t’s funny really. One of the key points of the agile methodologies and the manifesto is heavy collaboration, with the best being face-to-face collaboration. But one of the things I see happening in teams all of the time is, how can I say this delicately, over collaboration.

In other words, the teams, ahem, talk too much. There, I said it And I’m referring to open-ended discussion that takes too long if ever to narrow down towards a decision. Folks seem to be talking to hear themselves talk. Often it’s not everyone, with a few heavy talkers dominating discussions and the rest seemingly along for the ride. So it can be quite imbalanced.

In my last post on facilitation, I shared some general principles for facilitating technical outcomes in software teams. Much of the focus was on creating just the right atmosphere so that team members shared their opinions and made thoughtful, team-based decisions.

In this post, I want to share Edward De Bono’s Six Thinking Hat model and how it can help you in facilitating much richer discussions surrounding your technical decision-making. But first I want to share another facilitative model with you. It’s more of a dynamic that occurs within individuals and teams who are trying to create new products, solve new problems, add features, or in general compete in their respective markets with creative solutions that drive customer value.

Nowadays, I spend 100% of my time in agile teams either engaged in direct coaching, teaching, or participating directly within the team. One of the core tenets of agile teams is self-direction. This is a state that is much easier to say than it is to achieve. One of the more critical activities that fosters self-direction is effective facilitation and the role of facilitator.

Leveraging Scrum then, this ‘art’ largely falls within the realm of the Scrum Master. A large part of that role is directed towards focusing the teams’ energy on effective discussion, debate, and decision-making. Trying to create an environment where the team experiences what Jim Surowiecki calls The Wisdom of Crowds. The key point is that the collective wisdom of a team, group, or crowd is quite often greater and more valuable than any singular domain expert.