Running a Teaming Session
Once the team is set up, a few simple rules keep the session productive. These rules feel mechanical at first; they exist to disrupt the habits people bring from working alone.
Goal
To run a session where every team member contributes, knowledge spreads through the team, and the work moves forward in small, reviewable steps.
The Six Guiding Rules
1. Rotate every 4–5 minutes
Rotate anti-clockwise. Frequent rotation ensures everyone is contributing regularly. It also keeps observers engaged because they know they will be driving or navigating soon.
If 4–5 minutes feels too short, that's exactly the point — it forces small steps and clean handovers.
2. Describe in English first
The navigator writes out (or says aloud) what they want to do before the driver types it. For an idea to go from your head to the computer, it must go through someone else's hands. Describing in plain English first ensures the team understands the intent, not just the keystrokes.
3. The driver is not allowed to think
The driver translates instructions into code. They do not invent the solution while typing. If the driver disagrees, they can ask questions or note it for the retro — but during the rotation they execute what the navigator asks for.
This feels strange and is the rule people break first. It exists because if the driver thinks, the navigator becomes redundant and the rest of the team disengages.
4. Work in really small steps
Small steps make handovers easier and result in frequent check-ins. A typical example: write a small failing test first, so the next person knows exactly what you were thinking when they take over.
5. Always finish with a retrospective
At the end of every session, silently collect feedback from everyone on stickies. Cover the approach to the problem, the tooling, how the team worked together, worries, and concerns. This is where the team improves its practice.
6. Close happy
Teaming is tiring at first because it requires a lot more focus and learning than usual work. Finish on a high note, even if a bit early, so people are excited to come back next time.
Anti-patterns
- Skipping the English-first step. The navigator dictates keystrokes directly without explaining intent. The driver becomes a typist with no understanding of what's being built.
- Letting rotations slide. "Just one more line" turns into ten minutes of one person driving. The timer is there for a reason.
- Skipping the retro. Without a closing retro, the team doesn't notice when something is wrong, so it never improves.
Next Step
Even with the rules, sessions hit predictable challenges. The next page covers how to handle each one.