visual management: leading with what you can see

Craig Smith

We

lco

me

…

Image: © DIC Entertainment http://www.imisstheoldschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/inspector-gadget-the-original-series-20060223115624749-000.jpg

Renee Troughton

@agilerenee

WARNING!

Much of

this may

seem

obvious

Image: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V6LkCqRzKsg/URgIsr021-I/AAAAAAAAAl0/xDTQYFNRo84/s1600/captain_obvious_by_stuartmcghee-d5mbxhw.jpg

But…

We see

Crime

Scene

Walls

every

day! Image: © Jerry Bruckheimer Television

http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/8600000/CSI-Las-Vegas-Episode-10-06-Promotional-Photos-csi-8615465-2000-1331.jpg

…information is communicated by using visual signals instead of texts or other written instructions. The design is deliberate in allowing quick recognition of the information being communicated, in order to increase efficiency and clarity.

What Is Visual Management?

“

“” Image: © Charles M. Schulz / Universal UClick http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FYLeQ4ABYTA/TP5pZEWX29I/AAAAAAAAH_Q/167AW75OrHE/s1600/a_charlie_brown_christmas_13.jpg

http://www.thebestodds.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/hawks.jpg http://blog.toyota.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Kanban.jpg

Everyday

Visual

Management

Why It Is Important

Effective

retention

3 days after

a meeting

Spoken word only

Visual + Oral

Visual

Hearing Smell Taste Touch

Human Learning Retention

Final

Thoughts

Flow

Management

Usability

Complexity

Thinking

Gamification The Zone

The flow today

Visual Management:

Flow Management Image: © Thunderbox Films http://qfxblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/kenny.jpg

To Do Analysis Develop Test Done

The Basic Flow

Agile

101 tells

us to

build a

wall like

this

11

To Do Analysis

Develop

Test

Done

The Basic Flow

Often

results in

this

12

Avoid The Agile Waterfall

Clear Instructions

Development Done: • Code complete & reviewed • Unit Tests pass & complete • Acceptance Tests pass &

complete • Checked in & build success • Documentation updated

Instructions

for adding a

card

Instructions

for pushing

a card to

next queue

Multi-Sprint Backlog

Can see a little

further down the

road…

Horizon & Queues

Groom

your

backlog

as you go

Works

well for

Kanban

(but

iterative

as well)

Manage

your work

via WIP

Story Map Backlog

Map out features

on a wall

Map out the

features and

dependencies

required

Value Tree Backlog

Single Feature,

bottom up growth

Multiple P/O Backlog

Visualising the

priorities for

multiple product

owners

Timeline Board

To Do Doing

Done

Lean Startup Board

Repeat

Build / Measure / Learn

C

Done By… Done by

Cycle

Time

Done by

Time

vs

Done Burn…

versus

Are we on

track for end

of iteration?

Hourglass

Limited WIP

of 3

Tracks

stories &

tasks

Scrum Hero

Limited WIP

of 8

As part of a

larger zone

To Do

Doing

Done!

Representative

size

Balloon Board

LEGO Portfolio Board

DUPLO colour = Business

domain

DUPLO holes = Expected size

(people)

LEGO

colour =

Skill

type

Lower level =

Number of

people

needed

Upper level =

Number of

people

allocated

Divider

height =

control

level for

gate

DUPLO height = Expected

value/ROI

Lego Portfolio Management LEGO Portfolio Board

Why

Are

Doing

This?

Why

Are

Doing

This?

Idle

People

High

Depend,

High Risk

Under

Resource

Back At

Work?

Build boards to

visualise problems

that you have

Image: © Thunderbox Films http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2007/09/27/kenny460.jpg

Keep it simple, but

visual

Keep

experimenting (or

refine your

awesomeness)

Visual Management:

The Zone Image: © Paramount Pictures http://www.sorrisi.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/School-of-rock.jpg

Task

Board

Story

Wall

Kanban

Board

Which means work

items should not be

called tasks, user

stories or

kanbans…

They are things on a wall.

What’s In A Name?

