Why Great (Scrum) Teams Have A Mind Of Their Own

How does "team cognition" make some Scrum teams more effective than others? In this podcast, we explore scientific research into team cognition and mental models. And we translate it into actionable improvements you can make to make your Scrum teams more effective.

By the end of the episode, you will have learned:

• How team cognition is essentially the "mind of a team", with its own memory and perception of the world.
• What team cognition is and how substantial its influence is on the effectiveness of teams according to large-scale research efforts
• How team cognition helps us understand what cross-functionality should look like for Scrum teams.
• What team cognition looks like for Scrum teams, and what signs tell you whether it's there or not. And if it isn't, what you can do about that.
• What research in this area tells us about how you can design, support, and encourage teams to develop team cognition and become high-performing.
• Why frequent changes to team composition are not a good idea if you want to maintain effectiveness, no matter how they are initiated.

More resources

• Support this podcast by becoming a patron
• Read the transcript here (a medium account is, unfortunately, necessary until it is published)
• Try the Scrum Team Survey
• Barry Overeem and I created three do-it-yourself workshops (#1, #2, and #3) to help your team create shared goals.

References

Butler, A. C., Chapman, J. E., Forman, E. M., & Beck, A. T. (2006). The empirical status of cognitive-behavioral therapy: a review of meta-analyses. Clinical psychology review, 26(1), 17–31.

Cannon‐Bowers, J. A., & Salas, E. (2001). Reflections on shared cognition. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 22(2), 195–202.

DeChurch, L. A., & Mesmer-Magnus, J. R. (2010). The cognitive underpinnings of effective teamwork: a meta-analysis. Journal of applied psychology, 95(1), 32.

Kearney, E., Gebert, D., & Voelpel, S. C. (2009). When and how diversity benefits teams: The importance of team members’ need for cognition. Academy of Management journal, 52(3), 581–598.

Kozlowski, S. W., & Ilgen, D. R. (2006). Enhancing the effectiveness of work groups and teams. Psychological science in the public interest, 7(3), 77–124.

Mathieu, J. E., Heffner, T. S., Goodwin, G. F., Salas, E., & Cannon-Bowers, J. A. (2000). The influence of shared mental models on team process and performance. Journal of applied psychology, 85(2), 273.

Stout, R. J., Cannon-Bowers, J. A., & Salas, E. (2017). The role of shared mental models in developing team situational awareness: Implications for training. Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division.

Tolin, D.

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