When we asked a group of customers recently, 90% said their Scrum Team needs a level-set. But what is level-setting and how can you get your Team on the same page?
We introduced the concept of level-setting in this blog post, and now we’re going to dive into ideas on how to level-set your Team.
what is a level-set?
A level-set is “a nice corporate-sounding term thrown around in meetings that simply means ‘get everyone on the same page’ or ‘bring everyone up to speed’ so they have the same basic understanding of a situation or project.
Does your team need a level-set?
Are you wondering if your Team needs a level-set? Here’s one way to figure it out—do you have a Scrum BUT Team?
We do Scrum BUT we only do daily standup once a week.
We do Scrum BUT we don’t do Retrospectives because we run out of time or are eager to move to the next Sprint.
We do Scrum BUT often our upper management will derail the Team.
We do Scrum BUT we don’t have a cross-functional Team and often hear “that’s not my job.”
If any of this sounds familiar, then yes your Team needs a level-set! Remember, while we feel that any Agile we do within the Organization is better than no Agile at all, this does not mean your Team practices Scrum!
Benefits of Level-Setting
When your Team is all on the same page, you can:
Avoid misconceptions, anger, and frustrations.
Ensure everyone has the same expectations.
Create more empathy within the Team.
Make sure remote Teams especially all share the same understanding of a task or project.
Foster greater productivity.
Hold each other accountable for achieving Sprint Goals.
Have a high-performing Team with lower stress and good synergy.
Create a healthy happy Team!
How to Level-Set Your Team
Come up with group baseline—Gather your Team together to revisit what everyone is currently doing in their daily roles, and then inspect and adapt to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Revisit the Agile Manifesto and Agile Principles—Sometimes it’s best to go back to the very beginning and make sure everyone understands the why of what you do before diving into the process and goals.
Revisit your Organization’s core values—The same concept applies here. It’s beneficial to get your Team together and review the core values to make sure they’re represented in the work.
Revisit Scrum Guide 2020—If your Team isn’t aware yet, there were some big changes in the Scrum Guide 2020 (which you can review here). Revisiting these changes together will ensure everyone is practicing the most current of Scrum.
Have your Team attend training together—The easiest way to level-set your Team is to have everyone attend the same class or workshop, whether it’s someone basic like Scrum Fundamentals or more specific like Certified Scrum Product Owner.
Host lunch and learns or mythbuster sessions—Fun, casual sessions for the entire Organization encourage culture of learning with everyone receiving the same information at the same time.
Make sure everyone has a copy of Scrum for the Rest of Us—This free, helpful book written by Braintrust’s CEO Brian Rabon is full of information, definitions, and examples. Having this on hand for your entire Team is an easy way to ensure everyone has the same understanding of Scrum!
Just remember, the key thing is that level-setting brings alignment to your Team and your Organization!
