I have a team and organization that I learned is very conflict adverse to the point that asking questions or having a dialog is considered as adversarial or judgement. Does anyone have any tips, coach experience, training material group dynamics and even conflict coaching classes that I can take to improve questions and to get the team to realize that it is ok to question. I think the team is also thinking the retrospectives are judging verse a chance for the team to find some way to improve. Sometimes it is difficult for teams to be self examining. Some of the personalities take offense to questions on pointing stories and such. The good thing is that is not just with me but others. However I could use some new coaching techniques and ideas to help the people. One very interesting personality is the PO who thinks he or she is being told that they are wrong because the team changes a point estimate or if we go around the room to do the point estimation. It is like why are you pointing when I already did it.
One other area is that there are too many 1 pointer when the stories should really be a bit larger as the numbers and dev work clearly show the stories are more like a couple of points. Anyone have anything have a techniques for adjusting the current habits by the team?
Lastly, bugs which is a term that I now know is offensive to my developers. Which caused all kinds of conflicts. Anyone have anything on the dreaded bug conversation?
Thanks,
Greg