Talking, Saying, and Listening: Communication in Agile Teams
Isabel Evans · Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2009
SYNOPSIS This chapter describes techniques to improve the interactions between people during agile projects. The quality of communication is vital for agile projects; agile methods rely on close and collaborative working, so the relationships between team members strongly affect success. Agile methods emphasize people but they do include process; the reaction to and success of the processes depends on the people. We can use special techniques to enhance the communication between people, thus enabling our agile processes to be effective and efficient. This case study provides examples of problems with communication that I have observed in a number of agile projects and some useful and practical techniques that can be used to address and overcome these communications issues. Introduction My name is Isabel Evans. I'm a principal consultant at Testing Solutions Group Ltd and I have more than twenty years' experience in the IT industry, mainly in quality management, testing, training, and documentation. During that time I have worked as a practitioner and a consultant with clients in many sectors, including financial, communications, transport, and software providers. I've been a member of various working parties and groups to contribute to improvement in software quality and testing, and my book Achieving Software Quality Through Teamwork was published by Artech in June 2004. I'm interested in people and processes, how they interact, and how those interactions affect the success of projects and businesses.