Reflection on Agile ways of working and Agile teams

Introduction

Every one of the three proposed solutions provides a distinct perspective on the dynamic relationship that exists among workplace leadership, collaboration, and individual growth. The initial reply examines the principles of servant leadership and their application, emphasising the positive impact on team dynamics and the potential drawbacks of disregarding them. The second response examines the importance of adaptability and valuing feedback when drawing comparisons between team members who possess growth mindsets and those who adhere to fixed mindsets. As demonstrated in the concluding response, speaking up in a highly structured, authoritarian workplace is both difficult and immoral, despite the pressure. As a whole, the responses offer valuable insights that can be utilised to improve workplace leadership, innovation, and individual development.

Answer. 1

Robert K. Greenleaf defined servant leadership as an approach to leadership that prioritizes the empowerment and well-being of subordinates. It entails establishing a welcoming atmosphere where individuals and their development are given top priority within the company. By serving their team members in this way, leaders enable them to be successful inside the organization and thrive as their true selves (Patterson & Winston, 2023). This essay looks at how two servant leadership pillars were used in a personal setting, analysing how the behaviour followed these pillars and the results that were attained. It also explores a situation in which failure to have one of these pillars impeded success.

First Pillar: Prioritises People

A fundamental tenet of servant leadership is prioritising others. This idea entails showing team members that you care about them, encourage their development, and support them as they work towards their objectives. I actively implemented this pillar in my capacity as a team leader by consistently interacting with team members to learn about their professional goals, areas of strength, and potential growth areas. By showing a sincere interest in their career development, I fostered a positive environment where staff members felt appreciated and inspired. Positive effects of this strategy included a better dedication to the team's goals and a rise in job satisfaction. Team members started looking for answers and coming up with creative ideas more on their own.

Skilled Communicator: Second Pillar

Another essential component of servant leadership is effective communication. In addition to providing information, effective communicators also actively listen to others and solicit their

opinions. This pillar became important to me when I occasionally didn't give precise instructions for a crucial assignment. Team members became confused, deadlines were missed, and frustration resulted from this breakdown in communication. After giving this incident some thought, I realised that I needed to work on my communication abilities. I started paying close attention to my team and making sure that their opinions and concerns were acknowledged. In addition, I promoted candid and frank criticism, fostering a conversational atmosphere (Tran & Spears, 2020).

In conclusion, team dynamics and performance are significantly impacted by servant leadership, as demonstrated by these two pillars. Effective communication and putting people first allow leaders to foster an atmosphere where staff members feel appreciated, inspired, and in control. This enhances team cohesion and productivity in addition to raising job satisfaction. On the other hand, disregarding these pillars might lead to a breakdown in communication and impede the accomplishment of team objectives.

Answer 2

1. Team Member with a Growth Mindset:

a. A growth mindset is characterized by team members who are renowned for their capacity to recover rapidly from adversity. They perceive obstacles as opportunities for development. At our most recent group evaluation, for instance, a novel and challenging task emerged (Burnette et al., 2022).

b. These attributes foster a positive and dynamic environment that proves to be extremely advantageous for the entire team. This team member serves as an inspiration due to their adeptness in managing challenging circumstances and their demonstration of a readiness to develop (Dweck, 2016). Their fearlessness in challenging circumstances motivates their fellow team members to follow suit, resulting in a more innovative and solution-oriented group.

c. We have no information to the contrary, but this team member has undoubtedly received criticism throughout our collaboration. They utilize constructive criticism to their advantage and are receptive to it. They view criticism as an opportunity for growth and development, not as an offense. When a fellow team member provided recommendations on how to enhance their work, for example, that individual not only receptively incorporated the feedback but actively pursued direction to further fortify their contribution.

2. Team Member with a Fixed Mindset:

a. It is unlikely that a team member with a fixed perspective will accept additional responsibilities. A few individuals exhibited hesitancy and anxiety when requested to execute a challenging task that deviated from their customary routine. They refrained from undertaking novel challenges due to a fear of failure and a prioritization of safeguarding their existing level of expertise over augmenting it.

b. The conduct of this team member may have been influenced by their desire to safeguard their reputation for expertise or prevent any potential embarrassment. They may be concerned that by attempting something they are unfamiliar with, they will make a mistake and tarnish their reputation (Dweck, 2016).

c. On occasion, this member of the team exhibits indications of a growth mindset. As an illustration, they made substantial contributions and presented innovative ideas throughout a collaborative ideation session (Burnette et al., 2022). This indicates that they are capable of transcending their entrenched mindset and making a positive contribution, provided they are presented with the appropriate circumstances.

