Sandy Mamoli
sandy@nomad8.com
@smamol
Creating Great Teams
How Self-Selection Lets People Excel
@smamol
@smamol
@smamol
sandy@nomad8.com
nomad8.com/self-selection
5000 people
450teams
10 countries
2/3rds of NZ’s domestic internet traffic
3000 Chickens per month
Growing
Image: www.theseekersmanual.com
The art of team design
60%more productive
Rally research: h6p://bit.ly/1ITbFb2
Stable teams are
60% design
30% launch
10% development
Research J. Richard Hackman: h6p://bit.ly/1JSM2sl
Image: h6p://www.drinksandlibaDons.com
Total Squadification
PEOPLE
KNOW
BEST…
Fear!
• the principle works
• have 10 minute rounds
• visualise
Trial
@smamol
Going all in …
A leap of faith for people
Be prepared!
balcony
@smamol
Image: Henrik Kniberg
Define Squads
• deliver end-to-end
• 3-7 people
• co-located
Constraints
@smamol
The big day
When to stop?
The last round
15/16 Full Squads!
What did we learn?
@molio
It’s all about relationships!
@smamol
Aren’t people going to start
arguing and bitching?
Is some poor person not going to be picked?
How do you persuade
management?
How do you deal with people’s fears?
Can you please add additional rules and
constraints?
@smamol
Aren’t people going to start
arguing and bitching?
@smamol
Is some poor person not going
to be picked?
@smamol
How do you persuade 

management?
@smamol
How do you deal with people’s
fears?
@smamol
Can you please add these
additional rules and
constraints?
@smamol
Won’t there be really
unpopular areas?
@smamol
Liar, liar …
4 years later
People
getting
happier
http://nomad8.com/how-we-measure-work-happiness/
45+ Squads
Henrik Kniberg
“I joined Trade Me
because I heard that I
could pick my own
team.”
@smamol
months
Trade Me “squadify” every …
6 @smamol
Know your history!
@smamol
Why self-selection works
Full Buy-in
@smamol
@smamol
@smamol
sandy@nomad8.com
nomad8.com/self-selection

Creating Great Teams - How Self-Selection Lets People Excel