tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21483637969960067492024-03-05T09:07:04.972+00:00Keeping Agile SimplePut two project managers in a room, give them a project and in seconds they'll have complicated it. We can see that Agile is going the same way so we're working to Keep Agile Simple!KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-17062449365088303892015-06-03T13:42:00.000+01:002015-06-03T13:42:06.168+01:00Command, Control... and you ultimately fail!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those of you who have read through my ramblings over the last couple of years you'll know that I've never been a fan of Command & Control. Not the</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjux8sYIljWBrzwfQ4I5wY2w8dPfpUNmEGgXu4LX2yd3THFkclCvEWs3h1dlJ7DlbbJDncpeBlIKQSukHmzsqXIB0HotXfqpkN0_JqBmmGk36ovRF82FvPPgxDQLosI5zvr20_q1yey0/s1600/hand_controlling_puppet_figure_400_clr_14285.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjux8sYIljWBrzwfQ4I5wY2w8dPfpUNmEGgXu4LX2yd3THFkclCvEWs3h1dlJ7DlbbJDncpeBlIKQSukHmzsqXIB0HotXfqpkN0_JqBmmGk36ovRF82FvPPgxDQLosI5zvr20_q1yey0/s400/hand_controlling_puppet_figure_400_clr_14285.png" width="162" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> video game of the same name - I think that's a great way to relieve frustration after a long day. However, it seems that I'm not alone as Simon Caulkin makes clear in the Observer in his article <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/dec/16/2">Command, conquer and you'll ultimately fail</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">He points out that "<i>...Optimists assume that management is a linear story of progress - slow perhaps, but we're getting better at it all the time</i>". As times get harder he notes that ".<i>.. management is becoming more overbearing and controlling... leading to a lack of morale, difficulties in retaining staff and general unrest</i>".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now I understand that such a regime is important if you're about to take soldiers into battle, if you're a surgeon about to undertake a radical and dangerous operation or if you're a despot trying to maintain an iron grip over a country. You're not looking for creativity, innovation or even progress - just making sure that everything is done the way <b>you </b>know it needs to be done regardless of the cost.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqlN4Hj8Tl0TudzvfO1fBT1KGMA7mL7-rLh3uimnxfL1RhIjBQNabPnbUCAqxz_mHGcORvkciYQZU5ETWV_e3wPEB9pho4OXLUB__Jyrauaqt7zYVWybEEDBZGbL7bwXJQ3dozEgqeLY/s1600/business_figure_toy_walking_400_clr_14273.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqlN4Hj8Tl0TudzvfO1fBT1KGMA7mL7-rLh3uimnxfL1RhIjBQNabPnbUCAqxz_mHGcORvkciYQZU5ETWV_e3wPEB9pho4OXLUB__Jyrauaqt7zYVWybEEDBZGbL7bwXJQ3dozEgqeLY/s320/business_figure_toy_walking_400_clr_14273.png" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So why is this at the forefront of my mind at the moment? I guess it's because of the ill-fated decision I shared a few months ago that it would be good to leave Agile projects for a while and get back to something that a) people understood and b) meant that I wasn't living with ambiguity every day. So here I am, sitting at the brink of a multi-million pound programme wondering "<i>when the hell are we going to deliver something... anything!</i>" Under the ever watchful eye of our leader, affectionately known as Pooh bear, every meeting, email, conversation and plan is interrogated with the vigour of KGB at it's peak. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As an aside, I often classify my stakeholders as characters from Winne the Pooh - A A Milne was seemingly an expert in developing real life characters that could be applied in real life. Currently on my programme I have Tigger, Piglet, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga (and Roo) and Christopher Robin each displaying their own characteristics along with Pooh (a bear of little brain). If you're wondering where Eeyore is then that's me - I've always agreed with his outlook on life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So has the ever increasing number of plans, templates, two hour meetings and complicated processes generated more control? Does the fact that we have an increasing number of project managers & business analysts on the programme team deliver results better and more quickly? Does the fact that we have 50% more managers talking about delivery than actual people delivering something on the programme team mean that we're leaner and more effective and more in control?