đ Hello, Iâm Carlos, and welcome to my newsletter, âThe Holistic Leaderâ Raw notes from an Agile Coach. Share your questions with me here, and in exchange, I'll provide practical, grounded, and clear advice.
Welcome to this week's Agile Pulse
Every Wednesday, Iâll share easy-to-follow tips and tricks that I wish I had known when I started on my own Agile journey.
Whether youâre leading an Agile team, a Scrum Master, Agile leader or just curious, this series is just for you.
â
Highlights:
Surround Yourself with High Achievers
Open Communication
Realistic Goal Setting
Skill Development
Regular Feedback
Self-Assessment
When working in Agile teams, understanding your own personal standards isn't just helpfulâit's crucial.
But what does that really mean, and how can you start improving right now?
Let's break it down into simple steps so you can see immediate improvements in your teamwork and project outcomes.
Understanding Your True Standards
Think about this.
How well do you really know your work standards?
Often, we think about our ideal performanceâthe very best we aspire to achieve.
But in reality, the standards that matter most are the ones we consistently meet in our everyday tasks, not just on our best days.
Hereâs why this is so important
If you believe you're always working at your best.
But your project results suggest otherwise.
It might be easy to blame others or the circumstances.
But if you were truly meeting those high standards all the time.
You'd definitely see better results.
đŁ 1) Surround Yourself with High Achievers
If possible, work more closely with team members who have higher standards than yours.
Their work ethic and attitudes can be contagious, pushing you to raise your own standards.
đŁ 2) Open Communication
Talk openly with your team about everyone's real standards and expectations.
This can help set a common ground and ensure everyone is on the same page, reducing misunderstandings and setting clear team objectives.
đŁ 3) Realistic Goal Setting
When planning tasks.
Set realistic goals based on your current capabilities.
If you think a project will take a week based on your ideal standards
Plan for it taking a bit longer to accommodate real-world issues that might arise.
đŁ 4) Skill Development
If you notice that your projects arenât meeting expectations.
Consider whether you need to improve your skills.
Identify the areas where you need growth and seek training or advice from more experienced team members.
đŁ 5) Regular Feedback
Encourage regular feedback sessions within your team.
These can be informal and should focus on constructive ways to improve and recognize where standards are being met or exceeded.
đŁ 6) Self-Assessment
Start with a simple self-assessment.
At the end of each day, jot down what you actually did versus what you hoped to do.
This will help you see a clear picture of your real daily standards.
Be honest and detailed.
Why This Matters
Knowing and applying your true standards is more than just a way to improve project outcomes
It helps you grow as a team member and makes your entire team more effective.
Success in an Agile environment isn't about checking off tasks.
Itâs about continuous improvement and adapting to challenges as a cohesive unit.
Your actions each day reflect your true standards and show who you really are in your team.
By aligning your daily actions with the standards you aspire to, you set the stage for genuine, lasting success in your Agile projects.
Reflexion questions!
Are you living up to your real standards every day with your Agile teams?
Are you inspiring people to become better and raise their standards?
I want to hear your thoughts!
Share the love â€ïž
I enjoy sharing leadership, Management, Agile & Teams insights. If you liked this new section Agile Pulse: âSimple Agile Wins â please pass it along.
And if someone shared this edition with you, don't forget to hit that Subscribe button before leaving.
Thanks for reading
See you next week!
- Carlos âïž
đ Last Week Posts:
Making People Awesome