30 psychological truths that drive agile adoption and its failure

30 psychological truths that drive agile adoption and its failure

(and maybe its success)

Who am I

Caoilte Dunne

This is a quick moving presentation

1) I am not a psychologist. So if you think I am wrong you're probably right

2) If you don’t catch it all - don’t worry*

*see end of presentation

A note on the truths

These are verified psychological ideas / theories.

However

People are complex , paradoxical beings.

Each truth is a simplification.

Agile Adoption

Agile Adoption Agile Failure

Agile Adoption Agile Failure Agile Recovery

Agile Adoption

Agile Failure

Agile Recovery

Agenda

Agile adoption - why we tryAgile failure - why it's hardAgile recovery - why we should try again

Agile Adoption

Agile has become the safe choice.How did it conquer the methodology space ?

It is aspirational, It inspires

● Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

● Working software over comprehensive documentation

● Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

● Responding to change over following a plan

● Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.

● Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.

● Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.

● Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

● Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.

● The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.

● Working software is the primary measure of progress.

● Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.

● Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.

● Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.

● The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

● At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

Psychological truth Number 1

The Social proof (Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D., & Akert, A.M)

AKA Lots of people are doing it so should I.

Once tried / understood

There are several reasons why people become agile enthusiasts

Lets look into what agile is

Agile manifesto and principles

● Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

● Working software over comprehensive documentation

● Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

● Responding to change over following a plan

● Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software.

● Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage.

● Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.

● Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.

● Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.

● The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.

● Working software is the primary measure of progress.

● Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely.

● Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility.

● Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential.

● The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

● At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

Still Too Long

Individuals and interactions over processes and toolsWorking software over comprehensive documentationCustomer collaboration over contract negotiationResponding to change over following a plan

Individuals and Interactions Customer collaboration Working software Responding to change

Closer but not there yet

Social engagementIndividuals and Interactions (being social)Customer collaboration (common goal) Measurement Working software (what we measure)Responding to change (why we measure)

3 words -much better

Social engagementMeasurement

Social Engagement

Why does a focus on social engagement cause people to love agile?


What a man can be , he must be (Maslow)

AKA Fulfilment requires other people


Happy people are extremely social(Seligman)

AKA Happiness cannot be achieved without social relationships


Three key motivations drive performance(McClelland)

AKA People are motivated by more than one thing

The need for affiliation The 2nd need The 3rd need

Measurement

Why does a focus on measurement cause people to love agile ?

Team Performance

Team morale

Code quality

Innovation

Customer Engagement

Improved cost effective

Cycle time


The truth can only be tolerated if you discover it yourself (Perls)

AKA Only when you connect the dots , does it look like a christmas tree


Suffering ceases to be suffering the moment it finds a meaning (Frankl)

AKA If you see improvement , the effort is worth it.


Three key motivations drive performance(McClelland)

AKA People are motivated by more than one thing

The need for affiliation The need for Accomplishment The 3rd need

Where you were

Where You Want to be

How far you have come

Agile is the good cop , bad cop of the methodological landscape

Social Engagement

Measurement

Agile Failure

If Agile is so great Why a) Does it sometimes suck so hard.b) Does it sometimes fail.

Social Engagement

You are given the chance to work on green fields projects. All your dreams come true

However - is it really green field ?


Emotions are a runaway train(Ekman)

AKA When we act , we are acting with emotion


Toxic people cause others to become toxic (Kusy & Holloway)

AKA People fight fire with fire


Three key motivations drive performance (McCelland)

AKA Turns out people have more that one thing that drives them

The need for affiliation The need for Accomplishment The need for power

Bad Egg

It gets worse

Bad Eggs are viral


What happens when you put good people in an evil place (Zimbardo)

AKA When in a context , you are less moral than you think you will be


How strong is the urge to social conformity (Asch)

AKA If you are in a group , groupthink is in effect


People do what they are told to do (Milgram)

AKA When asked , You will obey


Most human behaviour is learnt through modeling (Bandura)