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The short answer is simply no (as is the long answer to be frank) and it's not</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeQLKfCOtagVI9J5sIxA3kGURMAq6hfA9HFZKdPLYDof1lIADCFsdE3-q53_b6TxZmfIU2Ywdk-sCm8A1TRWqdgprcXwfZc7ys8hyphenhyphen1jcxuWzEcL0ClJjGZYEc-qWgWDRLT-LkqA4loZI/s1600/k9_officer_400_clr_13024.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTeQLKfCOtagVI9J5sIxA3kGURMAq6hfA9HFZKdPLYDof1lIADCFsdE3-q53_b6TxZmfIU2Ywdk-sCm8A1TRWqdgprcXwfZc7ys8hyphenhyphen1jcxuWzEcL0ClJjGZYEc-qWgWDRLT-LkqA4loZI/s400/k9_officer_400_clr_13024.png" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"> just in project management. In law enforcement there is an increasing awareness that command and control doesn't deliver results. A recent Police Leaders article "<a href="http://www.policeleaders.com/blog/files/811e2f82e645180a5bd676a0ebf44a03-8.html">The myth of command and control</a>" the writer states:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<em>The power of command and control, ultimately, is a mirage and is becoming less and less effective in contemporary law enforcement. Like a mirage, it is not power at all, it is only the appearance of power and it eventually evaporates along with its impact. The real power of leadership comes from the influence that a leader develops through quality leadership practices and from the amount of control that is given, not kept</em>"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That is reinforced by the two hour project meetings that seem to be more about rehashing the results of every other meeting and listening to people who love the sound of their voice rather than actually deciding or doing anything. I've lost count of the number of templates, slides and documents I've had to produce which no one reads or even cares about. When I consider that my Agile sessions take no longer than 15 mins I can appreciate where Agile gains in productivity and team morale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what have I learnt in the past few weeks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Command & Control</b></span><br />
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<ol><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMjIhLgakg1pwJTS_BEooMyfpCdBnsvoo5Aqtj_mc-PAh23620SE_FqF6kPcN4e2XCSjZ3-y0pgpEB-loYHH-V6ZVa1vLA0Rj-iNWqCfa1iC-lbkcVDoSFyx3r9RziLbzRjExzhyphenhyphenloRA/s1600/bored_students_400_clr_3276.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMjIhLgakg1pwJTS_BEooMyfpCdBnsvoo5Aqtj_mc-PAh23620SE_FqF6kPcN4e2XCSjZ3-y0pgpEB-loYHH-V6ZVa1vLA0Rj-iNWqCfa1iC-lbkcVDoSFyx3r9RziLbzRjExzhyphenhyphenloRA/s320/bored_students_400_clr_3276.png" width="320" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Work on the misapprehension that after a large amount of discussion and planning that they, not the business, knows what needs to be done - plain arrogance</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Assumes that the more controls and managers you have on a project will increase adherence to time, cost and scope of works</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Provides places for people to hide, lie & blame others for lack of progress because everyone is anonymous</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is poor at delivering relevant solutions - indeed they focus on delivering what was thought to be important 6 months ago</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Resists any form of change or innovation</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Demotivates teams and breeds learned helplessness</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Latané and Darley noted that there were five characteristics of emergencies that affect people</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emergencies involve threat of harm or actual harm</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emergencies are unusual and rare</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The type of action required in an emergency differs from situation to situation</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emergencies cannot be predicted or expected</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Emergencies require immediate action</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Due to these five characteristics, teams go through cognitive and behavioural