Presentation from the Balanced Team conference 2011. My definition of a balanced team: a multi-skilled, collaborative team that is self-empowered, free to choose the best way to achieve what they’ve set out to do, with a culture of learning and skill-sharing. (How) can this work in an agency context? I address this question based on my current and previous work experience, as well as patterns I've observed.

1. The client & us!? Applying a balanced team mindset in agencies Johanna Kollmann- @johannakoll Balanced Team Conference, 24 September 2011 Photo by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center http://www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/4941688795/

2. My definition of a ‘balanced team’ Photo by Frank Kovalchek http://www.flickr.com/photos/72213316@N00/5531444032//

3. A multi-skilled, collaborative team that is self-empowered, free to choose the best way to achieve what they’ve set out to do, with a culture of learning and skill-sharing. Photo by Frank Kovalchek http://www.flickr.com/photos/72213316@N00/5531444032//

4. I work in an agency!

6. Long-term relationship (years!)

7. Experience planning, design, development, business analysis

9. Building a long-term relationship

10. In-house staff, us, plenty of 3rd parties

12. Collaborative planning instead of account managers who ‘sell resources’

14. In the end, it’s about money

16. rituals

18. Team B had people drop in and out

20. Agile adoption in agencies: my observations Collaboration rituals Client involvement ‘the right fidelity’ Prototyping Teams, not departments Mini-waterfalls Angst management tools Deliverables, deliverables Oh research, where art thou? Roles, not responsibilities

22. Resourcing, roles and egos

23. Project vs. product

25. It’s very early days – agile still scares large clients

26. Process vs mindset

27. Any stories to share?