Team Structure

Defines key roles, job responsibilities, boundaries, and values of the team. Everyone should understand who does what and their purpose in the team.

Why

A proper team structure is required to efficiently deliver values to customers. A team can perform at its best when there is clear communication and when everyone is clear on their role in the team. Good team structures consider the competencies and focus of individuals and uses these to achieve both individual objectives of team members and the larger team goals.

How

The following checklist can be used to build an efficient team:

Consider the project complexity, time and the budget before deciding the type of team:
- Generalists: Concentrate on improving software as a whole.
- Specialists: Can develop a system with high quality modules and be quicker at their narrow tasks.
- Hybrid Teams: Specialists manages issues that require deep expertise. Generalists integrate the system.
Build small enough teams (4-8 people) to recognize the personal contribution of its members and minimize the communication flows.
Select an intellectual leader, a social leader, idea generators, critics, doers to help them cooperate more efficiently and resolve project challenges.
Understand individual interests and goals in the team. Consider them in the team structure and try to align individual goals to team goals as much as possible to create a win-win strategy.
Document and clearly communicate what is expected from each team individual. It’s also recommended to discuss performance measures as early as possible.
Use project management tools to better manage the project team.
Update documentation in parallel with development.
Implement ways to manage knowledge within the team.
Daily and weekly team meetings should be organized.
Include all team members in the communication process.
Write an escalation policy for the resolution of conflicts.

References

Project Process

Architecture Blueprint