Coaching Scrum·June 1, 2023·3 min read

Onboarding New Team Members: Be Intentional

Onboarding new team members needs to be intentional. Learn how the Tuckman Model (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning) applies every time your team changes.

Do you remember the day YOU started as “the new person” on your current team?

You and I have both been here before. You get a new job / client / work assignment (or heck, even outside of work, this is all true).

Close your eyes and think back to “Day One” of a current team you are working with. Your first day — which is different than “Day 0” (the offer / finalization before you get officially started).

In the before times, we used to walk into an office. It could range anywhere from your own corner office suite (nice!) to a cube-farm (hell?) or an open co-located working space. These days, it’s hopping into a Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or WebEx meeting. After meeting. After meeting.

It’s a different experience for everyone. Always will be.

As a Scrum Master (or someone supporting an agile team), part of your responsibility is to make sure the environment is set up so that when a new person onboards to the Scrum Team, it’s a consistent and awesome onboarding experience.

Let’s assume for now that it’s a consistent and great experience. What now?

The Bruce Tuckman Model

Every team is different. It’s made of people — individuals with very strong skills that probably vary from one person to another.

While there are multiple “models” of team development, one of the techniques I teach new Scrum Masters (in my CSM Training) includes a discussion around the Tuckman Model.

I have the cohort of attendees watch a short video together — tuckman.mvizdos.com. It’s just under five minutes, and even if you don’t know the story of “Fellowship of the Ring,” you’ll still take something away.

Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning

This concept of five “stages” of team development exists on all teams (groups of people working as a team instead of as individual hero performers). The five stages of the Tuckman Model:

• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
• Adjourning

As a Scrum Master — or leader of an Agile Team — this is something to be aware of and talked about in your team.

This also means that any time a team member changes, the team needs to hit the “reset” button and intentionally go back to forming mode together. Every. Single. Time.

This is important: Onboarding new team members needs to be intentional.

Now, you can always hire an external consultant (such as myself) to come in and help you do this. For you though, it’s much less expensive to do this internally and own it as a team. Your team (organization) will love you for doing this. If not, or if you need help, contact me!

Or, wait until things are off the rails, watch your team blow up or implode, and then try again.

What’s that definition of insanity? (see Albert Einstein)

Being intentional about onboarding new team members is part of doing the important work to produce a high performing team. You can do this.

One Example: During Your Next Retrospective

During your next Sprint Retrospective, watch the video above (tuckman.mvizdos.com) together.

Discuss who is the “Scrum Master” versus “Product Owner” versus “Developers” in the video.

Spoiler alert: it’s not necessary to all agree on the “correct” answer — that video is a metaphor that will spark conversations; you know, things that are important when creating the environment for high performing teams to exist.

So. Go. Do it.

What Next?

Let me know your thoughts on this topic (or want some help with onboarding new agile team members in your organization?).

Contact me (with feedback) or connect with me on LinkedIn to discuss this more together.