This document discusses techniques for motivating agile teams. It begins by explaining the importance of motivation for project success, even when using agile frameworks. It then covers Bruce Tuckman's model of team formation stages: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Successful motivational techniques discussed include goal setting, empowering team members, showing appreciation, and celebrating successes. The document also provides tips for 1:1 meetings, performance appraisals, onboarding new members, and using team building activities to increase motivation. Overall, the key message is that both self-motivation and effective leadership are needed to maintain a high-performing agile team.

1. Team motivation
Dec 10, 2018

2. Olena Grygorchuk
• Experienced mentor, QA, Team/QA Lead, SM, Proxy PO,
Agile coach
• 4+ IT PM in various business domains: B2B, e-commerce,
media and entertainment
• PMO expert and mentor at N-iX company
• Strategic PM, getting deep insight into client`s business
domain
• N-iX company values
 Data-Driven Decision Making
 Advocating Agile Approach
 Freedom to Innovate

3. Agenda
• Team formation stages
• What is Team motivation and self motivation
• Successful motivational techniques
• Effective meetings: PA, 1to1 and onboarding
• Team buildings

4. Why do we need the motivated team?
• Being an Agile team - is NOT all about adopting the Agile frameworks
• Without the positivity and motivation of your teams, no matter which practice is adopted or no matter
how much investment is on the paper, projects will not meet their much-needed success rate
I`m going to suggest the useful practices that you can implement and practice. Let’s begin!

5. Tuckman`s model
Psychologist Bruce Tuckman first came up with the phrase “forming, storming, norming, and performing” in
his 1965 article, “Developmental Sequence in Small Groups.”

6. Team formation stages
Later, he added a fifth stage, “adjourning” (which is sometimes known as
“mourning”)

7. Orientation - Team Forming
• Group members are learning what to do, how the group is going to operate, what is expected, and what
is acceptable
• Individual roles are unclear, process usually is not well established
• Team is gathering impressions and data about the similarities and differences among them
• Most team members are positive and polite. Some are anxious, as they haven't fully understood what
work the team will do
• PM plays a dominant role at this stage, determining how the team is going to be organized and who will
be responsible for what, discussion of major milestones or phases of the group's goal that includes a
rough project schedule, outlining general group rules

8. Power Struggle -Team Storming
• May arise questions around leadership, authority, rules, policies, norms, responsibilities, structure and
evaluation criteria. Such questions need to be answered so that the group can move further on to the
next stage
• Storming often starts where there is a conflict between team members' natural working styles
• Team members may experience stress, particularly as they don't have the support of established
processes or strong relationships with their colleagues
• PM role: reduce tension within the team and stay committed to the team goal. The leader must feel
negative trends within the team and efficiently manage conflicts. This stage requires the maximum of
the leader’s attention and involvement

9. Cooperation and Integration - Team Norming
• People start to resolve their differences, appreciate colleagues‘ strengths, and respect PM/Lead authority
• Team members socialize together, ask one another for help and provide
• There is often a prolonged overlap between storming and norming. For instance new difficult tasks
come up, strict deadline/time pressure or again new team members join the team, - all this may lapse
back into behavior from the storming stage
• Role of the PM: motivate team members with first results, show them that Team is on a right track,
encourage them to move to the performing stage. Group leadership is very important, but the PM can
step back a little and let group members take the initiative and move forward together

10. Synergy - Team Performing
• People can work independently, in subgroups, or as a total unit
• The team works in open and trusting atmosphere where flexibility is a key and hierarchy is of little
importance
• This is the stage of the maximum efficiency and productivity, everyone enjoys working together
• Members are flexible, interdependent, and trust each other.
• Role of the leader: concentrate on developing team member. How cool is this—to know what each one
of a team is capable of and fully rely on a team. And for the team leader, it is so amazing to see the team
running like clockwork

11. Closure - Adjourning
• This stage can be confusing and is usually reached when the task is successfully completed. The project
is coming to an end and the team members are moving off in different directions
• This phase usually includes recognition for participation and achievement and an opportunity for
members to say personal goodbyes
• Team members who are afraid of changes, or who have become close friends with colleagues, may find
this stage difficult because their future now looks uncertain
• PM role: The most effective interventions in this stage are those that facilitate task termination and the
disengagement process. Suggest the ways to stay in touch with other team members even after the
project