The Team

The Customer

Management

What do I need to

work on now?

Where is my work at?

Which teams need my

support to remove

blockers and waste?

Who Cares About

Transparency?

Visual Management

Zone

Metrics

People

Environment

Knowledge Artefacts

Flow Zone

What’s Makes up

the Zone? R

The Zone:

Metrics

0 11 7 31

43.5 42 36.5 63 58.5

36.5 8 11

44 56 48 65

85 55 55 50 50 50

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

#01, 03-Dec #02, 21-Dec #03, 15-Jan #04, 25-Jan #05, 08-Feb #06, 22-Feb #07, 08-Mar

#08, 22-Mar

#09, 05-Apr #10, 19-Apr #11, 03-May

#12, 17-May

Scope (points)

Cumulative

Flow

Diagram Burn Up

Chart

The Zone:

Metrics

Now

Targeting

Lobster

Lunch

Risk Heat

Map

The Zone:

Metrics

Code

Climate

Sonar

The Zone:

Metrics

Qualitative &

Quantitative

Maturity

Assessment

The Zone:

People

Mood

Chart

Leave

Calendars

Capability /

Dev Plan

R

The Zone:

Environment

Environment

Status

Build

Status

Client

Mood

C

The Zone:

Knowledge Artefacts

State

Diagrams

Database

Diagrams

R

The Zone:

Flow Zone

Blackboard

Whiteboard

Back At

Work?

Seek forgiveness,

rather than

permission

Image: © Paramount Pictures http://www.ruthlessreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/schoolofrock.jpg

Visual

management isn’t

just a flow board

Your key artefacts

should be visible

in the zone

Visual Management:

Complexity Thinking

Image: © Warner Bros. Pictures http://www.intellimusica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Inception-Top-Wallpaper-Sohan-Surag.jpg

No Visual

Management?

So What Flow To Use?

Basic Flow? Process

Flow?

At Home

La Marzocco

• Predictable

• No Expert

Required Simple

• Predictable

• Expert

Required

Complicated

• Unpredictable

• Expert

Required

Complex World Barista

Championships

Complex Coffee

At Home

• Predictable

• No Expert

Required Simple

Is Visual

Management

needed?

Coffee At Home

La Marzocco

• Predictable

• Expert

Required

Complicated

Is Visual Management needed?

To Do Doing Done

Large Latte

2 sugars

Macchiato

1 Sugar

Flat White

Large Latte

2 sugars

Cappuccino

2 Sugars

Expresso

Coffee At A Coffee Shop

Variability

is Small

To Do Doing Done

Large Latte

2 sugars

Macchiato

1 Sugar

Flat White

Large Latte

2 sugars

Cappuccino

2 Sugars

Expresso

Coffee At A Coffee Shop

Variability

is Small

Is Visual Management needed?

To Do Doing Done

Get

tablecloth

Order

cups

Test new

roast (day

7)

Test

Kenyan

Roast

Test new

roast (day

8)

Test new

roast (day

9)

Diffuser

delivery

Waiting

World Barista

Championships

• Unpredictable

• Expert

Required

Complex

Stop

Championship Coffee

Dependency

Management Events Block

Flow

Significant

Variability Extended

Flow

Systemic Flow Mapping

Systemic

Mapping

(Organisation)

Net Mapping

(Stakeholders)

Image: http://www.infoq.com/resource/articles/net-map/en/resources/NetMap-Example.jpg

http://solutioneers.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/systemic-flow-mapping-early-synergystic.png

Back At

Work? Choose the

complexity of your

work to determine

the complexity of

your board

Image: © Warner Bros. Pictures http://filmjournal.net/100films/files/2010/08/2010_inception_014-1.jpg

Some work may

cross over

complexity

boundaries

Visual Management:

Usability Image: © 20th Century Fox http://www.ropewalksliverpool.com/images/made/uploads/images/6432-minorityreport_600_super_725_340_90_s_c1.jpg

Visual Management:

Usability

Why do we

care about

usability for

software?

Why don’t we

care about

usability in

visual

management?

