Take this quick quiz to see how great your team is on my greatness scale. You should answer with “yes” or “no” to each. The more “yes” answers you have, the greater a team you are, by my scale.
1. The team has been stable for a minimum of 6 months.
Instability causes variations in team performance.
2. Team members are 100% allocated to one team.
Being on multiple teams causes context changes and lack of continuous focus in work.
3. The team has 7 members, +/-2.
Too many members on a team introduce need for additional coordination and administrative overhead, just as too few members means reduction in team spirit.
4. The team is co-located.
Sitting the same location, in the same office, as your team members has proven to be positive for team spirit and motivation.
5. The team is disciplined and follows agreed principles.
Whether you follow formal rules or intrinsic principles is irrelevant as long as you all know how to react in a given situation and how others would react.
6. The team has an explicit shared purpose and common goals.
A group has a variety of individual goals.
7. The team has been provided with a clear (product) vision.
Not knowing why you are paid to do work is not motivating.
8. The team has a clear framework of empowerment.
Enable the team to make swift decisions by setting ground rules for what they can decide and what is outside their control zone.
9. The team is responsible from idea to product.
Being a phase in the development of a new product instead of “full stack” from idea to final delivery reduces motivation in a team.
10. The team is not micromanaged but acknowledges deadlines and fulfill goals.
A team is self-organized and able to act and plan within agreed scope and deadlines.
11. The team is able work with focus, and with few dependencies on other teams.
The team is able to “get in the zone” and complete their part of a task independently and without interruptions.
12. Team performance is recognized and rewarded.
Are releases celebrated? Do team members recognize each other for their results, skills, and collaboration?
Source: Unknown