Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team - Vortrag bei der Softwerkskammer Chemnitz am 28.04.2020

1. Worldwide Scrum
Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team
Photo by
You X Ventures
Andreas Siegel
Softwerkskammer
Chemnitz

2. Let’s start…
What is this all about?
8
Photo by
Clay Banks

3. Team Setup
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Development
Team
Scrum
Master
Product
Owner UsersManagement
Map from freeworldmaps.net
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

4. Team Setup
• 3 Developers (including Scrum Master) in one office in Dresden
• 2 Developers working different offices (or from home) in the US
• 3 Developers working from two different offices in India
• Product Owner working from home in the US (and about once a week from one
of the office locations)
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5. Hold on…
What do you think about that?
18
Photo by
Daniel Tuttle

6. It’s as simple as…

7. Just don’t
do that.
20
Photo by
Giulia May

8. Approximate Timeline
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01:00 02:00
07:00 08:00
11:3010:30
23:00 00:00
05:00 06:00
09:3008:30
03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30
13:00 14:00 15:00
19:00 20:00 21:00
22:30 23:30 00:30
D G
D S
D I
16:00
22:00
01:30
ES
CE
IS
17:00
23:00
02:30
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

9. Hmm…
Is it really that bad?
22
Photo by
Christian Erfurt

10. Challenge
accepted!
23
Photo by
x )

11. People
Who are we actually?
24
Photo by
Kyle Glenn

12. We are a Scrum Team! We have Values!
Courage: Do the right thing and work on tough problems
Focus: Focus on the work of the sprint and the goals of the team
Commitment: Personally commit to achieving the goals of the team
Respect: Respect each other to be capable, independent people
Openness: Be open about the work and all challenges with that
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13. We are in this together!
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Photo by Quino Al
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

14. Culture
What to take into account?
27
Photo by
Nathan Dumlao

15. Culture… is an iceberg.
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Photo by Annie Spratt
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

16. Culture… is an iceberg.
Visible
• Clothing
• Language
• Gestures
• Food
• Music
• Rituals
Invisible
• Values
• Beliefs
• Attitudes
• World views
• Motivations
• Rules
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17. Culture… is an onion.
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Photo by mayu ken
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

18. Val es
Rit als
Heroes
S mbols
Practices
Hofstede’s Onion Model of Culture
Symbols: Meaningful words, gestures, images, logos
Heroes: Eminently respectable role models
Rituals: Collective activities, actually
needless but socially essential
Values: Cultural values, early instilled in education
Practices: Everything combined in everyday life
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19. Cultural Dimensions – Hofstede’s Model
Power Distance: Unequal distribution of power
Individualism: “I” (self/direct family) vs. “We” (groups and loyalty)
Masculinity: Being the best vs. Don’t want to stand out
Uncertainty Avoidance: Control the future vs. let it happen
Long Term Orientation: Time-honoured tradition vs. change and pragmatism
Indulgence: Restraint vs. indulgence – controlling desires
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IHK Pocket Guides, Hofstede Country Comparison
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

20. Cultural Dimensions – Hofstede’s Model
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Germany United States India China
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

21. Example: Foreigners see Germans as…
Positive
• on time
• diligent
• precise
• structured
• quality-conscious
• incorruptible
• credible
• liable
Negative
• overly perfectionist
• delusional regarding punctuality
• stubborn
• unflexible
• obsessed with work
• humorless
• know-it-alls
• ill-tempered
• unkind
• incommunicative
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22. Coconut vs. Peach
Public
• Formal
• Serious
Private
• Feelings & emotions
• Entire person
• Personal friendship
Public
• Open and friendly
• Communicative
Private
• Feelings & emotions
• Personal problems
• Opinions about
controversial topics
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23. Concept of Time
Monochronic Time
(linear time)
Polychronic Time
(circular time)
Interpersonal Relations relations are subordinate to
schedule
schedule is subordinate to relations
Activity Coordination schedule coordinates activity;
appointment time is rigid
interpersonal relations coordinate
activity; appointment time is flexible
Task Handling one task at a time many tasks simultaneously
Work/Personal Time Separability clearly separable not clearly separable
Organisational Perception tasks are measured by output in
time (activity per hour or minute)
tasks are measured as part of
overall goal
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24. Basic Tools for (Intercultural) Communication
• Display of interest
• Knowing terms others use
• Empathy & understanding
• Problem solving
• Harmony
• Tolerance for unknown and ambiguity
• Being descriptive & non-judging
• Patience
• Active listening
• Clarity
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25. In the words of…
“The most clear predictor of success is an open mind
that other cultures are simply different.”
- Will
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26. Collaboration
What can we do, and when, and how?
41
Photo by
Alexandru Acea

27. Work may be like…
• Some are late for meetings, have to leave early, or don’t join at all.
• You don’t know what people are doing, you have no idea about progress.
• Not really knowing who you are working with feels strange.
• You don’t really know when and how to ask someone when facing problems.
• You feel decoupled.
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28. Team Development – Tuckman’s Model
Form: Starting from scratch – get to know each other
Storm: Dealing with it – make things simple, clarify roles and goals
Norm: Gaining momentum – coordinate with others, remove obstacles
Perform: Delivering – celebrate, have fun, and share practices with others
28/04/2020 43
The agile guide to winning at team development
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

29. Key Aspects for Communication
• Be identifyable
• Build trust
• Agree on communication channels
• Avoid private side conversations
• Keep in mind language is an issue
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6 hand gestures in different cultures (& what they mean)

