/team-structure Command Skill

/team-structure Command

Design team topology for an organization using Team Topologies principles.

Usage

/team-structure "e-commerce platform"
/team-structure "data platform" teams=5
/team-structure "current org" mode=analyze
/team-structure "microservices migration" mode=evolve

Arguments

| Argument | Required | Description | |----------|----------|-------------| | context | Yes | Organization, product, or system to design teams for | | teams | No | Target number of teams (helps constrain design) | | mode | No | design (default), analyze, or evolve |

Modes

Design Mode (Default)

Create a new team structure from scratch:

Analyze architecture/bounded contexts
Identify team types needed
Map contexts to teams
Define interaction patterns
Assess cognitive load
Produce structure recommendation

Analyze Mode

Evaluate an existing team structure:

Map current teams and responsibilities
Classify team types
Identify anti-patterns
Assess cognitive load
Score interaction health
Recommend improvements

Evolve Mode

Plan evolution from current to target state:

Document current structure
Define target structure
Identify gaps
Plan transition phases
Define success criteria
Create roadmap

Workflow

Step 1: Load Skills

Load required skills for team design guidance:

Skills to load:
- team-topologies (team type definitions)
- inverse-conway (architecture alignment)
- cognitive-load-assessment (load analysis)
- interaction-patterns (interaction modes)
- team-api-design (team interfaces)

Step 2: Gather Context

Based on mode, gather relevant information:

For Design Mode:

Architecture documentation
Bounded context map
Business value streams
Technical complexity areas
Organizational constraints

For Analyze Mode:

Current team list and composition
Team responsibilities
Current pain points
Delivery metrics (if available)
Known friction areas

For Evolve Mode:

Current state (teams, interactions)
Target architecture
Business drivers for change
Timeline constraints
Risk tolerance

Step 3: Spawn Team Architect Agent

Delegate to the team-architect agent for comprehensive analysis:

Task: Design team structure for {context}
Mode: {mode}
Constraints: {teams if specified}

Provide:
- Team type recommendations
- Bounded context mapping
- Interaction patterns
- Cognitive load assessment
- Evolution roadmap (if evolve mode)

Step 4: Present Results

Present the team structure design with:

Executive Summary - One paragraph overview
Team Structure Diagram - Visual representation
Team Details - Each team's type, mission, ownership
Interaction Map - How teams work together
Cognitive Load Summary - Load per team
Recommendations - Prioritized action items
Risks - Potential issues and mitigations

Output Format

# Team Structure: {context}

## Summary
{One paragraph overview of recommended structure}

## Team Structure Diagram
```text
{ASCII diagram showing teams and relationships}

Teams ({N} total)

Stream-Aligned Teams ({N})

| Team | Mission | Bounded Context | |------|---------|-----------------| | {Name} | {Mission} | {Context} |

Platform Teams ({N})

| Team | Mission | Capabilities | |------|---------|--------------| | {Name} | {Mission} | {What they provide} |

Enabling Teams ({N})

| Team | Focus | Current Engagements | |------|-------|---------------------| | {Name} | {Focus} | {Who they're helping} |

Complicated-Subsystem Teams ({N})

| Team | Specialist Area | Interface | |------|-----------------|-----------| | {Name} | {Specialization} | {How others consume} |

Interaction Patterns

{ASCII diagram showing interaction modes}

| From | To | Mode | Notes | |------|----|------|-------| | {Team} | {Team} | {Mode} | {Details} |

Cognitive Load Summary

| Team | Load Score | Status | |------|------------|--------| | {Team} | {X/75} | {🟢🟡🔴} |

Recommendations

Immediate

{Action}
{Action}

Short-term

{Action}
{Action}

Long-term

{Action}
{Action}

Risks

| Risk | Impact | Mitigation | |------|--------|------------| | {Risk} | {Impact} | {Strategy} |

Examples

Example 1: E-commerce Platform

/team-structure "e-commerce platform"

Output highlights:

6 stream-aligned teams (Catalog, Cart, Checkout, Payments, Fulfillment, Customer)
1 platform team (Developer Platform)
1 enabling team (DevOps Enablement)
1 complicated-subsystem team (Search/Recommendations)

Example 2: Analyze Existing Structure

/team-structure "current org" mode=analyze

Output highlights:

12 teams analyzed
3 anti-patterns identified (layer-oriented teams, shared service bottleneck)
Cognitive load issues in 2 teams
Recommendations for restructuring

Example 3: Plan Evolution

/team-structure "monolith to microservices" mode=evolve

Output highlights:

Current: 2 large teams
Target: 5 stream-aligned teams + platform
3-phase transition plan
Risk mitigations for each phase

Related Commands

/cognitive-load - Deep dive on cognitive load for a team
/wardley-map - Strategic analysis for team positioning

Related Skills

team-topologies - Team type definitions and patterns
inverse-conway - Architecture-team alignment
cognitive-load-assessment - Load measurement methodology
interaction-patterns - Interaction mode guidance

Last Updated: 2025-12-26

Agent Skills: /team-structure Command

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