processes:</span></div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Notice</i> that something is going on</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Interpret</i> the situation as being an emergency</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Degree of Responsibility</i> felt</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Form of Assistance</span></i></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Implement the action choice</span></i></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The larger the group the less likely that anyone will take responsibility for dealing with an issue. They called this 'diffusion of responsibility'. Furthermore, where a command & control environment exists they demonstrated that this diffusion of responsibility happened with significantly smaller groups. In other words no one does anything or takes action because they assume that someone else will.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But didn't I already know all of that? Yes - but I think sometimes it's good for Agile managers to work on projects managed by unconscious incompetence so they can appreciate, and reinforce, sound Agile concepts. As a reminder these are the differences:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Agile</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Assumes the business knows what it needs to do and<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Y-y2h_IAZ1kNXPidxfwct-eY5Vk6sjJGMRz0SA6C-rQesWYr_dbLPSzbiMb6rwB9fxfOLW2hvdOoZVmHlZC1DOUIcy77i6seLtnRPyRKGQodAQIroYVsqcFYMj5wskWQUYkYbfv6ocs/s1600/talking_puzzle_connection_400_clr_9890.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Y-y2h_IAZ1kNXPidxfwct-eY5Vk6sjJGMRz0SA6C-rQesWYr_dbLPSzbiMb6rwB9fxfOLW2hvdOoZVmHlZC1DOUIcy77i6seLtnRPyRKGQodAQIroYVsqcFYMj5wskWQUYkYbfv6ocs/s320/talking_puzzle_connection_400_clr_9890.png" width="320" /></a></div>
how it can be done - they just desire synchronisation & coordination</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The fewer managers and controls you have the more accountability & responsibility business owners will take</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is transparent - no where to hide, lie or blame others</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Welcomes change and delivers relevant solutions. They still plan, but for what's important now not past imperatives</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Builds strong motivated teams</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Focuses on delivery not definition</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what am I to do? Well I've already made a make or break decision. Either we adopt a delivery focused approach (e.g. Agile) or I need to find an organisation that will. My command and conquer stakeholders tell me that they support the idea - I guess time will tell.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/eeyore.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/eeyore.gif" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Eeyore </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-47997899245804666542014-03-25T12:09:00.001+00:002014-03-25T14:24:34.473+00:00Agile - Sociology, Protesters and Projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasqhmKLxW_KMz9b7NdF38My6uhOUvuT76QMXH6Av6rUl3JzC0p4ml9MGFjZAMjR7vwxqY39DWGmo_Xu6wGmHxhXz82Hm01Pp-KGnbSNBIYxsk2e8XA9szEV2OeLek4B49LS_a27aOgVw/s1600/skeletons_in_your_closet_400_clr_13092.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhasqhmKLxW_KMz9b7NdF38My6uhOUvuT76QMXH6Av6rUl3JzC0p4ml9MGFjZAMjR7vwxqY39DWGmo_Xu6wGmHxhXz82Hm01Pp-KGnbSNBIYxsk2e8XA9szEV2OeLek4B49LS_a27aOgVw/s1600/skeletons_in_your_closet_400_clr_13092.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I last blogged but it's been a busy year so far - is it really nearly April? I've left the hospitality & logistics industries behind for a while and decided that I needed a break from the cut & thrust of sensitive projects. Oil & Gas - that can't be too controversial can it? I know it's not a traditional industry for Agile ideas but they really wanted help in getting things delivered and who can resist a challenge? Drilling for Oil & Gas has been around a long long time so there can't be too many skeletons hiding in the industy's closet that I'll have deal with surely? - Yep I can get some rest this time! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>(Warning: the introduction to this blog is a little long but trust me by the fifth paragraph we start to talk about some new ideas for Agile projects do be persistent!)