What is an agile team?

An agile team is able to adapt to a changing market environment and react to the unexpected. It has a cross-functional group of people that have all the skills necessary to produce a working and well-tested product. Agile teams may be co-located, but others will have members across different locations.

Project management for agile teams

There is no formula for the perfect agile team, and companies can adapt their preferred startup project management tools based on their business and team setup.

Kanban: The Kanban framework utilizes a Kanban Board (digital or physical) in order for all team members to see every piece of work and it’s status in real time. A Kanban Board has a three-step workflow (To Do, In Progress, Done) but can also be customized to meet the needs of the team. The benefits of the Kanban framework are that workflows are standardized, and issues can be identified straight away and resolved.

Scrum: The Scrum framework encompasses the commitment to short iterations of work called ‘sprints’. By assigning short ‘sprint’s and approving each ‘milestone’, teams can feel tangible progress and are able to celebrate these small wins – leading to an energized team culture. Smaller tasks mean that evaluation and feedback can be done sooner, with problems ironed out along the way.

Building an agile team in your startup

Agile teams take time to grow, and it may not be possible to become completely agile for some enterprises. There is a lot to learn about agile teams and the agile methodology, so we’d recommend doing some extra research for yourself to discover how they can be of benefit for your startup project management.

These are some tools and techniques to help you:

• Educate your team: Not everyone will understand what agile working is, so it’s important that you explain it to your team and why you are using this methodology. Explain the bigger picture.

• Keep your culture: Hiring people from legacy organizations can mean trouble for your culture. They’ll think that they have all the answers to project management and may create conflict.

• Hire for mindset, not skills: Skills can be taught, attitude can not. It is much better to hire someone that fits into your culture who you can teach, rather than someone that is going to be annoying from day 1.

• Diversify: The most innovative teams are usually the most diverse, with a mix of backgrounds and skills.

• Look after your team members: Onboard them properly, hook them up with a buddy, and don’t shuffle people around to the point they get fed up.

• Trust your team: Without trust, an agile team won’t survive. Everyone needs to trust that all members will do their bit to get each stage of the project completed.

• Focus on results: Agile teams should focus more on results than processes, as this leads team members to develop solutions and solve problems.

• Find the right workspace: Use an agile workspace that promotes collaboration, learning, focus, and socializing.

Are coworking spaces the answer for agile teams?

Coworking spaces such as Garage Society are the perfect solution for agile team startups that are looking for a place to grow their business. Not only are they already set up for agile working and startup project management, but they give you all the benefits without wasting your money on rented office space and furniture.

Coworking spaces usually provide:

• Open plan workspaces for easy communication

• Break out rooms or private meeting spaces

• Comfortable spaces to relax and brainstorm

• Different work areas when a change of scene from the desk is needed

• Leisure activities such as table tennis or pool when you need time out

Garage Society offers coworking spaces that are built to inspire creativity, promote collaboration, and provide a happy work culture and community for agile teams. While working in the space, there are opportunities for chance encounters with other entrepreneurs who you may be able to bounce ideas off of.

If you’d like to find out more how about one of Garage Society’s venues around Asia could be the ideal agile working space for your team, please contact us. We will happily invite you in for a tour and answer any questions you may have.