A team has been struggling with various issues during the course of an iteration. The project lead facilitates a discussion of the issues and the team forms new team agreements. During the next iteration, some of the same issues appear again.What should the project lead do next?

While involving senior management may seem like a solution, it shifts responsibility away from the team. The team needs to take ownership of their processes and agreements rather than rely on external validation. This could discourage team autonomy and reduce their motivation to resolve issues collaboratively.

Although visibility of the agreements is beneficial, it does not address the underlying reasons for the recurring issues. Simply posting the agreements does not ensure they are being actively followed or understood by the team. It’s essential to engage the team in discussions about adherence to these agreements rather than just reminding them of their existence.

Encouraging self-organization is generally positive; however, without addressing the specific reasons for the issues, the team may repeat the same mistakes. Immediate reflection on their commitment to the agreements is necessary to facilitate meaningful change and prevent the issues from recurring.