For most people on most teams, the level of quality expected of them is second to none. Sometimes even though a person is on a team, that person is solely responsible for her own quality, and should she slip, other members are so engrossed in not slipping themselves, there’s nobody there to catch her. For me this is not a team I would enjoy, because to me this does not capture the essence of true team work.

On a well-oiled, well-seasoned agile development team, the above example is profoundly inverted. The team comes together in a way that is nothing but good. Should someone slip, they will be graciously caught, and together the pursuit of delivering top quality software continues. Machiavellian’s need not apply.

So what is it that supports the more positive team experience over the negative? I believe the answer is a complex of reasons, some conscious, and some unconscious. However one such reason I have witnessed, is the open acceptance that every member of the team is human and fallible. Quality of work is non-negotiable, but the team accepts that as time progresses, the dynamic forces of life will at some point affect every member of the team in its own unique way. The key for the team is in building a level of trust and support so that when things do slip, the response is helpful and positive, rather than negative and chastising.

Sometimes my family and I have to drive across the country to see relatives, and the journey can often be long and monotonous. When I driving and I’m tired, sometimes if its dark, the glaring lights, the drone of the wheels on the tarmac, the powerful desire to just get home so intense, I forget to check-in with myself to see if I am still good to drive. So I have my wife Sally sat beside me, equally tired, equally fatigued and yearning to be home in a cosy bed. But we have a job to do: my task is to drive us home safely, that’s what the family relies on me for. Sally’s role is the same – to make sure we get home safely. She keeps an eye on me to check that I am not falling asleep or nodding, that’s her priority. At the same time, when I get a burst energy, I glance over to Sally to check she’s still awake – she’s my wing-woman, I need to be able to rely on her. When I’ve had enough, we pull over, grab a coffee, and swap places so that Sally will drive and I will be her wing-man. Throughout the journey, we accept that tiredness will come – it will come to both of us, so we support each other, and that’s how we achieve our safe journey home.

To me this is one of the elements that exist in a well-functioning, well-disciplined development team. Each member has a role to play, and part of that role involves looking out for the wider team and its overall objectives. Every member must keep an eye on quality, and no matter what, if they even suspect there might be a transgression in the level of work being produced, they must raise their hand and speak up for the good of the team and the project. We all transgress, and we all want to get home to a cosy warm bed, safe and sound, but sometimes its so easy to let the eyes close shut. I rely on the open eyes of my team members, and they rely on me – this is what makes a team work well. While the team doesnt necessarily have to be doing agile to implement or benefit from this teamwork, I often see it exhibited more on successful, value-delivering agile teams than on non-agile teams.