Transforming Teams with Agility:
Empowerment, Ownership, and Measurable Growth
Introduction
In the fast-paced landscape of the financial services industry, agility isn't just a mindset, a bunch of practices or a framework—it's a necessity. Our recent project showcased how Scrum and other agile practices transformed an engineering team from a siloed, manager-driven structure to a cohesive, empowered group that thrives on collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement.The Challenge
The engineering team originally operated as three separate Scrum teams, though in practice, they functioned more like groups of individuals responding to directives from a development manager, who also served as the architect. This centralised approach stifled innovation, limited team engagement, and created a culture of dependency. Team members were largely excluded from strategic discussions and only engaged in backlog refinement for sizing purposes, limiting their ability to influence the product direction.The Approach
To foster a genuine Scrum culture, we focused on empowering the teams and shifting the organisational perception from 'order takers' to trusted partners in product development. Here’s how we approached the transformation:
Empowering Decision-Making
■ We encouraged team members to take ownership of their work, making decisions collaboratively rather than relying solely on the development manager.
■ The Scrum framework was used to decentralise decision-making, promoting team autonomy within sprint planning, backlog refinement, and daily stand-ups.
■ We encouraged team members to take ownership of their work, making decisions collaboratively rather than relying solely on the development manager.
■ The Scrum framework was used to decentralise decision-making, promoting team autonomy within sprint planning, backlog refinement, and daily stand-ups.
Deepening Backlog Engagement
■ Teams were engaged beyond just sizing; they became active participants in backlog refinement, discussing the 'why' behind stories and contributing ideas to shape the backlog proactively.
■ Scrum teams were also encouraged to add technical debt, future technical improvements (such as system upgrades), and infrastructure enhancements to the backlog. This proactive approach allowed teams to identify and prioritise areas that would ensure long-term sustainability and maintainability of the product.
■ By enabling teams to take ownership of technical aspects, it fostered a deeper sense of product stewardship and accountability. Teams were empowered to not only build features but to also consider the product's technical health and future growth.
■ Product Owners worked closely with teams to ensure they understood business objectives and were empowered to challenge assumptions and offer insights.
■ Teams were engaged beyond just sizing; they became active participants in backlog refinement, discussing the 'why' behind stories and contributing ideas to shape the backlog proactively.
■ Scrum teams were also encouraged to add technical debt, future technical improvements (such as system upgrades), and infrastructure enhancements to the backlog. This proactive approach allowed teams to identify and prioritise areas that would ensure long-term sustainability and maintainability of the product.
■ By enabling teams to take ownership of technical aspects, it fostered a deeper sense of product stewardship and accountability. Teams were empowered to not only build features but to also consider the product's technical health and future growth.
■ Product Owners worked closely with teams to ensure they understood business objectives and were empowered to challenge assumptions and offer insights.
Refocusing Stand-Ups on Commitment and Goals
■ We transformed daily stand-ups from being simple status updates to focused discussions about progress against sprint commitments and goals.
■ This shift encouraged teams to be more intentional about their work, aligning daily efforts with the broader objectives of the sprint.
■ It fostered better problem-solving, collaboration, and a sense of shared responsibility for achieving the sprint goal.
■ We transformed daily stand-ups from being simple status updates to focused discussions about progress against sprint commitments and goals.
■ This shift encouraged teams to be more intentional about their work, aligning daily efforts with the broader objectives of the sprint.
■ It fostered better problem-solving, collaboration, and a sense of shared responsibility for achieving the sprint goal.
Ownership of Retrospective Outcomes
■ Retrospectives were transformed from sessions where the Scrum Master or Product Owner bore the brunt of action points, to forums where teams owned the outcomes.
■ Action items were assigned to individuals across the team, creating accountability and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
■ Retrospectives were transformed from sessions where the Scrum Master or Product Owner bore the brunt of action points, to forums where teams owned the outcomes.
■ Action items were assigned to individuals across the team, creating accountability and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
Measuring Progress
■ We introduced metrics that resonated with the teams, such as cycle time, velocity trends, and defect rates. This data provided insights into progress and encouraged healthy discussions about process improvements.
■ Successes were celebrated, and challenges were tackled collaboratively, reinforcing team cohesion and morale.
■ We introduced metrics that resonated with the teams, such as cycle time, velocity trends, and defect rates. This data provided insights into progress and encouraged healthy discussions about process improvements.
■ Successes were celebrated, and challenges were tackled collaboratively, reinforcing team cohesion and morale.
Enhancing Sprint Reviews
■ We revamped the sprint review process to make it more interactive and meaningful. Product Owners led the sessions by explaining the value delivered during the sprint, while Scrum teams provided live, hands-on demos of the work.
■ This approach received overwhelmingly positive feedback from stakeholders, who appreciated the transparency and the opportunity to see tangible progress firsthand.
■ The process was rewarding for the teams, who gained recognition for their contributions and had the opportunity to engage directly with stakeholders.
■ Feedback from the reviews was actively collected and used for future refinement, ensuring continuous alignment with stakeholder expectations and business goals.
■ We revamped the sprint review process to make it more interactive and meaningful. Product Owners led the sessions by explaining the value delivered during the sprint, while Scrum teams provided live, hands-on demos of the work.
■ This approach received overwhelmingly positive feedback from stakeholders, who appreciated the transparency and the opportunity to see tangible progress firsthand.
■ The process was rewarding for the teams, who gained recognition for their contributions and had the opportunity to engage directly with stakeholders.
■ Feedback from the reviews was actively collected and used for future refinement, ensuring continuous alignment with stakeholder expectations and business goals.
Adapting to Remote Work
With these strong Scrum fundamentals in place, when the call for remote working arose, the teams were empowered, ready to adapt, and able to self-organise. The structures established through Scrum allowed the teams to continue working at the same pace, maintaining their productivity and collaboration. This seamless transition demonstrated the strength of the culture we had built and reinforced the value of empowering teams to be self-sufficient and resilient.The Outcome
The transformation was profound. Teams became more self-reliant, confident, and engaged. Organisational perception shifted as stakeholders observed more thoughtful, strategic engagement from the engineering teams. Product discussions became richer, with engineers contributing ideas that enhanced business outcomes.■ The empowerment led to:
■ Faster decision-making and improved problem-solving.
■ Increased morale and ownership within the teams.
■ Enhanced collaboration with stakeholders.
■ Sustainable improvements identified and owned by the teams themselves.
Transforming team dynamics isn’t easy, but with the right approach and mindset, it's not only possible but immensely rewarding.