Image: © 20th Century Fox http://www.tomcruise.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/tom-cruise-minority-report2.jpg

Index Cards Have a low

variability in sizes

and shapes of

cards

As a creator of user stories I want to use the right coloured pen So that it is quicker for the brain to read

As a creator of user stories I want to use the right coloured pen So that it is quicker for the brain to read

Colour Contrast

Use a strong

contrast of pen to

index colour

Use a pen that

works!

As a creator of user stories I want to write neatly So that it is quicker for the brain to read and recognise the work

As a creator of user stories I want to write neatly So that it is quicker for the brain to read and recognise the work

Writing Style

Write neatly or print

cards.

Size does matter!

Although…

Research shows

hard to read fonts

promote better

recall. Go figure…

Avatars

Use real photos not

characters or

images

Although, balance

this with fun or

team theme.

Renee T

Tokens to

determine status

As Craig I want my picture used for my persona So that it is quicker to recognise all the work for me

In order for it to be quicker to recognise all the work for me As Craig I want my picture used for my persona

User Story Templates

Use pictures / graphics

for personas

Use bold / underline to

emphasise quick searching

Be consistent with layout

and template

Think different

Put the value first

Don’t write two words or

the solution!

Board Size

Can you stand back and

see the whole flow?

Can you zoom in on an

area of interest?

Continuous Delivery

is looking left and

right!

Avoid Water-Scrum-

Fall

Board Contrast

Ensure that flow lines

are not higher in

contrast than the work

items

Have a strong contrast

between the work

items and the surface

behind them

Painters tape

Board Relatedness

Create

relatedness of

sections through

colours

Create

relatedness of

queues through

shading

Paint or

Cardboard

Back At

Work? Think about

design when

initiating a team

Find solutions that

are quick but

effective

Image: © 20th Century Fox http://www.zuguide.com/images/10654/10654.0.570.359.jpg

Good design ==

faster response ==

faster delivery

Visual Management:

Gamification

Should

work

be

fun?

Image: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BQOFvq6Glsk/TWUDjAesz0I/AAAAAAAAADM/cFJWykp8ADM/s1600/fun+at+work.jpg

Achievements Wall

.

.

I don’t mind a good game

of blackjack too

All cards on the team’s flow

board have estimates against them

The only way is up!

The Cumulative Flow

Diagram has been

consistently updated each day for four weeks

Gaming Development

IDE Broken

Build Messages Broken

Build

Hat

Get Out…

Free Cards

Back At

Work?

Make work fun!

Image: http://www.agent-x.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Pacman_on_twitter-0723634-218bc0c.jpg

Choose your

gaming to the

environment and

the people

Intrinsic

motivation trumps

extrinsic driven

goals

Final Thoughts

Image: http://www.laboratoriopop.com.br/imagensUpload/45189434231.jpg

Is my

wall

telling

me the

whole

story?

Probably not!

Start by mapping the

flow

Keep adjusting

Image: http://ctparentingclass.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/lets-talk-post-it-notes-300x199.jpg

Reinforce

the

zone

Always go back to the

zone for discussions

about work

Lead others by

example and take all

meetings or status

updates to the wall

Image: http://www.romanpichler.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/iStock_000014624446Medium.jpg

But my team is distributed…

Like distributed

Agile, it takes

more work!

You need an

electronic zone

The default tool

dashboards are

average Image: http://ezylearn.com.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Lonely-office-man-003.jpg

Spend your effort wisely…

Image: © Bays & Thomas Productions http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sLp9UDsboyU/TWExLggxICI/AAAAAAAAAp4/53_rS2PrzPM/s1600/Barney+Stinson+Quotes.jpg

Our

ultimate

goal is to

deliver

value &

good

quality!

Image: © Miller-Milkis Productions http://www.cointalk.com/attachments/194954d1344827742-fonzie_add.jpg

craigsmith.id.au

craig@unbounddna.com

@smithcdau

Craig Smith

unbounddna.com

theagilerevolution.com

We are grateful to

assistance from:

@craigstrong