeamsTogether
Managers have to manage
the project portfolio and
not move people like chess
pieces
Even more critical in a
distributed team where it
takes so long to build trust
11

12. © 2014 Johanna Rothman
References and Reading
I have many readings on my site:
www.jrothman.com
Lessons Learned fromTeachingWorkshops
About Geographically DistributedTeams
Many Pragmatic Managers
Blog posts on www.jrothman.com/blog/
mpd
Stay in touch?
Pragmatic Manager: www.jrothman.com/
pragmaticmanager
Please link with me on LinkedIn
12