12. Team lifecycle

13. Motivation
• Intrinsic motivation causes people to participate in an activity for their own enjoyment
• Extrinsic motivation causes people to do something for a reward or to avoid a penalty

14. Maintain your self-motivation
• Setting high but realistic goals
• Taking the right level of risk
• Seeking constant feedback to figure out how to improve
• Actively seeking out opportunities
• Continue learning
• Spend time with motivated, enthusiastic, and supportive people
• Positive mindset
• Get help when you need it, and be willing to help others succeed

15. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation
Hygiene factors are:
• Salary structure should be appropriate and reasonable
• Company Policies and administrative policies
• Physical Working conditions
• The employees’ status within the organization
• Interpersonal relations
• Job Security

16. Tips to motivate your team
• Goal-setting is linked to task performance and is the main source of intrinsic motivation ― motivation
driven by an interest in the task. Setting specific and clear goals leads to greater output and better team
performance (use grooming, planning meetings)
• Empower people – organize direct involvement of team members in decision-making. Supervising doesn’t
mean controlling each and every step. Provide support and facilitate discussion to help the team solve
problems for instance establish regular Friday tech talks
• Give the support - give opportunity for the team to develop and try new approaches. Make sure your
team has appropriate training, development resources, and time to confirm their new skills
• Show appreciation - you must invest time and energy in your team. Recognizing that team members are
valued and the work they do really does matter (use for instance Demo meetings)
• Communicate – you can’t learn about ideas, attitude or concerns of your team members without constant
communication. Establish regular 1to1 meetings, join common lunches, coffee breaks, use each
opportunity to interact with the Team
• Support new ideas – use retrospective meetings to discuss interesting ideas
• Manage each one individually - give people a chance to operate in the frames of their strengths, and
they will be more confident, efficient and motivated in their activities
• Create and maintain a Team Spirit - Team is like a family, where mutual support and trust are the most
important values. Organize team building activities both during working time and after

17. General advises to develop motivated Team
• Ground rules - guidelines that establish clear expectations regarding
expectable behaviors (e.g. Confluence page, printed banner, etc)
• Co-location - placing many or all the most active team members in the
same physical location
• Try to make sure there is a good working environment - research showed
that environment is more important to employees than money
• Ensuring balanced workload -Working hard is a good thing but you need to
keep a lookout on employees that are bound to burn out due to excessive
workload (I have applied flexible working hours)
• Develop soft skills of Team members in order to grow self-motivation
(offer help and explanation, show on your sample)
• Offer Feedback and don't punish failure (we all make mistakes, It's part
of being human)
• Work on minimization of dissatisfaction factors (workplace, salary, etc)
• Celebrate each success - even the smallest achievements are worth being
celebrated
• Implement tips and review your approach to motivation regularly

18. Feedback on 1to1 and PAs
“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” – Bill Gates
• In case of fail or performance drop it should not be unnoticed till the PA meeting, feedback should be
regular provided during the year. Establish regular feedback culture it brings performance improvements
• Listen first, talk second!
• State the constructive purpose of your feedback in positive way: "I have a concern about", "I want to
discuss" or "I have some thoughts about"
• Give the other person an opportunity to respond: "What do you think?", "What is your view of this
situation?"
• Prepare feedback with samples and provide the constructive alternatives, set expectations. Offer specific
suggestions. If you can't think of a constructive purpose for giving feedback, don't give it at all
• Focus on description rather than judgement
• Provide constructive feedback and use it as a tool that is used to build things up, not break things down.
It lets the other person know that you are on their side
• Provide a balance of positive and negative feedback. Summarize and express your support

19. Onboarding meeting is important
• Prepare and talk to the Team
• Introduce the process, project and product
• Do not overload with information
• Introduce to the team and assign “body”
• Introduce to client (if applicable)
• Offer attention and help

20. Having Fun
• Common lunches, coffee breaks, BBQs and evenings outs
• Sport activities- choose the productive team building activities for your team as per the comfort level of
members
• Escape rooms - activity checks the intellectual level of the individuals and how they solve the curious
clues for finding their way out of the room. This activity also improves collaboration
• Secret Santa, birthdays, maternity/paternity leaves, etc
• Table games – there are plenty of them, for instance problem-solving activities – use kind of building
blocks
My contacts:
Olena Grygorchuk
+380976108414
ogrygorchuk@n-ix.com

21. THANK YOU!
ANY QUESTIONS?
Olena Grygorchuk