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Form Initial Team

5 minutes 5 Questions

In the Disciplined Agile (DA) framework, "Form Initial Team" is a critical process goal during the Inception phase of a project. This concept focuses on assembling a team that is tailored to meet the unique demands of the project while aligning with organizational objectives. The decision points within this process goal involve several key considerations: 1. **Team Size**: Deciding on the optimal number of team members is essential. A smaller team may foster better communication and agility, while a larger team might be necessary for projects requiring diverse expertise. 2. **Team Composition**: Selecting individuals with the right mix of skills, experience, and cultural fit. This includes technical skills, domain knowledge, and soft skills such as communication and collaboration. 3. **Roles and Responsibilities**: Defining clear roles helps set expectations and accountability. The team might include roles like Scrum Master, Product Owner, and cross-functional team members who can handle multiple tasks. 4. **Team Structure**: Deciding between a self-organizing team versus a more hierarchical structure. DA promotes empowered teams that can make decisions rapidly, enhancing adaptability. 5. **Team Location**: Choosing whether the team will be co-located, distributed, or a combination. This decision affects communication strategies and tools needed to support collaboration. 6. **Onboarding Practices**: Establishing how new team members will be integrated. Effective onboarding accelerates team cohesion and productivity. By thoughtfully addressing these decision points, organizations can form a team that is well-equipped to handle the project's challenges. This process goal recognizes that one size does not fit all; teams need to be formed based on the specific context of the project, including its complexity, scope, and stakeholder needs. Ultimately, "Form Initial Team" sets the foundation for effective collaboration, high performance, and successful project outcomes in the DA framework.

Comprehensive Guide to Forming Initial Team in DASM

Why Forming an Initial Team is Important

Forming an initial team is a crucial early step in the Digital Age Solution Management (DASM) framework because it establishes the foundation for solution development. The right team composition ensures that you have the necessary skills, perspectives, and leadership to successfully initiate and execute the project. A well-formed initial team increases the probability of project success by bringing together people who collectively possess the right mix of technical, business, and domain expertise.

What Is the Form Initial Team Process?

The Form Initial Team process is one of the first activities in the DASM framework. It involves identifying and assembling key individuals who will be responsible for initiating the solution development effort. This team typically includes:

- Team Lead/Project Manager: Provides leadership and coordination
- Business Representative(s): Ensures business needs are addressed
- Technical Expert(s): Provides technical knowledge and implementation expertise
- Domain Expert(s): Contributes specialized industry or functional knowledge
- User Representative(s): Represents end-user perspectives and needs

How the Form Initial Team Process Works

1. Identify Required Skills and Expertise: Determine what skills and knowledge the project needs

2. Define Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly outline what each team member will be responsible for

3. Select Team Members: Choose individuals based on skills, availability, and fit with the project

4. Establish Team Structure: Define reporting relationships and communication channels

5. Onboard Team Members: Brief the team on the project goals, scope, and their roles

6. Set Up Collaboration Methods: Establish how the team will work together and communicate

Key Considerations When Forming the Initial Team

- Team Size: Keep the initial team relatively small for better coordination

- Skill Coverage: Ensure all necessary skills are represented

- Availability: Consider members' availability for the project duration

- Team Dynamics: Consider how team members will work together

- Authority: Ensure the team has appropriate decision-making authority

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Form Initial Team

1. Focus on Roles: Be able to describe key roles needed in an initial team and their specific responsibilities

2. Understand Sequence: Know that team formation occurs early in the project lifecycle, typically after goals are established but before detailed planning

3. Connect to Project Success: Explain how proper team formation contributes to overall project success

4. Size Matters: Remember that initial teams should be small but diverse enough to cover all necessary expertise

5. Know the Decision Points: Be familiar with key decisions made during team formation (team size, roles, leadership structure)

6. Be Specific: When answering exam questions, provide specific examples of team roles rather than general statements

7. Think about Management: Consider how the initial team will be managed and who has authority for decision-making

8. Cross-functional Focus: Emphasize the cross-functional nature of effective initial teams

When faced with scenario-based questions, analyze what skills would be most critical given the specific project attributes mentioned in the scenario. For multiple-choice questions, look for answers that reflect a balanced team composition rather than those focusing too heavily on just technical or just business perspectives.

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DASM - Process Goals and Decision Points Example Questions

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Question 1

What is a key consideration when forming an initial team in Disciplined Agile?

Correct Answer: Building the team around motivated individuals who have relevant skills

Building the team around motivated individuals who have relevant skills is the optimal approach in Disciplined Agile because: Motivated individuals with relevant skills create high-performing teams that can deliver value effectively. This aligns with agile principles of self-organization and continuous improvement. The other options are problematic because: Basing teams on hierarchies and organizational structures can create silos and limit cross-functional collaboration. Selecting members solely based on technical certifications and experience overlooks important factors like teamwork, adaptability, and cultural fit. Forming teams based on departmental availability often leads to resource optimization rather than value optimization, and may result in suboptimal team composition.

Question 2

What is a recommended approach to forming sub-teams when scaling with Disciplined Agile?

Correct Answer: Create feature-based sub-teams to enhance delivery focus

Creating feature-based sub-teams is the recommended approach in Disciplined Agile scaling because it: - Maintains focus on delivering value to customers - Preserves cross-functional team capabilities - Promotes end-to-end ownership of features - Reduces dependencies between teams - Aligns with agile principles of delivering working software The other approaches are problematic because: Specializing by technical expertise creates silos and increases hand-offs between teams, reducing agility. Geographical organization, while sometimes necessary, should not be the primary factor in team formation as it can create unnecessary barriers and reduce collaboration effectiveness. Dividing by project phases contradicts agile principles by reverting to waterfall-style sequential development and reduces the benefits of cross-functional teams.

Question 3

When forming the initial team in Disciplined Agile, what is a key factor in determining team member allocation?

Correct Answer: Balance of primary and specialized skills needed for the project

In Disciplined Agile, balancing primary and specialized skills is crucial when forming the initial team because: The right mix of skills ensures: - The team can handle all aspects of project delivery - There's appropriate coverage for both core and specialized work - Team capability matches project requirements - Sustainable workflow and delivery pace Why other options are incorrect: Random distribution based on availability fails to consider skill requirements and project needs, potentially creating capability gaps. Focusing exclusively on technical expertise and certifications overlooks other important aspects like soft skills, collaboration abilities, and domain knowledge. Past experience working together, while beneficial, is not the primary factor in initial team formation - the right mix of skills takes precedence to ensure project success.

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