coach agile teams with your fist.

As a former athlete, I was drawn to an article titled “The Fist” that was published on Duke University’s blog site.

The analogy of a “fist” to explain effective teamwork is a metaphor used by Duke’s former head basketball Coach Krzyzewski, affectionately known as Coach K. Each finger represents a member of the team. To make the greatest impact, each member of the team must come together like a fist, unified in mind and body. If goals are not aligned, teamwork fails and so does the ability of the team to achieve its objectives. It’s analogous to using a single finger to strike a wall. Most likely, the result is a broken finger and a bruised ego. But, with your fist, you just might punch through the wall.

As an Agile Coach, this metaphor and general philosophy seems right out of an Agile playbook. But, Coach K emphasizes five words to his teams: communication, trust, collective responsibility, care, and pride. During team meetings, he would emphasize how these words have power when combined in a way that creates unity, which leads to victory. To an Agile team, here’s what I think he might say:

Communication: Effective Scrum Masters must be effective communicators. During the sprint, we engage with our teammates in daily synch meetings to ensure alignment with sprint goals.
Trust: We must learn to trust one another. Trust is a critical component of an effective team. Without trust, we might fall into the “storming” phase of team development which undermines the overall synergy of the group. During the sprint, we must trust that individually, and that as a team, the outcome of the sprint will meet sprint goals.
Care: Each team member must care about the work they do and give their best effort to complete assignments as planned.
Collective Responsibility: As a team, we are responsible and accountable for the desired outcomes. It is crucial that team members encourage one another and to put forth his or her best effort. The team wins together or fails together. Celebrate team wins, but also praise and support individual interests and accomplishments.
Pride: Take pride in your team’s successes. Work together to create an environment of encouragement and support for each other.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski, retired from Duke University Basketball in 2022. He is one of the most successful and famous college coaches. He has used the “fist” analogy for over forty-years in developing highly successful teams.

About the Author

Randy Shumpert Sr., MBA, SPC6, RTE6

Mr. Shumpert is a SAFe 6 Practice Consultant and Instructor, trusted partner, and change catalyst who listens and strives to help organizations achieve their business agility objectives. To learn about our flagship product, GembaLyticstm, give us a call at (800) 466-1303, email [email protected], or visit our website at http://www.agilityobjectives.com