#171: Why Agile Teams Succeed—or Don’t with Colin Fisher

Most teams aren’t broken because of individual incompetence. They’re struggling because the group itself isn’t set up to thrive. In this episode, author and researcher Colin Fisher joins Brian to reframe how we think about team performance, conflict, and psychological safety through the lens of real science, real practice, and a little jazz.

Overview

Group dynamics aren’t fluff. They’re the operating system behind every Agile team’s success (or struggle). Colin Fisher, author of The Collective Edge, joins Brian to share what decades of research and hands-on observation reveal about high-performing teams. From ideal team size (spoiler: it’s 4.5), to avoiding the trap of blaming individuals for systemic issues, Colin offers a practical, thought-provoking look at how to build more resilient, collaborative, and human-centered teams.

Expect fresh insights on team launch moments, role clarity, feedback culture, remote collaboration and how to keep your team “groupy” in the best possible way. 

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Colin Fisher
Collective Edge by Colin Fisher
Colin's Free Newsletter
LinkedIn
YouTube
#80: From Struggling to Success: Reviving Agile Teams with Mike Cohn
#143: What Still Makes Teams Work (and Win) with Jim York
Self-Organizing Teams Are Not Put Together Randomly by Mike Cohn
Agile Skills Video Library
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This episode’s presenters are:

Brian Milner is a Certified Scrum Trainer®, Certified Scrum Professional®, Certified ScrumMaster®, and Certified Scrum Product Owner®, and host of the Agile Mentors Podcast training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work.

Colin Fisher is a former professional jazz musician turned organizational behavior expert who now helps teams unlock their creative and collaborative edge. A professor at University College London and author of The Collective Edge, Colin draws on decades of research—and a bit of jazz improv—to help leaders understand what really makes groups tick.