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Applies to this Azure Well-Architected Framework Operational Excellence checklist recommendation:
| OE:01 | Align team members' specializations to clear practices for designing, deploying, and operating the workload, ensuring accountability, continuous improvement, and a blameless culture that supports learning. |
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Operating a workload with a DevOps mindset requires more than tools and processes. There are two core components. The first is culture: shared ownership, accountability, continuous learning, and a focus on quality. The second is execution: teams must be able to run their workloads day to day, respond to incidents and changes, and collaborate with other teams while meeting organizational requirements.
This guide provides recommendations for adopting DevOps practices that enable teams to operate with shared ownership, mutual respect, and deliver business impact.
Foster mutual respect
Teams should operate with a shared code of ethics grounded in mutual respect. Every team member brings valuable expertise, and recognizing this establishes a safe environment for open discussion. Team members should feel comfortable offering honest perspectives on workload operations and trust that their input will be treated with respect.
Mutual respect enables a blameless culture. When issues arise, the team focuses on shared ownership and improvement rather than blame, preserving trust and strengthening long-term cohesion.
Establish clear roles and responsibilities
The workload team owns the operation end-to-end. Even when outside teams provide support, the team has shared responsibility for coordinating and ensuring all functions succeed. Every aspect that affects the workload is part of the team's responsibility, reinforcing a shared sense of ownership.
Define roles and decision-making authority. Decisions should be made efficiently, with input from the team.
Risk: Strictly defined roles can sometimes feel limiting, especially when team members are asked to step outside their usual responsibilities. Encourage open, honest conversations about team structure and be flexible in adjusting roles to support both the team's needs and individual growth.
When disagreements arise, a designated person must make the final call based on the evidence. Team members should feel heard and respected, even if they do not agree with the outcome.
AI opportunity: AI can clarify various roles and speed up decision making and work assignments. Agents can analyze data from backlog systems, shared documents, tickets, team chats, and development tools. Based on the work being done, AI can identify responsibilities and route questions to the right people, reducing manual work and delays. Tools like Copilot can leverage existing infrastructure with moderate effort and low maintenance, while maintaining secure access to all project artifacts.
Commit to continuous learning
Leverage enablement teams to strengthen your team's skills. Platform teams, architecture review boards, and similar groups provide standards and guidance for consistency. Ensure your workload team communicates openly with them, collaborates on process improvements, and shares knowledge.
Develop a cross-functional team. Encourage members to specialize in their areas while maintaining general knowledge of other functions so they can support each other and understand the workload end-to-end. This builds collaboration, knowledge sharing, and overall team capability.
Dedicate efforts towards continuous optimization
Understand the business, regulatory, and regional requirements that apply to your workload. Ensure the team knows these rules and the consequences of non-compliance.
Integrate compliance into your practices. Use testing and governance mechanisms to verify that all required functions are met, treating organizational standards as guardrails for safe and proper operation.
Continuously review and improve procedures. Regularly examine standard operating procedures with the team, encourage feedback, and identify areas for improvement. Foster a culture where team members can propose changes at any time, but dedicate structured time for focused discussions.
Enable safe experimentation. Provide sandbox environments and time in sprints for experimentation. Document standards for integrating new functionality, ensuring it aligns with safe deployment practices and delivers tangible benefits.
Azure facilitation
Microsoft publishes extensive documentation about DevOps culture in a dedicated DevOps resource center.
Related links
Operational Excellence checklist
Refer to the complete set of recommendations.