Product Delivery Playbook >> Organisational Structure >> Squads

High-performing software delivery squads are the engine of modern tech organisations. They consistently deliver high-quality, valuable software, adapt to change, and maintain a positive and sustainable pace. Here’s a guide to fostering these elite teams.

Start with the Right Foundation: Team Structure and Purpose 

A high-performing squad begins with its structure and a clear understanding of its mission.

• Cross-Functional and Autonomous: Squads should possess all the necessary skills to deliver their work from start to finish—including development, testing, design, and product management. This autonomy minimizes dependencies and bottlenecks, empowering them to make decisions and execute quickly.

• Clear, Compelling Mission: The squad needs a "why." This mission should be a clear, concise statement that connects their work to the broader company goals and customer value. Instead of just building a feature, they are "simplifying the checkout experience to boost customer satisfaction."

• Long-Lived Teams: Stable teams that work together over a long period develop deep trust, effective communication patterns, and a shared understanding of their domain. Avoid the temptation to shuffle team members between projects.

Cultivate a Culture of Psychological Safety 

Psychological safety is the bedrock of a high-performing team. It’s the shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.

• Encourage Open Communication: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable asking questions, admitting mistakes, and challenging ideas without fear of blame or retribution. Leaders should model this behavior by being open and vulnerable themselves.

• Blameless Post-Mortems: When things go wrong, the focus should be on understanding the systemic causes, not on pointing fingers. The goal is learning and improvement, not punishment.

• Celebrate Learning: Frame challenges and failures as opportunities to learn. This fosters a growth mindset and encourages innovation.

Embrace Agile Principles and Practices

Agile methodologies provide the framework for iterative delivery and continuous improvement.

• Focus on Small, Frequent Releases: Delivering value in small increments allows for faster feedback loops, reduces risk, and keeps the team motivated by seeing their work in the hands of users.

• Effective Retrospectives: The retrospective is arguably the most important agile ceremony for team improvement. It's a dedicated time for the team to reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and what they can do differently in the next iteration.

• Customer-Centricity: High-performing squads are deeply connected to their customers. They understand their users' needs and pain points and use this empathy to guide their decisions.

Set Clear Goals and Provide Autonomy

Teams need to know what they are aiming for and have the freedom to figure out how to get there.

• Outcome-Oriented Goals (OKRs): Instead of prescribing a list of features to build (outputs), define the desired outcomes. For example, instead of "build a new dashboard," the goal could be to "reduce customer support tickets by 15%."

• Trust and Delegate: Once the goals are set, trust the team to determine the best way to achieve them. Micromanagement stifles creativity and demotivates team members.

Invest in Technical Excellence

Strong technical practices are essential for sustainable, high-speed delivery.

• Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD): Automating the build, test, and deployment process allows for faster, more reliable releases.

• Code Quality: Emphasize clean, maintainable code. Practices like pair programming and code reviews not only improve quality but also facilitate knowledge sharing.

• DevOps Culture: Foster a culture of shared responsibility for the software in production. Developers should be involved in the operational aspects of their code.

The Role of Leadership: Gardener, Not Chess Master

The leader's role is not to command and control but to create the environment for the squad to thrive.

• Remove Impediments: Act as a "servant leader" by identifying and removing any roadblocks that are slowing the team down, whether they are technical, organizational, or interpersonal.

• Provide Resources and Support: Ensure the team has the tools, training, and support they need to be successful.

• Champion and Protect the Team: Shield the team from external distractions and advocate for their work within the broader organization.

By focusing on these core principles, organizations can create the conditions for high-performing squads to emerge and flourish, leading to better products, happier customers, and more engaged employees.

Further reading;

• Product Topology Options 

• Squads