Q&AI: Creating Cultures of Continuous Improvement
Adapted from https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/your-team-stuck-rut-how-can-you-create-culture-ldlqe
More about our Q&AI series: https://www.productteacher.com/articles/new-series-q-ai
Your team is stuck in a rut. How can you create a culture of continuous improvement?
Navigating through team stagnation requires a thoughtful approach to foster a culture of perpetual growth. In this breakdown, we'll uncover tactics and methods for cultivating an environment of continuous improvement within your team.
By implementing targeted initiatives and fostering open communication, you’ll enable your team to propel itself towards sustained success amidst challenges.
LinkedIn’s question on identifying causes for stuck teams
The first step to improve your team's performance is to understand why they are in a rut. You can use tools like the 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, or retrospective meetings to dig deeper into the problems and challenges your team faces. By asking open-ended questions and listening to feedback, you can uncover the underlying issues that prevent your team from achieving their goals.
Clement, what are your thoughts here?
Clement’s response on identifying causes for stuck teams
Keep in mind - most people want to do good work! In my experience, I've found that when teams get deeply stuck, it's usually not something that's easily addressed through retrospective meetings, 5 Whys, or other surface-level analyses.
Things that can cause teams to get stuck:
Repeated, rapidly-shifting priorities from leadership
Lack of trust within the team, due to blame being heaped on the team from outside
Toxic individuals within the team
In all of the cases above, most folks aren't going to tell you about them in a group setting or in a formal analysis.
Instead, I recommend spending some time to sit down one-on-one with each teammate, and gently ask them "what's blocking you from doing your best work, and how can I help?"
LinkedIn’s question on implementing small changes
Once you have identified the root causes, you can start making small changes to improve your team's workflow, communication, and collaboration. You can use techniques like A/B testing, MVPs, or prototypes to experiment with different solutions and measure their impact. You can also use agile methods like Scrum or Kanban to prioritize and deliver value incrementally. The key is to test, learn, and adapt quickly based on the results.
Clement, what are your thoughts here?
Clement’s response on implementing small changes
The reason why we should start with small changes is because we want to give the team a sense of agency.
When things are going poorly for an extended period of time, teams "learn" that they are helpless.
If you try to drive a "large visionary change," you have only one shot to get it right - and many times, it won't be right. That then further locks the team into "learned helplessness."
Instead, find ways to reframe small but meaningful chunks of the process. For example, for the next sprint's retro, don't blame individuals for not hitting their projected story points. Ask the group to share thoughts on how to assess projected bandwidth better. Shift the mindset away from individual blame and towards system improvement instead.
LinkedIn’s question on celebrating wins
Another way to create a culture of continuous improvement is to celebrate both wins and failures. You can use tools like OKRs, KPIs, or user feedback to track and showcase your team's progress and achievements. You can also use tools like post-mortems, failure reports, or blameless culture to learn from your team's mistakes and failures. By celebrating wins and failures, you can motivate your team, foster trust, and encourage risk-taking.
Clement, what are your thoughts here?
Clement’s response on celebrating wins
I'm not really a fan of this advice. Culture is not something that you measure.
Again, most people on most teams want to improve. Otherwise, work feels totally meaningless! Most folks don't like to do the same thing over and over again; they'd much prefer to improve.
Check in regularly in one-on-one conversations. Ask how they're feeling about the process & culture changes that you've jointly tackled as a group so far.
Slowly chip away at the problem. It's something that takes sustained effort, and it's not easily measured.
I think of this like "chronic back pain"; it's usually pretty hard to measure whether chronic back pain is getting better within a day. But, if you have a treatment that works, it slowly dissolves over months.
LinkedIn’s question on providing feedback and coaching
Feedback and coaching are essential for your team's improvement and development. You can use tools like peer reviews, 360-degree feedback, or one-on-one meetings to provide constructive and timely feedback to your team members. You can also use tools like mentoring, training, or career development plans to coach and support your team members. By providing feedback and coaching, you can help your team grow their skills, confidence, and potential.
Clement, what are your thoughts here?
Clement’s response on providing feedback and coaching
A word of advice: feedback and coaching is not the right play if the team has little psychological safety.
In low-trust environments, even gentle and thoughtful advice will be perceived as a threat. No amount of coaching sessions will help. In fact, the more coaching you schedule, the more they feel they're underperforming.
In high-trust environments, slightly mispositioned advice (e.g. wrong choice of words) tends not to hurt as much, because everyone gets that it's coming from a good place.
If the team can't yet accept feedback, this is typically because they're getting blamed from outside the team.
Shield them first. Take the blame on their behalf, and sing their praises while you rebuild trust from within.
LinkedIn’s question on involving the team
Finally, you can create a culture of continuous improvement by involving your team in decision-making. You can use tools like surveys, polls, or brainstorming sessions to solicit your team's ideas and opinions. You can also use tools like voting, consensus, or delegation to empower your team to make decisions and take ownership of their work. By involving your team in decision-making, you can boost their engagement, creativity, and commitment.
Clement, what are your thoughts here?
Clement’s response on involving the team
A good question to ask: "who was making the decisions before?"
Your team can't start making decisions if the previous decision-maker doesn't cede control.
If you're the decision-maker, then good news! You can delegate to the team more easily. In this situation, it's crucial to let the team know that while they're making decisions, you're giving your full approval and support; that is, don't turn around and blame them if they make a decision you don't like.
If you're not the one making decisions, then this step is a bit harder. You'll want to engage the de facto decision maker and empathize with why they didn't previously give control to the team. Then, help them understand why delegation enables them to achieve their objectives faster.
Clement’s other thoughts
Teams tend not to put themselves into a rut.
They tend to fall into ruts due to situations that are out of their control, and therefore require you to intervene as a product manager.
Don't try to make the team get themselves out of the rut; they weren't the ones who put themselves there in the first place!
(After all, would you ever put yourself into a rut willingly? Probably not!)
Take a step back and look at the overarching problem. Then, slowly secure small wins to give the team a sense of self-agency.
