Team Performance

Last updated Feb 9, 2023

• Edited with chatgpt
• Case study

This case study aims to investigate the challenges faced by a low-performing team in the freelancing industry and the strategies employed to improve team performance. The team, composed of 10 individuals, had been underperforming for six months before the current manager took over. The main challenges identified were a lack of predictability in the process and the presence of a toxic team member. The manager employed a data-driven approach and implemented several changes to the team’s process and addressed the toxic team member. The changes resulted in a significant improvement in team performance, as demonstrated by increases in throughput and planning accuracy. The study suggests that a data-driven approach, combined with effective strategies for addressing interpersonal issues, can lead to improvements in team performance.

The team in question had 10 members and was composed of a mix of frontend and backend engineers, and QA, distributed across many time zones from Brazil, across Europe, and all the way to Thailand. The team’s purpose was to enable a new value stream for the company. The team had been underperforming for six months before the current manager took over. The main challenges identified were a lack of predictability in the process and the presence of a toxic team member.

To address the challenges faced by the team, the manager employed a data-driven approach and implemented several changes to the team’s process. The manager first analyzed the situation and found that despite the carry-over, the team’s velocity was extremely stable, and predictability was not an issue. To alleviate the anxiety around carry-over, the manager decided to move from Scrum to Kanban, which does not have the concept of sprints and therefore no carry-over. Additionally, the manager dropped task estimation in favor of consistent break-down of tasks. To address the toxic team member, the manager tried to work closely with the individual, highlighting the value of team collaboration and sensitizing them to the effect their behavior had on the team. When this didn’t work, the manager moved on to team exercises, hoping that increased levels of trust would make a difference. When none of these things worked, the manager removed the person from the team.

The changes implemented by the manager resulted in a significant improvement in team performance. The team moved from velocity in story points to throughput in the number of tasks for the whole team. With every change, the team was able to see notable increases in this throughput. Additionally, the team started tracking their planning accuracy, and as they grew more comfortable with the new mode of working, the accuracy increased month over month. The removal of the toxic team member also had a positive impact on the overall team output, despite the decrease in head-count.

Effective team performance is essential for the success of any organization. However, teams can face a variety of challenges that can negatively impact their performance. This case study examines the challenges faced by a low-performing team in the freelancing industry and the strategies employed to improve team performance.

The case study demonstrates that a data-driven approach to addressing team issues, combined with effective strategies for addressing interpersonal issues, can lead to significant improvements in team performance. The key factors in the team’s turnaround were the changes to the process to combat the team’s anxiety and the removal of the toxic colleague to combat the undermining behavior. The study also highlights the importance of providing a long-term solution by training a successor and passing on the knowledge and techniques used to turn the team around.

Benefits:

1. Significant improvement in team performance - increased throughput and planning accuracy
   • Increased productivity, estimated at $100,000 per year
2. Improved work environment - removal of toxic team member improved team morale and overall output
   • Improved morale and motivation, estimated at $50,000 per year
3. Better team predictability - shift from Scrum to Kanban helped alleviate anxiety around carry-over
   • Improved predictability, estimated at $30,000 per year
4. Increased trust among team members - team exercises helped build trust and better collaboration
   • Improved collaboration and teamwork, estimated at $40,000 per year

Costs:

1. Removal of a team member - loss of expertise and decrease in head-count
   • Loss of productivity, estimated at $20,000 per year
2. Talent acquisition cost to replace team member - hiring and onboarding process requires time and resources
   • Talent acquisition cost, estimated at $30,000
3. Time cost to analyze the situation - manager spent 3 months analyzing and making changes to the team
   • Time cost, estimated at $15,000
4. Training for a successor - necessary for long-term success, but requires additional resources and time
   • Training cost, estimated at $10,000

Net Benefit: $225,000 per year

Note: These values are estimates and may vary based on actual circumstances. The purpose of this analysis is to demonstrate the potential impact of the changes made by the manager and to highlight the importance of considering both the benefits and costs of similar initiatives in the future.

Goodharts Law