Shadowing Memo Example

Shadowing involves the facilitator attentively observing the dynamics, communication, and processes of the team during their meeting. The purpose here is not for the facilitator to learn a specific role or task, but rather to gain insights into how the team functions as a unit. This includes understanding the team's interaction patterns, the distribution of speaking time among members, decision-making processes, and how effectively the team is working towards its goals. The facilitator, by shadowing in this manner, can identify areas of strength, as well as potential challenges or areas for improvement within the team's collaboration and communication. These observations can then be used to provide targeted feedback, recommendations, or interventions to enhance the team's performance and overall effectiveness.

Observations - the Goodies

Team members were punctual, demonstrating commitment.

Significant potential for individual engagement is evident, as indicated by comments from two team members.

The scope of work is broadly understood.

Observations - Potential Improvements

The todo list view is employed instead of the Kanban view, possibly leading to an insufficient sense of progress across tasks.

A specific project label is used to mark tasks, causing confusion as these blend with other tasks in the todo list view.

The team leader occupies 60-70% of the discussion time, suggesting limited inclusion of other team members.

Three team members have minimal engagement in discussions (less than 5% talk time).

Two team members dominate the conversation.

The leader appears to preemptively address issues for team members, potentially reducing their empowerment.

For example, the leader interjects about known issues or assumed blockers for specific members.

The team leader assigns tasks directly and creates new tasks during meetings, leading to an ever-growing list of tasks.

The leader mentions tasks that are "ready to take," but these are not distinctly marked, making it challenging for team members to identify new tasks they can start.

The objective of the meeting was unclear, lacking a structured approach to discussing current and potential work.

Recommendations

Implement a Lightning Round to encourage all team members to share their progress, reducing the focus on the leader.

Set up individual filters and rotate them during the lightning round to focus on each person’s work.

Each team member should briefly report on their current work, upcoming tasks, and any blockers.

Introduce a discussion round post-Lightning Round to facilitate structured conversations.

Adopt the Kanban View for better visibility of progress and to potentially encourage collaborative problem-solving.

Clearly label tasks that are ready for development to guide team members in selecting their next tasks.

Use a specific project label in GitHub for better task filtering, avoiding mix-up with other projects.

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