When people ask for “a sense of urgency” or “ownership” what they are really saying is “show me that you care about delivering this as much as I do”. Here are a few suggestions in an Agile context in no particular order of importance:

• Schedule the end of iteration demonstrations for the next 6-12 months – highly visible deadlines prevent teams from over-engineering solutions.
• Hold team members collectively accountable for team performance and for fulfilling job responsibilities. When things do not get delivered it is the team that has failed – freeloaders or those who are completely unsuited for the job will usually not be tolerated by high performing teams for long.
• A team’s performance is limited by the least invested individual. Such people dampen everyone’s morale and it is essential to quickly counteract people who habitually over-promise, make excuses, reject responsibility, complain, and lack commitment. While some skepticism up-front is healthy, perpetual grousing is not. To counter this, it is essential to clearly define and communicate behavioral expectations up-front and the consequences of not changing (if any).
• Clearly define and communicate expectations for decision-making including span of control and scope. This is to ensure that the team is not waiting around to be told what to do next.
• Require teams to develop corrective action plans for performance that is not meeting goals.
• Set a good example by promptly responding to questions, concerns, and escalated problems. Clearly communicate time frames for follow-up and consistently follow-up within these time frames.
• Help team members separate facts from emotional baggage.
• Recognize individuals and teams that respond with urgency.
• Discuss Chris Avery’s Responsibility Process Model or Roger Conners’ Oz Principle early in the transition process and refer to either at appropriate junctures.