30. Key Aspects for Collaboration
• Recreate physical reality
• Plan work to prioritize time overlap
• Empower people
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31. People are willing to engage and contribute!
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Photo by Ian Schneider
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

32. Timeline
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01:00 02:00
07:00 08:00
11:3010:30
23:00 00:00
05:00 06:00
09:3008:30
03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30
13:00 14:00 15:00
19:00 20:00 21:00
22:30 23:30 00:30
D G
D S
D I
16:00
22:00
01:30
ES
CE
IS
17:00
23:00
02:30
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

33. Timeline with Commitment & Flexibility
28/04/2020 48
01:00 02:00
07:00 08:00
11:3010:30
23:00 00:00
05:00 06:00
09:3008:30
03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30
13:00 14:00 15:00
19:00 20:00 21:00
22:30 23:30 00:30
D G
D S
D I
16:00
22:00
01:30
ES
CE
IS
17:00
23:00
02:30
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

34. Meetings to schedule (2 weeks Sprints)
• Daily Scrum – 15 Minutes
• Sprint Planning – 1 hour
• Sprint Review – 1,5 hours
• Retrospective – 1 hour
• Refinement – about 1 hour
+ Leads Call – 30 Minutes (every second day)
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35. Time Overlap
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01:00 02:00
07:00 08:00
11:3010:30
23:00 00:00
05:00 06:00
09:3008:30
03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30
13:00 14:00 15:00
19:00 20:00 21:00
22:30 23:30 00:30
D G
Work Da in the US
Work Da in India
16:00
22:00
01:30
EST
CE
IST
17:00
23:00
02:30
O erlap
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

36. Frequent Meetings: Daily Scrum & Leads Call
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01:00 02:00
07:00 08:00
11:3010:30
23:00 00:00
05:00 06:00
09:3008:30
03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30
13:00 14:00 15:00
19:00 20:00 21:00
22:30 23:30 00:30
D G
W k Da in he US
W k Da in India
16:00
22:00
01:30
EST
CE
IST
17:00
23:00
02:30
Dail Sc m
Lead Call
O e la
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

37. Sprint Change: Planning
28/04/2020 52
01:00 02:00
07:00 08:00
11:3010:30
23:00 00:00
05:00 06:00
09:3008:30
03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30
13:00 14:00 15:00
19:00 20:00 21:00
22:30 23:30 00:30
D G
W k Da i he US
W k Da i I dia
16:00
22:00
01:30
EST
CE
IST
17:00
23:00
02:30
P a i g/Re e e
Lead Ca
O e a
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

38. Sprint Change: Review & Retrospective
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01:00 02:00
07:00 08:00
11:3010:30
23:00 00:00
05:00 06:00
09:3008:30
03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00
09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00
12:30 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:30 21:30
13:00 14:00 15:00
19:00 20:00 21:00
22:30 23:30 00:30
D G
Wo k Da in he US
Wo k Da in India
16:00
22:00
01:30
EST
CE
IST
17:00
23:00
02:30
Re o pec i e
Re ie
O e lap
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

39. In the words of…
“Timezone can be a blocker in many ways,
but also has advantages.
Like, if running out of time on a critical feature,
leave a daily message/status at end of day for team
members in another location (timezone) to pick it up.”
- Lisa
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40. Tools
How can we do it?
55
Photo by
David Pisnoy

41. Tools in General
• Keep it simple, stupid
• Use tools you are already using
• Avoid too many different tools
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42. In the words of…
“This definitely is the key enabler.
So choice of a user-friendly,
non-intrusive tool is a must.”
- Vivek
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43. Scrum Tools: Retromat
• Plans for retrospectives
• Fun activities or games for each
stage
• Many activities also suitable for
online sessions
https://retromat.org/
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44. Scrum Tools: Lucidchart
• Virtual flipchart
• Easy to use, parallel editing
• Multiple tabs in a chart
• Confluence macro
https://lucidchart.com
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45. More Scrum Tools
• Miro (virtual flipchart/whiteboard)
• Scrumlr.io (virtual boards with multiple templates)
• RetroTool (virtual boards with multiple templates including private sections)
• Fun Retrospectives (online retrospectives with multiple templates and agenda for
the stages)
• Retrium (online retrospectives in different formats)
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46. Communication Tools: Slack
• Presence and status
• Team communication in private
channels
• Private messages
• Quick and easy video calls with
screen sharing
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Image from slack.com
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

47. Communication Tools: Microsoft Teams
• Easy scheduling and joining with
calendar integration
• Persistent “meeting rooms”
• Screen sharing
• Recordings
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Image from t3n.de
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

48. Communication Tools: Zoom
• Virtual backgrounds
• Gallery view
• Screen sharing with remote
control
• Easy and user-friendly
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Image from pentacor Blog
Worldwide Scrum - Intercultural Collaboration in a globally distributed Team

49. Digital Reality Tool: Sococo
• Online workplace for distributed teams
• Virtual recreation of an office
• Visualized presence and conferencing
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50. Summary
What to take away?
68
Photo by
Clem Onojeghuo

51. Take Away
• People and cultures are different.
• Know about and respect the differences.
• Get to know your team mates.
• Show yourself even if others don’t.
• Keep it simple.
• Have fun.
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Photo by
MI PHAM

52. In the words of…
“Yeah, we did that and enjoyed it.
It worked well for us I believe!”
- Lan Phuong
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53. The End
Photo by
Anton Shuvalov