Teaming Anti-patterns
Teaming is mechanically simple but socially demanding. A handful of behaviours will undermine a session before it has a chance to deliver value. Recognise these and address them as soon as they appear.
Laptops and Phones
When starting out, it is best if everyone is fully focused on the session. Side-laptops and phone use signal disengagement and pull observers out of the work. Once the team is more established, having one or two people doing extra research alongside the session can be helpful — but only after the basics are habitual.
Too Little
One hour a day is better than one day a week. If teaming is too infrequent the team will never learn the practice properly — each session feels like starting from scratch.
Too Much
It is going to take time to learn how to work this way. Start with short sessions and build up to longer ones. A team that tries to go from no teaming to all-day-every-day in week one will burn out and abandon the practice.
Jumping to Teaming Without Pairing
Get comfortable with the simpler practice first. Pairing is a smaller jump from working alone, and many of the skills (describing intent, working in small steps, handing over) are the same. Pair until the team is fluent, then introduce a third and fourth participant.
Opting Out
It is hard to work this way. Letting people opt out will kill any chance of success — those who participate will feel singled out, and the practice will stay at the periphery rather than becoming the team's default mode.
Sometimes people will leave because working this way is too intense for them. Continue without them and encourage them to rejoin in time. Do not water down the practice to keep them.
Delaying Driver Switching
Frequent rotation is critical to keep everyone engaged. If everyone is paying attention, a handover should have minimal impact on flow — the next driver knows what is happening because they have been watching. Stretching rotations to "let me just finish this thought" defeats the rotation discipline and the rest of the team disengages.