In our previous post, we explored how static processes can quietly burden software teams, from decreased engagement to missed innovation opportunities. Today, we're moving from reflection to action with a practical guide to understanding your team's foundation through the three pillars of practice evolution: Team, Performance, and Environmental Stability.
Before you can evolve your practices effectively, you need to understand where you're starting from. Think of it like planning a journey - you need to know your current location before you can chart the best path forward.
Before we dive into the detailed assessment, take two minutes to write down your gut feeling about your team's stability. Take a quick temperature check. For each question below, write down both your immediate response and what makes you feel that way:
Keep these initial impressions and your reasoning handy - they'll provide valuable context as we move through the structured assessment. Often, our gut feelings point to important patterns we haven't fully articulated yet.
Webs, why are you giving me next steps when I haven't even read the blog post?
I'm giving you the next steps not because I want you to become a superhero and tackle everything at once, but because I want to save you from the chaos of trying to do it all right now. Think of this as a sneak peek into your action-packed week ahead. So, take a deep breath, read on, and plan your week like a pro!
Over the next week:
Team stability isn't about having the same people forever - it's about how well your team functions as a unit. Let's gather some initial data.
Track these five indicators over the next week:
Tip: Create a simple tally in your notes or team chat. The actual numbers matter less than the patterns they reveal.
Performance stability means having a clear picture of how well your current practices work. Here's how to start measuring it.
Look at your team's delivery patterns over the last month (or 2-3 work increments if you use Sprints). Focus on these five areas:
Tip: Use whatever metrics your current process already tracks. The goal is understanding patterns, not creating new measurement systems.
*Framework Note: Whether you use Scrum's Velocity, Kanban's Lead Time, or SAFe's Program Increment metrics, look for trends rather than absolute numbers. Every framework has ways to track these patterns - use what you already have.
Your environment includes everything from your tools to your organizational context. This exercise works best as a team activity that reveals different perspectives.
Tip: This can also be done using a digital tool like Miro or LucidChartCome together as a team (30 minutes):
Tip: The differences between diagrams are often more revealing than any single diagram. Pay special attention to factors that surprise others on the team - these often highlight important perspectives or dependencies that aren't visible to everyone.
*Facilitation Notes:
Now that you've gathered initial data about each pillar, look for patterns:
These insights will be crucial as we explore why traditional maturity models often fail to address teams' real needs - the topic of our next post.
How do you track these patterns in your team? Whether you're using Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, or another approach, we'd love to hear:
Share your experiences in the comments below. Your insights could help other teams find better ways to understand their performance patterns.
Want to learn more about evolving your team's practices? Check out our previous post about the hidden costs of static processes, and stay tuned for our next post exploring why traditional maturity models often fall short.