Symptom: There is at least one team member that is disruptive to the rest of the team. This could point to performance related issues, non-engagement with the rest of the team or just plain disruptive.
Probable Cause: In most cases there is usually some underlying reasons for the exhibited behaviour. Sometimes, the behaviour can originate from some insecurities about using agile for example, or may be something else completely.
Suggested Resolution: Sometimes teams can over simplify the issues with disruptive people on the team, where they can seem to "gang up" on an individual and seek their removal from the team. This may provide benefits for the project, but what about the individual?
Before any rash decisions are made, it may be worth finding out what if any underlying issues are causing the person to be disruptive. A one on one conversation by the coffee machine or similar can be very revealing and may indicate those underlying reasons.
Try to approach the matter delicately and ask some leading questions about their take on the project and how things are going. Keep the conversation light and focus on listening to the individual and their reponses. The objective here is to really find out what factors may be causing them to be disruptive.
Usually, the underlying reasons can be quite straight forward and look to close the conversation with some objectives to remedy the underlying causes. In the case of insecurities about using agile for example, look to provide extra support and reassurance.
Only when every effort has been made to help the individual align with the team with no visible progress being made, only then, may it be appropriate to consider separating them from the team.
Very rarely would this be a permanent solution, as the individual may well be able to rejoin the team at a later point in time if they are able to participate effectively.
Adopting agile practices can be very difficult for some people, as it requires them to change their behaviour, become more accountable and sometimes they can feel more exposed as a result.
So spare a thought for a struggling team member and help them out.
What you are looking for here is a team that can be self healing and self supporting, and which takes care of its members.
It can be easy to discount under performing members of a team when viewing their actions at face value, but you have to remember that they are only human and may be reacting to any number of underlying factors; and that ultimately, they are still part of your team.
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