Agile is dead: 5 sure methods for building teams that perform

In 2001, when we still used DVDs and worked in cubicle farms, 17 software developers met at Snowbird, Utah, to discuss best work practices in software development. 

The result was the Agile Manifesto, a document that drew a line in the sand between “heavyweight” waterfall project management, and the newer, nimbler, people-focused “lightweight” project management. It was a great leap forward. 

But, a lot has changed since the Agile Manifesto.

After 15 years of experience managing high-stakes projects and leading a top-tier project management consulting firm, I want to share five key methods for driving both job satisfaction and productivity. Here’s how to build teams that perform:

1. Master individual productivity habits.

Effective personal productivity is the cornerstone of a high-performing team.

• Organize emails: If you don’t need to respond, read it and archive it. Keeping a clean inbox allows you to focus on what matters most, which can reduce stress and anxiety.
• Close tabs: Too many open tabs can overwhelm you and make it difficult to find things, slowing everything down. Quit and restart.
• Send booking links: Utilize modern scheduling links to avoid the back-and-forth of scheduling. Make it easy and painless.
• Manage account access: Centralize password management to streamline access to necessary tools and accounts.
• Set bookmarks: Organizing bookmarks for your most visited pages is a major hack. I keep ClickUp, QuickBooks, ChatGPT, my calendar and a financial spreadsheet bookmarked.

Yes, I’m aware of how far-reaching these practices are. It might be stressful to close all your tabs, but I’ll promise you two things. First, the good ideas and priority needs will pop back up. Second, you’ll have a calmer mind and get way more done.

Great teams get high-quality work delivered quickly, and it always starts at the individual level.

2. Form team cultural norms.

A team’s productivity is more than the sum of its parts. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman said, “No matter how brilliant your mind or strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.” Making communication easy and having efficient processes are at the heart of a great team. 

• Unify communication norms: Establish clear communication parameters. We use ClickUp for projects, Slack for chats and a very limited amount of email.
• Kill zombie platforms: Eliminate outdated or redundant tools that no longer serve a purpose. Don’t have Teams and Slack. 
• Remove blockers: The best method for removing blockers and building team accountability is the regular team check-in, done over a video call. No question.
• Train proper calendar hygiene: Meetings should start on time and end early. Up-to-date work calendars and high transparency make it infinitely easier to work together.
• Set response times: Managers who assign tasks without due dates or expect employees to answer Slack messages within 60 seconds are tyrants.
• Turn cameras on: For remote teams, having cameras on during the majority of meetings fosters better engagement and accountability.
• Make and take phone calls: Don’t shy away from this time-tested classic. Picking up the phone resolves problems and answers questions quickly.

Building a high-performing team is not easy, but getting buy-in and building team norms can result in massive payoffs. Use occasional retrospectives to discuss norms and clarify where breakdowns are happening.

Great players want to play on great teams. The best way to lose top talent is to let team norms fall apart.

3. Position people for success.

People perform their best and are more satisfied when they are in roles that align with their strengths and skills. Misalignment leads to frustration and inefficiency. 

• Align skills: Ensure team members are assigned tasks that match their skill sets.
• Clarify roles: Clearly define each team member’s role and responsibilities. Revisit this often, especially if you’re a startup.
• Give continuous feedback: Provide regular feedback to help team members grow and adapt; ask for feedback from others. 
• Make changes: The greatest case for removing a team member is that they are dragging others down. Nothing kills morale faster than when people are forced to cover for others or are consistently let down by their teammates.

Structured one-on-ones aren’t always helpful. Simply connecting with team members and asking about how things are going tends to work out a lot better. 

In my experience, avoidant energy around connecting is usually a sign that something is wrong.

4. Prioritize as a team.

A leader’s job is to set team priorities in a way that generates buy-in from everyone. Effective managers are cheerleaders more than dictators, celebrating individual and team wins and constantly reminding the team of priorities and goals.

• Unify team priorities: Establish and stick to priorities, and then communicate them effectively.
• Instigate longer focus periods: A constant shift of priorities distracts from deep focus on hard problems.
• Revisit goals often: People have short memories. Review project targets, team charters and goals often.

Use project management tools like ClickUp or Monday to track priorities, tasks and projects. Make it easy for team members to revisit them on their own and refer to them frequently. 

If anything changes, be transparent and provide good reasons why. Adjustments happen, but if they happen too frequently, you will lose your star players, and the team will fall apart.

5. Master the modern meeting.

We all want the meeting to be just an email. But most teams are simply not capable of reducing the discussion, prioritization and accountability meetings provided to just an email. When done right, meetings are incredible tools for building great teams and leaving people energized. 

• Plan purposeful meetings: Ensure every meeting has a clear purpose and agenda, then stick to it and avoid tangents or too much small talk.
• Watch the clock: Start and end meetings on time to respect everyone’s schedule.
• Involve everyone: Encourage active participation and use techniques like round-robin to ensure all voices are heard.
• Assign action items: Conclude meetings with clear next steps, responsibilities and due dates.

To truly master meetings, consider adopting different types of meetings for different purposes — such as daily stand-ups for quick updates, weekly planning sessions and monthly strategy meetings.

Often a meeting can turn into something it shouldn’t. Avoid holding big team meetings that really should just be an email, video call or Slack message. If a meeting is unproductive, address it openly or leave.

When talented individuals come together on a well-structured team, it’s rewarding and productive. High performers thrive in environments that foster excellence and teamwork. 

By implementing these strategies, you can build a team that not only meets its goals but enjoys the journey. Great teams don’t just achieve success — they elevate each teammate, making the work experience fulfilling and engaging for everyone involved.