Abstract
Studies have determined that the success of agile projects is reliant on the people involved. Some identified factors include personal characteristics, societal culture, training and learning, team capability and customer involvement. Taking into account these factors is essential if agile teams are to function effectively. However, the literature on successful agile projects has focused primarily leadership and has overlooked the importance of team members. It is essential to consider team members since they are the ones responsible for executing the work and ultimately determine the project's success. The Agile Manifesto (2001) emphasises the importance of a self-organising team, as it states that the “best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organising teams”. Alahyari, Horkoff, Matsson and Engeval (2018) identify a coherent self-organising team as one of the key factors contributing to the success of agile projects. Given that agile is people-extensive, it is crucial to select the right team before initiating a project. Successful team members in an agile environment possess an agility mindset and emotional intelligence, which goes beyond merely adapting to change and learning from mistakes.
This study focused on determining how to realise successful agile implementation through self-organising teams with an agility mindset and digital emotional intelligence. Qualitative research was implemented through semi-structured interviews. A theoretical framework of agility mindset and digital emotional intelligence for implementing agile projects through self-organising teams was developed and used as a guide for interview questions. The identified participants were the team members working on agile projects, those who were transitioning to agile and those who were working on hybrid projects, and there was no limitation on the participants’ industries. The collected data was analysed by line-by-line coding, reviewed, and then grouped based on their patterns which resulted in sub-themes. These sub-themes then culminated into a theme. The study findings led to the development of a framework designed for implementing a self-organised team with an agility mindset and digital emotional intelligence skills to achieve successful agile implementation. The thematic findings reveal the focus of the framework is to cultivate a self-organised team mindset that promotes success and well-being. To achieve this, the framework emphasises the importance of understanding and avoiding toxic positivity, which suggests that a positive outlook should be maintained regardless of the circumstances. The framework encourages embracing all emotions and creating a safe culture where team members feel heard, supported, and understood. One key recommendation that emerged from this study is to conduct research to determine if self-awareness is innate or can be instilled in individuals, as it will be beneficial in employing the developed framework.
Keywords: Agility mindset, digital emotional intelligence, self-organised team, self-awareness, psychological empowerment