We can learn so much about how people feel about something like teamwork just by asking questions. That’s especially true when we ask kids.
I was traveling last month and ended up in line next to a father and his eight-year-old son. I made small talk with the Dad to pass time in line and learned that the son had just traveled with his team to take part in a hockey tournament.
Because I was curious (and a little because it seemed polite), I asked the boy, “So how’d you do?” He said, “Not well. We got eliminated in the first round.”
I replied, “Right. But how did you do?”
His reply to that question was strikingly different. He told me all about the goals he’d scored and the assists he had made.
I learned a few things from this offhand exchange.
- His first response was about his team, which means he’s going to be a great agile team member someday.
- No matter how great we do individually, it’s hard to feel excited when the team doesn’t perform at its best.
And it got me thinking, what would happen if someone asked one of your team members, “How’d you do last sprint?” Would they automatically reflect on the team’s performance or default to their own?
It might be worthwhile to pose that question to your team. Questions are my favorite way to get team members thinking, because once they’re thinking they automatically start looking for ways to improve a situation or solve a problem.
Ask more questions. I know for sure it will help you succeed with agile,
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