The document discusses the characteristics of strong agile teams and outlines different team models, including co-located teams, blended teams, and management structures. It emphasizes the importance of non-negotiable principles like quality, trust, and work-life balance for sustaining agile practices. Additionally, it suggests that companies should adapt agile approaches to align with their specific realities while promoting team health and efficiency.

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Building Successful Agile Teams in a
Global Environment
Betsy Kauffman and Oscar Rodriquez
∗ What does a strong agile team look like?
∗ Team models-the good, the bad, and the ugly
∗ Non-Negotiables
∗ Supporting teams for sustainability
∗ Open Discussion
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Journey

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Betsy Kauffman
ICP-ACC, PSM, CSM, SPC, PMP
Process Agile Coach
Agile Coach, Trainer, Release Train
Engineer, and Scrum Master at
multiple Fortune 500 companies.
Background in project and program
management with experience in the
Financial, Retail and Healthcare
sectors with teams based in the US,
India, and Mexico.
Oscar Rodriquez
CSDP, CSM, SA, SPC
Technical Agile Coach
Previously moved through the roles
of architect, consultant, manager,
trainer, and coach.
Worked in various domains such as
manufacturing, enterprise consulting,
billing, healthcare, and finance with
teams across the U.S. and in Mexico,
India, and Switzerland.
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“Reality” of Teams Today
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What does a strong agile team look like?

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“Textbook Team”
5
What does a strong agile team look like?
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What does a strong agile team look like?
Developer
Development
Team
Developer
UX
Analyst
QA
Test Engineer
Developer
Regardless of Location
• Typical development team size
is 6-9 cross-functional
individuals working together to:
• Iteratively deliver potentially
shippable products in the form
of working software by:
• Adopting critical practices, as
appropriate to the team, e.g.
Test Driven Development,
Continuous Re-factoring, Simple
Design
Scrum Master
Product
Management

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7
Team Models-The Ugly
Management On Shore/Development Team Offshore
QA QA
Test
Team
Dev
Team
Product
Management
UX
8
Team Models- The Bad
Blended (Split Roles in Different Locations)
QA QA
QA
QA
Dev
Team
Test
Team
Test
Team
Product
Management
Product
Management
Product
Management

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9
Team Models- The Good
Co-Located Teams in all Locations
Dev
Team
Product
Managemen
t
Dev
Team
Dev
Team
Dev
Team
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Non-Negotiables for a Strong Agile Team
Guiding
Principles
Working
Software
Definition of
Done
Quality over
Quantity
Leadership
Protecting
the Team
Servant
Leadership
Trust the
Team
Cadence
Ceremonies
and Practices
Collaboration
Team
Sustainable
Pace
Work/Life
Balance
Fun at Work

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Understand Your Realities
∗ Team Health
∗ Cut Out the Bad Apples
∗ Meaningful Reflection and
Action
∗ Take Your Victories & Lick Your
Wounds
∗ Work within your corporate
realities
∗ Team Efficiency
∗ DevOps
∗ Software Engineering
Practices
∗ Consistency Parades
∗ Coding Standards
∗ Test Automation
∗ Philosophies
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Supporting Teams for Sustainability

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Questions/Comments?
Agile Pi takes an “ALL IN” approach by coaching and training
clients on both process and technology in order to build a
sustainable agile organization.