Iteration Managers are responsible for guiding their team toward the finish line while working within a Scrum framework. Though this is a leadership position, it’s one that can be assumed by anybody, and the most important trait of the role is its internal focus. Responsibilities range from developing reports and managing story cards to organizing meetings. The latter of these — coordinating meetings — is especially important. Find out what five skills you’ll need to host successful meetings and succeed as an Iteration Manager.
Acting as a Coach for Team Development
- Model the behaviors you want to see on your team. If you’re leading a project that’s led by a remote team, it can be challenging to unite everybody. You need to coordinate meetings with branded Zoom backgrounds that will reinforce your company’s brand. More importantly, though, you need to set an example for your colleagues. By modeling engagement and collaboration, you can inspire your teammates to do the same and effectively lead the project forward.
- Recognize the strengths of each team member. Iteration Managers are also responsible for coaching team members and developing the team’s capabilities as a whole. In order to do this, you must identify and invest in the individual talents that every member brings to the table. You may be working with developers, testers, and product owners who work in collaboration, and it’s your job to encourage them based on their abilities. Ask them what they perceive their strengths to be and go from there.
- Give feedback that’s empowering and team-oriented. As you lean into your role as an Iteration Manager — and the coaching responsibilities it entails — you’ll find that you often need to empower your team members, both individually and collectively. The best way to do this is through Zoom virtual office background meetings that offer feedback. This feedback should provide valuable redirection when needed and positive reinforcement when it’s warranted.
Introducing Engineering Best Practices
- Automate all unit testing exercises. Iteration Managers are also typically responsible for product testing, and this can be a challenge when you’re overseeing a team project. You need to resist the impulse to reinvent the wheel, though, and review the Zoom backgrounds requirements before your next team meeting. Rather than implementing a time-consuming and rigorous product testing protocol, you should focus on automating the process and minimizing the manual work that’s required of your team. Automation can take many forms, including focusing on vertical slices or utilizing a push-button release strategy.
- Retain a focus on continuous integration throughout your team. Every team member in the Scrum framework has a unique role — or several unique roles — but nothing can eclipse the importance of collaboration. This is especially true when it comes to one of the most essential engineering tasks a Scrum team is responsible for — continuous integration. This task involves the ongoing integration of new features or software applications with models that already exist. By automating this process, you can stay focused on your team.
