Systems Thinking - Time Box Productivity - The Leadership Team

In recent posts we talked about teams. We noted how the time box product development system produces two teams, both of which are authentic and appropriate for the execution of product development work. Ultimately what we’re interested in is productivity. So let’s look at this in the context of productivity. The two teams within the time box system are the Leadership Team and the Development/Execution Team. In today’s video we’ll be talking about the leadership team.

As noted in a previous video this team operates like a tennis doubles team. They each have their own assignment but they share work and responsibility; they cover for each other. One member of the team is focused on workflow; on making sure the work flows through the time box efficiently. The other focuses on ensuring the work being executed in the time box is the work of highest value and highest priority. If you create great value with great efficiency you have high productivity.

The efficiency of the time box system managed by this pair is also enhanced by two other elements. One is the filtering of requests into the time box. They make sure it is crystal clear what is being requested of the team. They make sure there is no efficiency lost by team members having to figure out or research what is being requested when it arrives at their desk. The other is the loading of the time box itself in which this team loads an amount of work that is accurately matched to the capacity of that team during that time box period. This eliminates the inefficiencies that are inherent in the overburdened standard matrix approach to the execution of product development.

So we have great efficiency coupled with a focus on the work of highest value. This pair of great value and efficiency is definitely high productivity. The tennis pair’s leadership team in the time box system leads to high productivity. So, that’s one team. In the next post we’ll look at the other team that contributes to high productivity within the time box system.

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