If you ask us, what’s the most significant phase with an agile framework of working. We’d boldly and almost unanimously say – retrospectives. When the entire team concentrates only on improvement.  

In the initial days of work, the team is enthusiastic about the work and offers valuable suggestions and input on how to advance. However, when teams gain momentum, their retrospectives can grow quieter, and the availability of feedback decreases. 

When this occurs, we can regain the initial momentum of teams with True North. True north, instead of the magnetic North Pole, is about finding your authentic self. When thinking of your north, it is hard to find that one thing that makes you feel most like yourself or where you could thrive. True north is also a state of nirvana that a team would like to achieve. 

It is essential to be aware of your north star and make efforts to head in the same direction. Your true north is the part of you that shines, that stands out for all to see. In our multi-tasking world, it is imperative to create time blocks in your busy schedule for self-reflection to help you stay truer to your North.  

It’s critical to understand that your team is the vehicle which will get you there. As you travel your leadership journey, members of your team give you the support you need by helping you stay grounded in reality and focused on your true north. Every leader should be aware of their inadequacies. Therefore, genuine leaders create assistance groups that they may turn to for necessary support. 

If you want to create the ideal team, focus on achieving improvements. The following ideas may help you get started. Depending on how you define the optimal state for your team, you can add or delete a point. 

1. An Empowering Environment

  1. There is no hesitation in disagreeing with other team members or leaders. 
  2. People are encouraged to experiment and not stress about “what if I fail”. 
  3. Everyone owns their commitments. 

2. Prioritizing Planning

  1. Well-defined goals that everyone on the team is aware of. 
  2. Defined releasable features with a consensus regarding the effects on objectives. 
  3. A release plan for at least the next 5 sprints, keeping in mind well-sized and priority-based features. 

3. Sailing Through a Sprint

  1. Tasks for the sprint were planned, and dependencies and handoffs were noted. 
  2. The development team and project owner review each requirement’s test cases. 
  3. Requirements are shown as and when they are finished during the sprint not at the end. 

4. Details in the Development  

  1. Both manual and automated reviews are done to ensure quality. 
  2. Standardized processes are used to check all codes. 
  3. Continuous integration is used to build all check-ins and merges. 
  4. Automated pipelines are used for every deployment. 
  5. Source control preserves all build and environment definitions. 

4. Racing to the Finish Line: Releases

  1. With every deployment, previously identified regression tests are conducted. 
  2. An automated pipeline is used for production release. 
  3. Perform go/no-go at least 3-4 days before the release. 
  4. Identify and automate post-release smoke testing. 

To stay true to your true north, focus on understanding how pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and into new experiences offers opportunities for growth and success.