Using Checkins to Create Transparency

Do You Want to Work More Effectively in Geographically Distributed Teams?

In preparation for our geographically distributed teams webinar last week, Shane and I asked people what their greatest challenge was for their teams. Many of the comments were about communication and trust. One question was this: “How can I help people realize that asking for transparency is not micromanagement?”

Great question. You don't have to be agile to have that question.

Especially when you have a geographically distributed team, everyone needs transparency about the work. That's part of what helps people create a team environment. “We are all needed for this product.” It's important to have transparency about how people are feeling, too.

Feelings Matter at Work

Oh, I said the feeling word! Well, as many of you know, I am not a touchy-feely person by nature. I come from the Spock-people.

For me, it's logical to ask how people feel.

That's because the people I managed in the past have trained me to be a better manager. I learned that as a team member or a manager, if I address the entire human being–the feeling part and the work part–I succeed more often. So, that's what I do.

Make no mistake, this is part of the real work. This is how we build our human connections, so that we learn to trust each other enough to create transparency about the work. You can't make progress if Luis is concerned about his child's appendectomy or if Lakshmi is too tired to stay awake for this call. On some agile teams, I recommend this as part of the standups. It doesn't take long and it builds a human connection.

Small Pieces of Transparency Lead to More Transparency

If you start with transparency as a checkin, you can extend that transparency to the tasks. People are willing to share their work state because you are concerned about them as entire beings, their feelings and their work. The other person is not an FTE (a full-time equivalent)—they are a real person with real needs whom you care about and respect. The checkin helps build a sense of team.

The way to start is to model this with a team. If you are a project manager or a lead, start a phone standup with a checkin: “I'm Johanna, and I'm having a tough time with my nose today. It's running and I feel awful. I'm at work because none of you are here, so I can't give you anything. However, I don't know if I can meet the deliverables I thought I would meet. Here is where I am…”

Now you have transparency on the feelings and the work. It's a start. It's worked for me. In fact, it's what I do with Shane when we work together, and with my AYE colleagues. If you try it, please let me know how it goes.

Related 2012 Newsletters

I wrote these newsletters in preparation for a workshop Shane Hastie and I delivered in 2012. That was a tremendous success and led to my work with Mark Kilby on From Chaos to Successful Distributed Agile Teams: Collaborate to Deliver.

The newsletter series:

Useful Links

The Pragmatic Manager newsletter archive
My books
Managing Product Development blog
Create an Adaptable Life blog

Johanna

Vol 9, #6, ISSN: 2164-1196