Dependability: Keys to Team Performance #2

This is one installment in a series of articles exploring the top five factors in team performance as identified in Google’s extensively-researched Project Aristotle. This post is about factor number two: Dependability.

Here is a recap of those five factors, in order of importance:

1. Psychological Safety (blog post here)

2. Dependability

3. Structure & Clarity

4. Meaning

5. Impact

Google defined dependability as team members reliably completing quality work on time, rather than the opposite, shirking responsibility. In other words: being conscientious.

Here are some ways to foster a culture of dependability in your team.

Team Working Agreements

Shared values and working agreements are a critical foundation for strong teams. Start by choosing 4-5 values the team holds dear. As a leader or coach, encourage the team to consider Dependability, Accountability or Reliability as one of their top values. The next step is to agree on specific behaviors that demonstrate dependability, and counter-examples that people should avoid. Here are some questions to guide that discussion:

• What are examples of dependability with respect to meeting attendance and punctuality?

• What does dependability look like when someone encounters a setback? E.g. try a different approach, do more research, ask for help after being stuck for more than one day, etc.

• How should we react, as a team, if someone isn’t meeting our expectations for dependability? E.g. one-on-one conversation led by the colleague closest to that person, one-on-one led by the Scrum Master/Coach, escalate to a manager…

  • Note: other team values, such as Respect, may guide our answers to tough questions like these

See our blog post on team working agreements for more depth on working agreements.

Sprint Plan & Daily Scrum for Transparency & Accountability

When done well, the Sprint plan and daily Scrum meeting (a.k.a. Stand-up or Huddle) create transparency and accountability for each individual’s work - fostering dependability.

Try this:

1. Assign a ‘story owner’ for each backlog item in the Sprint. This person shepherds the item end-to-end.

2. Each user story may have lower-level tasks, each with its own assignee who may be different than the overall ‘story owner’

3. Show your task board (a.k.a. kanban board) in each of your daily meetings to create greater transparency and accountability for work

Coaching to Build a Team Conscience

A good Scrum Master, Coach, or Manager can act as a ‘mirror’, creating opportunities for the team to reflect on their values & team agreements. For example kick off a retrospective by asking this powerful question: “How well are we living up to our value of dependability?”

Don’t Go Overboard - Maintain Psychological Safety

Taken to an extreme, these efforts to foster dependability can create a culture of anxiety and fear. Don’t forget that the number one factor in team performance is psychological safety! Individuals will sometimes make mistakes. Plans will go awry. Accept this reality as a natural aspect of complex work by acknowledging and rewarding people’s efforts to grow and learn.