Power in Agile Teams

Who am I

Caoilte Dunne

Why power?

4 years ago ….

It did not go well ...Poor post-project reviews

Both included very strong negative sentiments about my level of dominance

Unfortunately This was part of a pattern

I was effective…

Passionate Opinionated Strong Willed

Was I effective..?

Bruised EgosConflictStress

Rightly I was moved sideways

Luckily, this time, I took notice …

I became interested in power equalization in teams

What will I be covering

1. Teams2. Power in teams3. Power Equalisation4. Nudging your team

1. Teams

What is a team?

GOAL

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Who makes up a team

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

There are lots of relationships in a team

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

There are lots of relationships in a team.

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

There are lots of relationships in a team..

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

It gets even more complex!

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Why teams?

Teams can see more.

Why teams?

Team can know more.

Why teams?

Teams can do more.

What makes a great team

Psychological Safety

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Mary puts out a Challenge to groups status quoJack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Not BulliedJack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Not Laughed atJack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Not ostracizedJack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Never made to feel like shitJack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

OK - you can talk with safety. What else?

Ensure Everyone has their say

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Not just the assertive

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Everyone !

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Teams have:● Individuals● Relationships between individuals● The perception of those relationships by other team

members

Great teams need:● Psychological safety ● Everyone to have a say

Teams are complicated!

2. Power in teams

Power

Your will

<use of power>

Achieved outcome

How people who wield power see themselves:

How other people see them:

Hard powerSoft power

Individual abdication of powerContextual abdication of power

We are going to focus on team meetings

Jack

AlexBob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

First let’s look at Hard Power

The team have been asked to find the next cool refreshing beverage.

The Opportunity

This is our team.

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

They are forming a solution..

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Courtney has a solution...

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Alex does not agree.

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

How Does Courtney Get Her Solution?

Legitimate Power

“With respect Alex, this is the direction we are taking.”

“Alex I know that you like that idea, but if we do my way maybe we will have time to do your pet project.”

Reward Power

“Alex I don't want to have this conversation again - you know your performance review is coming up”

Coercive power

So who loses out?

Everyone involved (and more).

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

The Idea! (worst of all)

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Why does this happen?

A flaw in the Human Operating System (OS) (1st)

Obedience

Soft Power

A cool tie in to Pixar's latest hit.

The opportunity:

They are evaluating an idea..

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Robin has a solution...

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

How does Robin get her solution?

“I was told by marketing that this is what they want.”

Informational Power

“In my opinion we should not do this , everyone knows don’t fight Conway's law.”

Expert Power

“Let's do it this way.”

Referent Power

It has the same downsides as Hard Power

● The team is less invested.● The relationships become strained.● The idea is less.

So why does this happen?

A flaw in the Human OS (2nd)

Overconfidence

Individual Abdication of Power

Next great dental hygiene product.

The opportunity:

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

They are evaluating an idea..

Robin has a solution...

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

But it’s Jack we are interested in.

Why does Jack not get involved?

Does not like to be noticed.

“...”

Feels like she has nothing to add..

“I can’t say that.. ...it’s stupid”

Likes to talk One-on-One

“I just wanted to have a word about what we discussed in the meeting.”

This is really hard to see..

So why does this happen?

A flaw in the Human OS (3rd)

Insecurity

Contextual Abdication of Power

The next generation of AI. To help humans accomplish tasks faster and smarter.

The opportunity

They are evaluating an idea..

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Courtney and Robin have a solution..

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Once suggested all the other ideas are discarded.

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

They are like Bob and Mary in perspective..

“I was thinking the exact same thing.”

They don’t like conflict.

“Yeah … that seems like a good idea.”

They want the meeting to end!

<Been in this meeting forever - let's just agree>

So why does this happen ?

A flaw in the Human OS (4th)

Conformity

Power in Meetings

Hard power Obedience

Soft power Overconfidence

Individual abdication of power

Insecurity

Contextual abdication of power

Conformity

Now with some context:

Let me explain what I learnt about myself.

Expert Power was/is my drug of choice.

I had no idea.

I thought it was a good thing...

But the effect remained the same

3. Power Equalisation

The first step is a realisation

We, as humans, have a drive to work communally.

We, as humans, are not always very good at it.

So what can we do

Impose structure

Change behaviours

Before the meeting

During the meeting

Let’s focus on the team meeting

You know best

Before any meeting

You have space and time.

