How to Be an Effective Team Player in Agile Methodology

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This week, I want to dive into Agile, a dynamic approach that’s reshaping how teams and organizations reach their goals. Ever wonder why almost everyone puts “I’m a good team player” on their resume? Do we really know what it takes to be a good team player, or how much it actually connects to success? These questions popped into my mind during a quick trip to Target. While checking out at the self-service kiosk, I noticed each customer was asked a different question on the screen, all for quick feedback. It got me thinking — these small feedback moments are actually key building blocks in Agile. They help us create better software, services, or products by letting us learn from the real people using them.

Like always, what I’m sharing here isn’t super academic; it’s based on my own experiences and what I’ve observed firsthand. I think this makes it more practical and useful. After all, anyone can look stuff up on Google or ChatGPT, but real-life examples are harder to come by, as you probably know!

More Than Just Skills!

Before we dive into Agile, let’s touch on a few basics. A good team player makes a strong team; a strong team creates a great product; and a great product brings in profit and value. That’s what we call success. So, every team player is truly a cornerstone of this journey toward success.

From what I’ve seen, companies aren’t just looking for technical experts or having strong backgrounds. They want people who fit well with the team, who genuinely care, and who don’t shy away from sharing their knowledge they see it as essential for team success. They value team members who are responsible, honest, and approachable. This big-picture view is what makes top tech companies so successful. They’re hiring people from all kinds of backgrounds, making diversity and inclusion a priority to spark fresh ideas.

In a moment, I’ll share some questions to help you discover the answer for yourself. But first, let’s briefly go over each concept to set the stage.

The Daily Standup in Scrum

In Agile sprints, which can range from two weeks to a month depending on the company, the daily standup is a key meeting led by the Scrum Master. It includes the product owner, designers, tech lead, developers, testers, and data or business analysts. Here, everyone briefly shares what they accomplished yesterday, what they plan to do today, and provides any relevant feedback. It’s a simple yet essential meeting that keeps the whole team aligned and moving forward.

Now, take a moment to reflect on the question I asked you earlier and see if you can find the answer within yourself.

? Are you clearly explaining what you worked on yesterday (development, testing, debugging, fixing a bug, working on your story) in a way that even non-technical team members can understand?

? If you have a blocker, are you explaining it clearly and respectfully, without placing blame? For example, if a backend property hasn’t been created or there’s a design gap in the story requirements, are you communicating this in a way that’s constructive?

? Do you listen attentively when others speak, without interrupting?

? If blockers arise, do you actively contribute to finding solutions, or do you just observe silently?

? Are you making an effort to fully understand everyone’s feedback? In the development lifecycle, each task impacts the bigger picture, even if stories are assigned individually.

? Are you as proactive as possible, or do you prefer to quietly focus on just your own tasks?

? If there’s a conflict, do you inform the Scrum Master in a follow-up meeting and, if possible, share your feedback in writing via chat or email?

? Are you joining the meeting on time?

? Do you start with a greeting and end with a thank you?

? Are you as respectful as possible to everyone’s ideas, and do you address anything related to your tasks in a polite and clear way?

?? Remember, the daily stand-up isn’t just a feedback session; it’s a chance to start the day energized, motivated, and aligned with your team. Is everyone aware of this? Our Scrum Master greets each person with a smile every morning, and it really boosts our team’s energy. For me, this is one of the most important meetings, reflecting and strengthening our team and company culture.

Pre-Planning or Planning Meetings

In each pre-planning session, stories or tasks are created and shaped to be ready for the planning meeting. These pre-planning meetings usually include the product owner, tech lead, senior developers, and business or data analysts. Stories can be created by the product side or sometimes as development requirements from the dev team, making it a flexible process. But, as a team player, are you actively contributing?

? During story discussions, are you helping to fill in any missing details or use cases?

? Are you assigning fair points? For example, if a story is realistically a 1-point effort, are you avoiding overestimating it as 3 points or more?

? If you have concerns that a story isn’t ready or needs more refinement, do you speak up ?

? Do you critically evaluate each story before accepting it, and if it feels premature — even if it’s a requirement from product or stakeholders — do you clearly state if it’s not feasible at this stage ?

? When you encounter issues or bugs during the week, or if something doesn’t seem quite right, do you suggest creating a new story for it? Or do you overlook it, thinking, “I’ll just stick to my assigned tasks” ?

Retrospective Meetings

This meeting usually happens at the end of each sprint, focusing on a general review and feedback about that sprint. It’s a space to discuss “What went well?”, “What didn’t go well?”, and “What could be improved?”. The Scrum Master often kicks it off with a quick question for everyone to answer, unrelated to work — like “What’s your favorite season?”, “Which countries have you traveled to or would like to visit?” These fun questions help set a relaxed atmosphere for the first 5–10 minutes. Then, the team moves on to the Retro board, where everyone writes their thoughts on the three main questions. But the real question is: are you an active team player in this meeting?

? Are you bringing up any issues you faced during the sprint in a constructive way?

? Are you acknowledging your teammates’ contributions to team collaboration and thanking them?

? Are you suggesting ways to prevent or solve issues that impacted the development process?

?? For me, this meeting is more than just a sprint review — it’s a chance to get to know my teammates on a deeper level. It’s where I learn about their interests, hobbies, and perspectives beyond work. This helps me build better communication and relationships, and I see positive results from it every time.

Demo Meetings

Demo meetings typically occur at the end of each sprint, providing an essential opportunity to showcase the new features and components that developers have created. After these are tested by QA, they’re presented to stakeholders or the product team before going to production. This presentation allows the team to discuss any gaps or adjustments that may be needed. Once everything passes UAT (User Acceptance Testing), it’s ready for release to production. Everyone involved in the app — across all teams — attends this meeting. Usually, a brief introduction is given by a business or data analyst, and then each developer presents their feature. But here are a few questions to ask yourself to ensure you’re contributing effectively in demo meetings:

? Are you presenting in a way that everyone can understand, considering that not all attendees are familiar with technical terms or code?

? Are you noting any concerns or feedback from attendees and planning to address them in the next sprint to refine the feature before release?

? With a large group attending, are you managing time well by preparing in advance — setting up presentation tools, test pages, and any necessary materials — to keep the meeting smooth and efficient ?

Being a good team player in Agile isn’t just about technical skills or checking off tasks; it’s about how you communicate, support others, and adapt to the needs of the team. From daily standup to demo meetings, each part of the Agile process is a chance to contribute meaningfully and help the team move forward.

After reading this, I hope you’ve had a chance to reflect on your own approach. Are you truly a supportive and proactive team player, or is there room to grow? The answer lies in the actions you take every day. Remember, Agile thrives on collaboration, and each team member plays a critical role in the journey to success.

Thank you for reading! If you found this article helpful, please share your thoughts in the comments below Don’t forget to follow and subscribe to me for more insights and updates!

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