Playbook Lean Agile Project Management

6 Habits of Highly Successful Lean Product Development Teams

Written by Elyssa Pallai | August 15, 2017 4:01:00 PM Z
We left school thinking we were going to change the world and then reality hit. The fact is new product development is a complex undertaking, full of uncertainty and risk. So why are some companies (and new product development teams) more successful than others?  Here is our list of the six habits of highly successful Lean product development teams and companies.

Six Habits of Highly Successful Lean Agile Product Development Teams

  1. They know less is more

    Limiting the number of projects as well as load on team members actually speeds up the system as opposed to slowing it down. If you want faster projects and empowered teams, cut the workload.

  2. They are effective communicators

    New product development is a risky business. The speed at which the team communicates learning and possible risk directly affects their ability to change course when required. New product development teams that communicate daily-- in short standup meetings--are more agile, and highly effective.

  3. Universal transparency is a given

    Let’s face it, we work with some of the greatest minds in the world. Keeping them in the dark only hinders their ability to problem solve. Making what everyone’s working on visible to the team and importantly, what work is on the critical path, means hand-offs between team members can be made quickly and resource issues can be identified and managed.

  4. They are focused on the right work at the right time

    The number one cause of extensive project delays is people working on the wrong thing at the wrong time. Yes that's correct! We’ve written about this extensively and have built Playbook to ensure that each team member knows what needs to get done daily to keep the project moving forward.

  5. They plan, and then adapt

    Change is constant in new product development so teams must plan and adapt quickly to new developments. Teams that plan together meet their development goals. We recommend rolling wave planning be done every week or two (combined with the daily meetings) to ensure the project is on the right path and everyone is up to date.

  6. They are empowered

    When everyone has correct priorities and all of the work is visible, amazing things start to happen. Communication increases. Trust develops. Team members hold each other accountable. Morale increases. And teams finally get back to doing what they’ve always dreamed of – creating great products.

Bringing it all together

Speed, agility, focus, effective communication and planning. It’s achievable with the right training and tools. We’ve worked with team who have been able to speed up their delivery times but 85% using these habits and methods.

----

What's the number one cause of project delays? It's not what you think. Watch this 9 minute video to find out today. 

 

Related articles

Lean project management: What is Lean Agile project management?
ROI on Lean project management
Lean project management and visual work management
Lean project management principles and methods
Lean project management resource overload 
Lean project management Pull vs. push
Lean project management multitasking and correct priorities
Lean project management and shared project buffers
Lean project management and decentralized planning
Part Lean project management and daily stand-up meetings