In order to foster the development of a growth mindset in this particular team member, it is critical to establish a conducive environment that promotes acceptance and learning from errors. Motivating individuals to focus on the process of learning and development, rather than solely on outcomes, may yield advantageous results. Further highlighting the inevitability of making mistakes as a component of the educational journey, while providing constructive criticism and encouragement, can aid in the formation of a growth mindset.

Answer 3

1. Difficulty Speaking Up and Its Impact:

In the past, I encountered difficulties when it came to lifting my hand during meetings at my previous workplace. We were facing an extremely stringent deadline for a critical undertaking, and deficiencies in our project plan, if not rectified, could have resulted in severe repercussions. The project manager's reputation as an autocrat was negative, and team members were instructed not to question his or her decisions (Nguyen, 2021). Due to the lack of concern-raising, the flawed strategy permeated the entire project, resulting in unavoidable complications.

2. Culture of 'Command and Control' Stifling Psychological Safety:

I personally witnessed how a "command and control" work environment erodes the emotional security of its employees during my previous position. The leadership supervisor's autocratic disposition instilled apprehension among team members regarding expressing their opinions. The employees perceived a suffocating atmosphere due to the lack of consideration they

received for their ideas. For example, I once contributed a novel idea to a team discussion that had the capacity to significantly improve a procedure (Murphy, 2019). Nonetheless, I refrained from speaking up at the time due to societal conventions. As a result, the group neglected to leverage a possible avenue for increasing efficiency, and the fundamental procedure remained unaltered. This stunted the innovation and originality of our group and deterred future participants from expressing themselves.

3. Pulling the Andon Cord in a Catastrophic Situation:

Should I have been a member of the surgical team in the hypothetical presented in Chapter 4, wherein silence persisted despite a significant error, I would have "pulled the Andon cord" and voiced my apprehensions regarding the mistake, even if it meant challenging the established hierarchy. I wish I had been cognizant of the potentially catastrophic outcomes; having foreseen the patient's potential harm or fatality would have empowered me to voice my dissent. In a crisis of this magnitude, ethical responsibility and concern for human life should supersede apprehension regarding social status or retribution (Mehran Nejati & Azadeh Shafaei, 2023).

I would have adopted a composed yet resolute demeanor when speaking to the team, directing their attention to the grave error and urging timely correction. Although this may be unpopular due to the hierarchical nature of the culture, emphasizing the gravity of the situation and the potential for damage might have prompted action regardless. Advocacy becomes an ethical obligation when human lives are at risk. The gravity of the repercussions offers considerable motivation to take a chance on incurring penalties.

Conclusion:

These insights underscore the critical significance of employing effective leadership techniques, possessing mental adaptability, and being capable of asserting oneself amidst the intricate complexities of the professional realm. The attribute of servant leadership, which is characterized by a focus on others and effective communication, has the potential to significantly enhance team cohesion and productivity. A growth mindset, in contrast to a fixed mindset, emphasizes the value of adaptability and receptiveness to novel insights. In conclusion, the narrative of challenging institutional limitations underscores the ethical responsibility to safeguard individuals from damage. The existence of these diverse perspectives underscores the complexity and difficulty of managing in the twenty-first-century workplace, as well as the profound influence that individual and group performance are affected by one's choices.

References

Burnette, J. L., Billingsley, J., Banks, G. C., Knouse, L. E., Hoyt, C. L., Pollack, J. M., & Simon, S. (2022). A systematic review and meta-analysis of growth mindset interventions: For whom, how, and why might such interventions work? Psychological Bulletin, 149(3-4). https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000368

Dweck, C. (2016). What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means. Harvard Business Review; Harvard Business Publishing. https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means

Mehran Nejati, & Azadeh Shafaei. (2023). The role of inclusive leadership in fostering organisational learning behaviour. Management Research Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/mrr-10-2022-0716

Murphy, R. C., Amy Edmondson, and Wendy. (2019, December 10). A Noble Purpose Alone Won’t Transform Your Company. MIT Sloan Management Review. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/a-noble-purpose-alone-wont-transform-your-company/

Nguyen, N. (2021). The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. The Learning Organization, 28(3), 321–323. https://doi.org/10.1108/tlo-04-2021-266

Patterson, K., & Winston, B. E. (2023). The Nature of Biblical Followership, Volume 1: Components and Practice. In Google Books. Springer Nature. https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qb_UEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=robert+k+greenleaf+servant+leadership&ots=wDchieasQM&sig=I_kl9aAuxlkCgX45f2_jNAsHVv0&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=robert%20k%20greenleaf%20servant%20leadership&f=false

Tran, D. Q., & Spears, L. C. (2020). Servant-Leadership and Community: Humanistic Perspectives from Pope John XXIII and Robert K. Greenleaf. Humanistic Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41463-020-00089-4

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