How can you create a safe and inclusive environment for agile product teams?

Additional tips from my experience: 👉 Use the TEAM VALUE CANVAS: Conduct workshops where the team works together to identify and express their most important values. This helps everyone feel involved. 👉 Have 1:1 talks to discovery values - Regularly discuss values with team members, asking direct questions or learning from specific behaviours. 👉 Use Value Cards: Turn the list of values into visual cards from e.g. Management 3.0. You can use cards during the workshops or 1:1. These cards will help you facilitate the discussion.

Too often in my career as a PdM I saw others treat engineers like staff in a fast food restaurant: give them a ticket, execute the task. They were often removed from business objectives and never really understood what they were building. I see engineers as creative partners who could help me problem solve and build better products because they had far more knowledge about code than I ever would. I wanted them to be invested in the product, know how it works and why, and see the value for the end customer. My PI planning built empathy for the end user and broke down silos and hierarchy by giving each member of the team a voice and space to contribute, often breaking out into groups of colleagues who never worked with each other.

Here are a few ideas that have consistently helped in creating a safe and inclusive environment for my agile product teams: Arriving on agreements like below bring clarity and hence feeling of safety in the teams: What would be the definition of ready & done How to reduce wastes, technical debt What KPIs to be tracked What would be the team values like Integrity, Respect, Honesty, Openness & Timeliness Also, creating an environment where agile teams can fail fast without the fear of negative criticism also helps build trust.

🌱 Prioritize Safety & Inclusivity! I'd emphasize the importance of cultivating a safe and inclusive environment for agile product teams. Initiating with clearly defined team values paves the way for mutual respect and understanding. Promoting diversity isn't just an ethical choice; it's a catalyst for innovation. To further reinforce team cohesion, ensure an atmosphere where members can voice concerns without apprehension, emphasizing psychological safety. As the agile environment is ever-evolving, adaptability is critical. Simultaneously, nurture continuous learning, equipping teams to thrive. These foundational elements, coupled with transparent agreements, are pivotal for a harmonious team space.

I've found that making team values with everyone's input is key. We decide what matters to us and keep these ideas visible in our space. Regular one-on-one chats help too. This approach makes sure that everyone knows they can share their ideas and be themselves, and they won't be ignored. With everyone on board with this kind of trust, our team can really get creative and work well together, because we all feel like we're in it together.

It is important to give team members a chance to express themselves and understand a diverse point-of-view. What can help during brainstorms and discussions: 1️⃣ Give everyone a moment to think about their ideas (or even write them down). 2️⃣ Make sure everyone gets a chance to share their thoughts. 3️⃣ Write down the ideas where everyone can see them, like on a digital tool or a whiteboard. Don't skip any ideas. This way, you create an inclusive atmosphere where everyone can contribute, and you keep track of the ideas for future discussions.

Great facilitation goes a long way to enabling diverse perspectives. Often the only perspective is the loudest voice in the room. If you don't think you have a diverse bench yet, start by encouraging people to speak up, create a safe space for them. You might be surprised by the perspectives already in the room just by creating space for them to show up and speak up.

I would like to add some thoughts on this topic as a non-native English speaker who works with diverse teams. - Firstly we need to admit that language barriers are always there. Please use simple words to express complicated tasks. This is not as easy as it sounds. - Secondly during communication with people in their second or third languages, too often that some information gets lost in translation. That’s why documentation is so crucial to bring everyone to the same page. - Last but not least, be interested in your team members ! Knowing something about their pets, hobbies or even ambitions through small talks will build trust in an unexpected way.

In my experience, fostering a safe and inclusive environment also involves encouraging informal interactions, such as virtual coffee chats or team-building activities, to strengthen team bonds. These moments build camaraderie, break down communication barriers, and contribute to a more cohesive and supportive team culture, enhancing overall collaboration and well-being.

Embracing diversity and inclusion in agile teams is a moral imperative and a strategic advantage, bringing a wealth of perspectives and ideas that drive innovation and problem-solving. It involves intentional efforts in recruiting diverse talent, fostering an environment of continuous learning about cultural awareness and inclusive practices, and ensuring all voices are heard and valued. By weaving these principles into the fabric of the team’s operations, from daily interactions to customer feedback integration, teams can create products that resonate with a broader audience and reflect a richer understanding of diverse user needs.

I learned from Stanford training groups, a class also known as interpersonal dynamics, that people have different tolerance levels for social risk-taking. The group's ability to take risk is limited by the least risk taking person in the room. But it's possible for your higher risk tolerance people to take risks and show by example, this will pull your more risk averse participants in the group and motivate them to take risks and open up.

In my experience, it's crucial for team members to feel comfortable making decisions and taking risks without fear of punishment, even in the case of mistakes. Steps that can help: 1. Embrace Mistakes: Encourage team members to make mistakes without fear of punishment. Focus on learning and improving rather than blame. 2. Feedback Culture: Show that failure is an opportunity for improvement, leading by example, and supporting the team in this approach. 3. Protect from External Pressure: Shield the team from external pressures, like demanding stakeholders, to reduce stress and boost safety. 4. Act on Concerns: Be responsive to team members' concern and address any issues that arise.

One of the best ways to build safety and trust is to implement a “no stupid questions” rule. A big reason why a team member may not ask questions is due to fear of judgment, which is not only detrimental to their growth, but also to the product when they make mistakes. By understanding where a team member may be confused or require assistance, you can take the necessary steps sooner rather than later.

Providing a psychologically safe space for teams to speak openly on their tasks and roles is vital for understanding how some of the main stakeholders of a product feel authentically about a product, especially in smaller teams. As a product manager, rather than a ‘yes man’, one will appreciate more team members who are comfortable to question assigned task priorities or directions of a project. If valued team members feel safe to speak up on the goals of a project, then they are more willing to take more responsibility on the prioritizations of project goals and the results on implementation.

Promoting psychological safety in agile teams requires a leadership style that exemplifies empathy, vulnerability, openness, and constructive feedback around mistakes and learning. It's about creating a team culture where risk-taking is encouraged, and failures are seen as opportunities for growth, fostering an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. Leaders should also focus on setting clear goals and providing consistent support, as this clarity and support system is crucial in allowing team members to confidently express ideas, experiment, and innovate without fear of negative repercussions.

Fueling the agile product team's journey to excellence involves nurturing a growth mindset. Picture it as the belief that effort, feedback, and learning are the secret sauce to unlocking potential. It's the innovation spark, the resilience boost, and the success key. Challenge the team to embrace new skills, set STAR goals, and revel in positive vibes. It's not just about individual growth; it's the recipe for the team's collective triumph. So, celebrate progress, turn feedback into fuel, and embark on a continuous improvement adventure together! 🚀

First, the Product Manager should establish a squad culture where everyone’s voices matter. I’m a firm believer that good ideas can come from anywhere - especially your engineers. For example, I was working on a feature years ago, developed the roadmap and wrote the user stories - we started building it and my lead engineer found a better approach. She brought this up during daily standup…because of our culture, I embraced the new idea and we pivoted to execute the solution a better way. Our customers loved the final product. Everyone from the Scrum Master to Junior Engineer to Sr Engineer on the squad has a voice and they all matter when building a product that customers love.

I agree wholeheartedly. Agile is a way of thinking and quick trusted decisions being made. Your idea can be good but there could always be better, in the end the customer is happy and we all win!

Mutual respect is the one main pillar that will be helpful in maintaining the perfect environment where your team can collaborate and work together. The main goal here is to make team members understand the situation from each other's perspective and show empathy.