In this section, you will find:

The Crystal Method
The Characteristics
Putting it into Practice

The Crystal Method

Developed by Alistair Cockburn in 1991, it is an agile framework for team projects and has been used frequently in software development but can be used in various project-oriented teamwork.

It is a framework that focuses on people and the interactions that they have rather than the tools and processes available to them.

It operates on two core beliefs:

1. Teams are the best equipped to find ways to improve and streamline their processes to become optimal. 
2. Every project is unique and dynamic. This means it is always changing, so the team working on it is best suited to decide how to adapt and move forward.

It is not a step-by-step guide on how to do projects that can be applied universally to any project or team.

It is rather a guideline on how to view teamwork, collaboration, and communication, as a focus of any successful project. 

So if you want to use the Crystal Method, it means adapting your mindset as a leader to this way of thinking if you are unfamiliar with it. 

The Characteristics

Human-powered🧠

The processes of the project are adapted to meet the team members' needs as they are essential to the project. It also fundamentally sees people as capable of organizing themselves, becoming more competent and organized as the processes develop. 

Adaptive 🏃

The tools and the processes are not fixed but are rather adjusted as needed to meet the specific needs of each team and the project they are working on.

Ultra-light 🍃

The framework focuses on transparent workflow between the team and the clients, and simultaneously having open communication flows between team members keeps the process light. It also doesn't focus much on documentation, management, or reporting.

Putting it into Practice

Here are the properties of the Crystal Method

Frequent delivery 🚚

It is a focus on frequently delivering working tested products to real users or clients. This feedback is essential so that the project doesn't end up developing a product or service which there is no demand for. This way, stakeholders can find adjustments and errors more quickly. 

Reflective improvement 📈

Should always be used no matter how good or bad the product is. Frequently reflect and look at which areas can be improved, or if there are new techniques or methods your team can implement to improve future practices. 

Osmotic Communication💬

This aspect relates to having teams work in close physical proximity to allow spontaneous and rapid information flow between the team members. In this situation, team members often pick up information without being directly a part of the conversation. That is why it is called osmotic conversation.

Hybrid and remote teams have become an increased form of working around the globe after the Covid crisis. This means that even when using a Crystal method sometimes this form of osmotic communication is not possible.
As a leader, you should then try to facilitate frequent opportunities for your team members to work in close proximity if they only come in a couple of times a week, or have frequent online "talking meetings" where the goal is for team members to discuss ideas, opinions, and thoughts about the project and processes.

Personal Safety🦺

A healthy working environment is built on being able to communicate openly and honestly. Team members should feel comfortable speaking their minds, raising concerns, and pitching ideas. Including trust and team building activities is, therefore, a must and should not be dismissed. This is also often spoken about as psychological safety. 

Focus➡️

By making sure that each team knows exactly what they are working on enables the team members to focus on the tasks at hand, and minimize distractions. Working together towards the same goal at the same time influences positive team communication and team spirit.

Easy access to expert users💭

Even though this is most often talked about in terms of developing software, maintaining communication and getting regular feedback from real users is a must for any project that creates a product or service.

(A technical environment with automated tests, configuration management, and frequent integration)

This last part is a specific tool for software teams and might not be relevant to all teams.