In the last Agile Speakers Meetup we had an interesting discussion on the habit matrix.
Our undesired effect statement was “undesired”:
“Team member with strong opinion was overriding others”
We know how much this can negatively affect the morale in the team. When this kind of behavior is not nipped in the bud it tends to leave a bad taste in the team vibes and is difficult to correct at a later time.
This particular person did not need any special trigger. Just starting a conversation was enough to trigger a strong opinion being forced on others.
What could be the reward that this person had?
Possibly it was “winning” the conversation at all times and at all costs.
The effect was that it led to frustration in other team members. They felt that no other opinion was heard or appreciated.
One simple way to discipline this person would be to not invite the person for meetings or have any conversation with them.
However that is not possible if that is a contributing member of the team.
Idea 1:
Take aside and explain the effect of the aggressive behavior to the person. Explain some feedback rules and how good behavior can improve team morale.
Check again after a few sprints and repeat above actions if necessary
Idea 2:
Conduct a values workshop with entire team.
Explain the expectation that the team follows the values discussed.
Check again after a few sprints and use Idea 1 if necessary.
What actions do you take when you see such behavior in your team?
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