There’s much more to the World Cup than two teams of eleven players fighting to kick a ball into a net. There’s strategy, there’s team building, and most importantly, there are plenty of different methodologies that link this blockbuster sporting event to agile development. Really, it all starts with the team.
The World Cup holds the most skilled, proficient soccer players in the world, but it takes more than a once-in-a-lifetime athlete to get the job done. The group with the strongest teamwork often finishes first, and the same can be said for the best agile teams. Learning best practices, getting to know the most valuable attributes of each team member, understanding the scale of the project, and creating cohesion are all elements relevant to both agile and the game of soccer.
A team often functions under the tutelage of a ScrumMaster, which is similar to either a soccer team’s caption or coach. This leader brings out the best in each member of the team, discovering the chemistry that allows for the best results. A ScrumMaster is often called an agile “coach,” so the parallels are both in the name and the job description.
The team’s happiness is critical to any project’s success, but the key goal is to satisfy an objective. Whether that objective is making a customer happy or winning the World Cup, the group needs to do whatever it takes to accomplish the set goal—even if that requires late-game changes.
Landon Donovan, widely considered to be the best soccer player to ever come out of the United States, was left off the national team roster during this year’s World Cup. It was a decision that came just weeks before the massive global event’s opening games. Although it may have been an unpopular move, the coach had to adapt to the changing requirements of the team as a whole. He made use of change to give the group a competitive advantage in order to produce the best result.
The World Cup itself is a global event that can bring different members of your team at work together in front of a TV for a galvanizing experience. It’s empowering to root for a single cause, but the real lessons come from the corresponding facets of team building in sports and team building in agile development. You might not be battling for the pride of your country, but each member of your team can learn a thing or two from such a strategic game.