AKA Monkey see , monkey do

People behave poorly

Bad Egg

Obedience


Bad Egg

Bad Egg

Obedience

Conformity


Bad Egg

Bad Egg

Bad Egg

Learn By Modelling Obedience

Conformity


Bad Egg

Bad Egg

Bad Egg

Bad Egg

It gets worse

Organizational culture can also be bad


Profitless acts are stamped out(Throndike)

AKA If you gain no value , you will stop trying


Behaviour is shaped by positive and negative reinforcement (Skinner)

AKA Your environment will change who you are

Bad Egg

Measurement


You cannot understand a system until you try and change it (Lewin)

AKA Only when you push , do you feel resistance

It gets worse

When we chose truthiness


The seven sins of memory(Schacter)

AKA If you're remembering it , you're remembering it wrong

Memories Fade Over Time

We only remember what we notice

Sometimes our memory is blocked

Other people's stories can become part of our memory of events

Each time we remember a memory we can change it

We remember what we want to be true

Sometimes we can’t forget

How you remember your first kiss

Your first kiss


Emotion and memory are stored together(Seligman)

AKA When you remember something your emotional state can be altered


We are constantly on the lookout for causal connections(kahneman)

AKA When you break a mirror that 7 years bad luck

Added

Removed

Added

Removed

Emphasied

EmphasiedMade weaker

Made weaker

It gets worse

When we measure our KPI


Demand characteristics

(Orne)

AKA You will get what you measure not what you want

The Higher this is , the better. It is your measure

It gets worse

We look at the data


Insight may cause blindness(Watzlawick)

AKA Sometimes you double down

Well that was tough

Agile Recovery

What can we do ?

Social Engagement


There is more to the surface than meets the eye (Beck)

AKA You must deal with what you see


It is notoriously inadequate to take an adopted child into your house and love it (Winnicott)

AKA Tolerance only gets you so far

Sometimes you have to coach , sometimes you have to challenge. What you can’t do is ignore toxic behaviour. You will be doing you and them a disservice.

What about the damage …

People might need a push to try again ...


Reciprocation (Regan , many others)

AKA People will give a lot if you give a little.


Consistency of self (Festinger)

AKA Actions taken change beliefs


People are influenced by people they like (Thorndike , various)

AKA If someone likes you , you are already influencing them


People hate to lose(Hobfoll)

AKA Abundance is nice , loss is unbearable


The Social proof (Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D., & Akert, A.M)

AKA Lots of people are doing it so should I.


Rational Beliefs create healthy Emotional Consequences (Ellis)

AKA If what you expect is achievable , then you stand more chance of happiness


The good life is a process , not a state of being (Rodgers)

AKA

Happiness is making choices


The Power of small wins (Amabile , Kramer)

AKA A small win is still a win


People working towards common goals bond (Aronson)

AKA To support is to be supported


Our history does not determine our destiny(Cyrulnik)

AKA change is always possible

It will take hard work

We might occasionally fail

The team will hold you to account

Measurement

We must be accountable and constantly prove ourselves.


What we believe in our hearts is not necessarily the truth (Loftus)

AKA You might be wrong


The truth can only be tolerated if you discover it yourself (Perls)

AKA Only when you connect the dots , does it look like a christmas tree

Summary

Happiness Achievement

HappinessA

chievement

I had told you earlier not to be too worried about not taking it all in .


Your forget ⅔ of everything your hear within 24 hours

AKA focus hard on the ⅓ you want to remember

With that in mind Lets recap

You get no marks for adherence to prescribed set of practices or behaviours.

The agile manifesto describes a mindset not a blueprint.

You will have to deal with bad eggs.Don’t be surprised when it happens.

Bad Egg

Your mantra must be AdoptInspectImprove


Most human behaviour is learnt through modeling (Bandura)

AKA Monkey see , monkey do

Any Questions ?

???

Email : [email protected]

30 psychological truths that drive agile adoption and its failure

Software