Agile team roles

There are particular roles on an Agile team, and each of these roles has its own focus, responsibilities, and abilities. All Agile teams are considered self-organizing and cross-functional. Sounds vastly different from a functional hierarchical organization, right? Self-organization doesn't mean team members are doing whatever they want, whenever they want. The self-organization model was designed to help optimize the flexibility of decision-making and the courage to be creative. If self-direction and organization by the team are done correctly, productivity increases. It takes a while to get there, though, primarily if your team is used to a predictive dynamic. It feels strange and different and may need some getting used to at the team level.

If you are familiar with the sport of rugby, then the word "scrum" may be recognizable. A "scrum" is a banding together of individual players on the team who work together toward a common goal. They...