Team Self Assessment

Conducting a team self-assessment survey is a powerful tool in Agile coaching, allowing teams to take stock of their practices, identify areas of growth, and make informed improvements. As an Agile Coach, performing these assessments at least twice a year provides a structured opportunity to reflect on the team's current state and collaboratively decide on improvement actions during retrospectives. Here’s a guide on creating an effective team self-assessment survey that fosters transparency, growth, and alignment with Agile principles.
 

Why Self-Assessments Matter

Self-assessments give teams a chance to pause and look at their way of working objectively. Through structured reflection, team members can consider how well they’re embodying Agile values, adhering to best practices, and meeting goals. Regular self-assessments help teams understand their strengths, highlight areas for improvement, and create a continuous feedback loop that supports sustainable growth and development.
 

Designing Your Self-Assessment Survey

The effectiveness of a self-assessment survey depends largely on thoughtful preparation. Here are some steps to help design a survey that provides meaningful insights:

1. Define Clear Objectives: Start by outlining what you want the team to gain from this assessment. Are you focusing on collaboration, workflow, or adherence to Agile principles? Defining these objectives helps you frame questions that target specific areas.
2. Choose Relevant Categories: Divide the survey into sections relevant to Agile practices, such as:
   • Team Collaboration and Communication
   • Quality of Deliverables
   • Adaptability to Change
   • Alignment with Sprint Goals
   • Feedback and Continuous Improvement Each category can include 2-3 questions to ensure the survey isn’t overwhelming while still being comprehensive.
3. Use a Mix of Question Types: Include both quantitative and qualitative questions. Rating scales (1-5 or 1-10) offer quick insights into areas that may need attention, while open-ended questions allow team members to elaborate on their perspectives.
4. Encourage Honest and Constructive Feedback: Emphasize that the survey is anonymous and judgment-free to foster honest responses. Remind the team that their feedback is essential for improvement and growth.
5. Keep it Short and Focused: Respect the team’s time by keeping the survey short, focused, and easy to complete within 10-15 minutes.

Sample Survey Questions

For a balanced team self-assessment, I use the following questions and get the feedback from my teams:

• On a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) ... 5 (strongly agree), what would be your feedback for the following questions?
  • we care about what the other people in the team are doing 
  • we have shared team goals and are cross-functional, that we collaborate without formal facilitation to do our jobs effectively
  • we completely trust each other to do the right thing and anyone can pick up any piece of work without hesitance
  • we only acquire technical debt when it is deliberate and immediately develop a plan to resolve it 
  • we have reached a consistent delivery pace where we are able to deliver value often while providing accurate estimations
  • we are able to resolve conflicts with other teams collaboratively to yield good results
  • we seek and give each other constructive feedback with open and respectful communication
  • we embrace continuous improvement as a way of life and use various forms of training to keep our skills up-to-date
  • we consider how our actions will impact others when deciding what to do
  • we work focused on doing our work that we have committed to, without worrying about anything else
• In order to evaluate your feedback for the previous question; For the areas where you think we could do more, could you provide concrete examples/ideas/suggestions for to make us as a team better in order to be more cross-functional?
• As a team what is the percentage of pair working we use in each PI, so that we can not only complete the work without more hassle, but also learn more from each other to grow as a team
  • Not at All  (1) 
  • A little (less than 20%)  (2) 
  • A moderate amount (between 20% and 40%)  (3) 
  • A lot (between 40% and 60%) (4) 
  • A great deal (more than 60%) (5) 
• Do you have any suggestions for more pair working during the sprints as a team so that we can be more independent?
• Are we meeting our sprint goals consistently? Why or why not?
• What are one or two things you believe we could do to improve as a team?

Reviewing the Results in Retrospectives

Once the survey is complete, analyze the results with the team during a retrospective session. Identify trends, prioritize areas for improvement, and co-create action items. This collaborative review empowers the team to take ownership of their Agile journey, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Tracking Progress Over Time

Conducting self-assessments twice a year allows you to track progress over time. By comparing results from previous surveys, the team can see how far they’ve come and where further growth is needed, making the Agile journey an ongoing evolution rather than a fixed process.

Self-assessment surveys are a valuable tool in an Agile Coach’s toolkit. When designed thoughtfully, they provide the insights needed to help teams reflect, grow, and continually improve. By engaging in this process regularly, you’re building a foundation for open communication, shared goals, and an agile mindset that thrives on feedback and iteration.