Understanding
How to Truly Benefit From
an Agile Transformation
presented by:
in partnership with:
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
Introductions
Steve Davis Agile Trainer
Agile Coach
Trained over 5,000 people in Agile methods
over the last 5 years
Personally coached 80 different teams in various industries to
successfully transition to an Agile approach
Website: davisbase.org Email: [email protected]
Davisbase Consulting Developing People Who Develop Software.
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
What is a “Cargo Cult”?
World War II, Melanesian Islands
Allied Forces
Cargo Drops
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What is a “Cargo Cult”?
“We did everything that they did, so where’s our cargo?”
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
What is a “Cargo Cult”?
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
A Cargo Cult Assumes...
‣ Imitating actions alone produces desired results
‣ Process is more important than the underlying
principles
‣ Discipline to process alone is paramount for
success
‣ The need to know “why” is not valuable
‣ Style over substance
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
Cargo Cult Agile Teams
‣Simply replace one prescriptive process for
development and delivery with another.
‣Invest more energy in duplicating others’ processes
rather than creating their own.
‣Fail to effectively communicate the
principles upon which their process
should be based.
‣Lack discipline in maintaining sight
of their most important mandate.
‣Care more about appearances
than results.
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
Cargo Cults Produce Few
Results
“We did everything they did, where are our results?”
“I knew Agile wouldn’t work. We did everything we were supposed to, but it only seemed to cause problems!”
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
http://agilemanifesto.org/
That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more.
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and
helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
The Agile Manifesto
Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value
Value
Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value
Value
Valu
e
Valu
e
Valu
e
Valu
e V
alu
e V
alu
e V
alu
e V
alu
e
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What Are We Here For?
We are
here to
develop
deliver
AND
great working
products
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Complicated Vs. Complex
Watch Making
‣ Thousands of parts, hundreds of steps to
assemble
‣ Intricate, delicate work, difficult to complete
‣ Must work in specific order
‣ In order for watch to work, the final build
should reflect the original plan.
‣ Deviation from plan is considered a defect.
Complicated, but not complex
Weather
‣ Difficulty to predict details about behavior or
outcomes
‣ Outcomes are results of many variables
‣ Variables that affect outcomes are difficult to
impossible to predict reliably
‣ Plans expect variability and deviation, then
account for this in the plan
Complex
Developing Software
Is a Complex
Endeavor
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Complicated Vs. Complex The Cone of Uncertainty
Time
Software
Complete
Project
Initiation &
Planning
+
-
In a
Waterfall
project, this is where
all of the important
project planning
decisions are
made.
The further out in time
something is, the more impaired
our ability to accurately predict
anything about it.
Estim
ate
V
ariabili
ty
present future
= Variable
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
Improvement The Team Delivery
So, What Should We Focus On?
Serve your customer
Customer
‣Listen to your
customers, even when
they are not happy
‣ It’s not ‘Us vs. Them’
‣ Involve them early,
often, and consistently
‣Communicate
transparently
‣A successful project
must have a delighted
customer
‣Seek to serve more
than just your contract
‣Know that your
customer’s wants and
needs will evolve with
the product
Note: Every project and product has a
customer. Know who your customer is!
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
Improvement The Team Delivery
So, What Should We Focus On?
Deliver your
product
Customer
‣ All processes used by a development team should serve to support their ability to deliver their product for their customer.
‣ The longer a product is in development, the more at risk it is of failing to meet market expectations.
‣ Teams must embrace uncertainty, or else they run the risk of being adversely affected by it.
‣ Agile teams must always ask “Is what I am doing adding value to the product we are delivering for our customer?”
If We Don’t Deliver,
Nothing Else
Matters Much
Any process used must be
all about delivering our
product.
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‣ Agile teams meet at the end of each
iteration to examine the past iteration to
determine where improvements can be
made, then plans accordingly.
‣ Agile teams are empowered to
make decisions that support their short
term iteration goals.The Agile team
owns the responsibility of meeting the
customer’s expectations and their own
team commitments
Provide your team the
mechanisms to
allow for improvement.
When your team is
happy they produce
better products.
Improvement The Team Delivery
So, What Should We Focus On?
Your people are
important
Customer
Build projects around
motivated individuals.
Give them the
environment and
support they need,
and trust them to get
the job done.
AGILE PRINCIPLE
At regular intervals,
the team reflects on
how to become more
effective, then tunes
and adjusts its
behavior accordingly.
AGILE PRINCIPLE
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Improvement The Team Delivery
So, What Should We Focus On?
You’re never done improving
Customer
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
“I welcome failure,
not because I desire it as an ultimate end,
but because I recognize that any true success
must be born through
some amount of failure.
And because of this allowance,
I expect my team to be
better next year than they are
today.”
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
The Antithesis of a Cargo Cult
‣ 2 brothers
‣ A large governmental agency (600 developers)
‣ Entrenched development process
‣ No allowance for deviation
What They Faced ‣ Started small, but stayed focused
‣ Always did a ‘sanity check’
‣ Reviewed what they did
‣ Shared what they learned
What They Did
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
What You Need to Remember
‣Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery,
but it is a poor foundation for your development
approach
‣Always seek clearly what value you expect to
create with any process, product, meeting,
team, etc.
‣Ensure shared, team ownership of any initiative
‣Pay closer consideration to the best product
outcome, rather than simple adherence to your
original plan
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
Avoid the Pitfalls That Can Create a
Cargo Cult Agile Team
‣Ensure the organization understands the principles
that Agile seeks to serve
‣Provide the proper training to ensure that every
team member is an “owner” of the approach
‣Don’t assume that a failure in development is a
failure of your approach
‣ Provide the teams the tools and
assistance that they need
‣ Seek continuous improvement
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
‣ Find experts that can point you in the right direction.
‣Recognize that training is the proper foundation upon which team’s build successful patterns.
‣ It takes time to get good at anything, Agile is no exception, but the rewards are well worth it.
‣Getting started is easier than you might think.
Your Call To Action
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Your Questions, My Answers
Note: For those questions we do not have time to answer during the
webinar, I will be providing a written response. That response will be
posted on the ASPE-SDLC blog in a few days.
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
How to Claim Your PDU
‣ Go to ccrs.pmi.org
‣ Search for ASPE as a Registered Education
Provider. Our number is 2161.
‣ At the bottom of our details page, select
“See Provider’s Activities”
‣ Find the activity and code stated by the ASPE
moderator: WSCARGOAGILE
‣ The seminars are a Category A for one PDU
Webinar Code:
WSCARGOAGILE
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
‣Thank you.
‣Steve Davis, Davisbase Consulting
‣http://www.davisbase.org
Meeting Close
Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden
About Davisbase Consulting
‣ A leading, national provider of Agile training and coaching
services.
‣ Since 2007, over 400 classes taught to over 8,000 people nationwide.
‣ Training, coaching, and consulting work for over 50 Fortune 500 Clients.
‣ Experienced. “In the trenches” doing what we teach
‣ Extensive experience with all aspects of software development and project
lifecycle across multiple industries and verticals.
‣ Every title and role from Developer, QA, Project Manager through Sr.
Leadership.
‣ Average of 15+ years of applied IT Leadership experience.