This is the long game

All the time

Build Rapport

Be interested in other people

Listen to your team

Take the time to understand

Master your self talkMake sure you value your own opinion

Brave is overcoming fear not its absence

Fake it till you make it

Culture of ideas

Suspended Judgement

Valuing Diversity

From P.C. to Respect

Agree how your team make decisions

Who makes decisions

Majority (50% , 75%)

Silence is not consent

Group Norms

Externalise Values/Mindset

Highlight power equalization

Practical Concerns

Before the meeting

You have a focus

You have a place

You have a time

All the time

Known meeting

Facilitate the meeting (before)

Ensure agenda is sent ahead of time

Structure the meeting

Work with people before handFor the less outspokenensure they know why they are invited

For alphas let themselves expel energy now as opposed to in the meeting

Check your imposter syndrome

Compare yourself fairly

You deserve the role you have

You deserve self respect

Do what you need to be confident

Power poses before meetings

Meditation /Mindfulness

Visualize

Write what you want to say beforehand

Give yourself space

Give yourself time

Give yourself permission

In a Meeting - Everyone gets a say

When you don’t participate enoughorWhen the team doesn’t participate enough

All the time

Known meeting

Facilitate your meetings (during)

Ensure structure

Echo , Paraphrase

Bring in the reluctant voices

Agree when someone says your point before you

Amplification

Make yourself part of the conversation

Get your position out early

People who talk early have more influence

Before the alpha takes control

Before the alphas make it about them

Practice your script

When you are interrupted

When you are dismissed

When someone takes your idea

Don’t “Vague” it up

Be aware of qualifying language

‘Sorry’ , ‘Perhaps’ , ‘just a thought’

Don’t swamp your awesome point with weakness

Letting others have their say

When you have a tendency to dominateorWhen you have a strong alpha in your team

All the time

Known meeting

A ‘Round’ before discussion

Go a-round the table

Everybody states their initial position

No interruptions

Treat new ideas as experiments

Awesome for limiting expert power

Very effective because it focuses on impact

Have more than one option

Get away from rail roading

Other options come from somewhere

Nominate someone as devil's advocate

Permission is given to be critical.

Dissenting point of view becomes required.

Include when challenged

Ask for solutions from the challenger

“What should we do differently”

Let yourself recharge

When you give your opinion , you then need to “recharge”

Before you talk again wait for:● 30 secs of silence; or● Someone else to give their opinion

So lots there !

Before any meeting

● Build rapport● Master your self talk● Culture of ideas● Agree how your team make

decisions● Group Norms

All the time

Before any meeting

● Facilitate the meeting (before)

● Work with people before hand

● Check your imposter syndrome

● Do what you need to be confident

● Write what you want to say beforehand

All the time

All the time

Known meeting

In a Meeting - Having your say

All the time

Known meeting

● Facilitate your meetings (during)

● A ‘Round’ before discussion ● Agree when someone says

your point before you● Get your position out early● Don’t “Vague” it up● Practice your script

In a Meeting - Letting others have their say

All the time

Known meeting

● Treat new ideas as experiments

● Have more than one option● Nominate someone as

devil's advocate● Include when challenged● Let yourself recharge

4. Nudging your Team

Start with the why

Psychological Safety

Everyone giving their view

Increased quality of ideas

Some ideas you might have heard recently…

Build rapport

Treat all new ideas as experiments

Facilitate your meetings

Create a commonality of interest

Agree (with what you can)

Build ( On what's shared)

Compare (the differences)

Gauge the Awareness

How self aware is your team's alpha ?

How self aware are you ?

Don’t let someone else dictate your value

You will get what you tolerate

What does a healthy meeting look like?

A fun, unpowered toy

The opportunity:

They are evaluating an idea..

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

Consensus

Jack Alex Bob

Mary Sue Robin

Courtney

This leads...

To a great idea!

How goes my journey?

I have discovered change is hard.

But not impossible.

In Summary

● If you talk too much - talk less, talk last.● If you tell people what to do - ask more

questions.● If you never speak, the team needs you

to speak up.

It's in your hands

No really

It’s up to you

That's it!

Any questions?

ReferencesFacilitator’s guide to participatory decision-making - Sam KanerTeamwork is an Individual skill - Christopher M AveryGroup Dynamics for Teams - Daniel LeviCrucial Conversations - Patterson , Grenny , McMillan ,Switzler

Thanks to Kirsty , Sol , Dom ,Erin ,Nuz and Paula Felicity , Iseult , Helen , Tanya, Lee and PeterAnd as always My Girl

ReferencesVarious resources about gender and meetinghttp://time.com/money/4450406/men-interrupt-talk-more/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/09/13/white-house-women-are-now-in-the-room-where-it-happens/https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=enhttp://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2016/1008/How-women-lead-differentlypsychological safety and googlehttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/28/magazine/what-google-learned-from-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.htmPowerhttps://hbr.org/2016/10/dont-let-power-corrupt-youSelf Talkhttps://melissaambrosini.com/wealth/7-things-you-must-stop-letting-your-mean-girl-tell-you/Imposter syndromehttp://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2014/04/03/impostor-syndrome

Twitter : @CaoilteDunneLinkedIn : CaoilteDunneSlideshare : http://www.slideshare.net/caoiltedunne/poweragilty-and-wicked-enviroments-67607828

Other Info

Link to slideshttp://www.slideshare.net/caoiltedunne/power-in-agile-teamsTwitter : @CaoilteDunneEmail : caoilte.dunne@dius.com.au