</em></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrjryyAohBmtp44pEjuiNLXGbFWhCEr3UlauLRJKI_2Bs65lqSU-12JYV3-hzhvQp4a1ULQg5jfp2z04mJuzcbi9pOr62CVC92GqorTu9v9o3sLFSQSgxvdJLa4z4mzHXfYqr4ynS-q0/s1600/rorschach_test_400_clr_13675.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOrjryyAohBmtp44pEjuiNLXGbFWhCEr3UlauLRJKI_2Bs65lqSU-12JYV3-hzhvQp4a1ULQg5jfp2z04mJuzcbi9pOr62CVC92GqorTu9v9o3sLFSQSgxvdJLa4z4mzHXfYqr4ynS-q0/s1600/rorschach_test_400_clr_13675.png" height="290" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Regular readers of this blog know that sociology & psychology are two of my favourite topics. If you want to keep Agile simple & effective then you've got to have a good grounding in both. Agile is about connecting with people, understanding what's important to them and adjusting your approach as we go along - just like we do in real life. Unlike more traditional approaches which concentrate on having a guess up front about what we'll probably need in 12 months time and then doing everything we can to make sure that nothing changes too much while we're doing it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course one of the problems with this approach is that we finally deliver something that no one wants or needs anymore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course I was wrong about getting a break as Gas Exploration is a hot topic in the UK & Europe. Now that we're looking for less traditional ways of extracting energy from the earth's resources it's clear that a lot of people aren't that happy with some of the new ideas of getting it. What do you do when there's loads of people knocking on your door saying they don't want your project and that you're killing the planet? I'm talking about onshore rather than offshore and the search for "Shale Gas" - you may have heard the word for the method for extracting is called "Fracking". </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuBrraw9n7tP_SF4fkkQoAADcK4J9wR_GJnF7D9XXIKbWmJyGeg2AH9UyBRTj0KL9MOg_jhbz_H1l641wdFJNzCfzohlubJ2NDpixslLNbDC6PJs9KLZ7LQjB8PHfuPzQkIH-ayRrQo4/s1600/figure_crushed_by_custom_text_box_14190.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuBrraw9n7tP_SF4fkkQoAADcK4J9wR_GJnF7D9XXIKbWmJyGeg2AH9UyBRTj0KL9MOg_jhbz_H1l641wdFJNzCfzohlubJ2NDpixslLNbDC6PJs9KLZ7LQjB8PHfuPzQkIH-ayRrQo4/s1600/figure_crushed_by_custom_text_box_14190.png" height="200" width="175" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you're not sure what "Fracking" </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">is you might want to have a look at <a href="http://www.frackusa.com/introduction/">Frack USA</a> who provide a great 101 course with videos. I've no idea who coined the term "Fracking" in the US but they clearly didn't know what the UK Tabloid media could do with such a term... <em>Frack Off, What the Frack? Fracking Stupid</em> are clearly natural tabloid headlines and they're already being used a lot by the anti-fracking groups. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although I don't want this to turn into a discussion about how good or bad fracking is I think I should also provide you with the URLs of some of the opposing groups to provide balance and so you can make up your own mind. <a href="http://frack-off.org.uk/">Frack Off</a> is one of the larger websites dedicated to protest groups against fracking in the UK and you can also look at <a href="http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/issues/fracking_background_information_33157.html">Friends of the Earth </a>and <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/The-Problem/fracking/">Greenpeace</a> for different perspectives. You'll see that there's a chance that any project will get crushed by "public opinion" if we can't manage communities well. Lucky there is government support and an excellent standards body in <a href="http://www.ukoog.org.uk/">UKOOG</a> who are making sure that the industry works together and develops proper checks & balances to keep Unconventional Gas Exploration & Production safe.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJmVnugbFst_0SZqoeOeeFvWbDKeP4kkv75QX7tdzP-LYa3FXh4WigogZFFmito8QPyyHMxhND7NJ2sfVMvPrJrdS-ILZiEiqRvLI5KbCuVZzeLHrK8k4nE9Ok3L-4_4wgoOs53WkeCs/s1600/custom_text_protesters_12987.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheJmVnugbFst_0SZqoeOeeFvWbDKeP4kkv75QX7tdzP-LYa3FXh4WigogZFFmito8QPyyHMxhND7NJ2sfVMvPrJrdS-ILZiEiqRvLI5KbCuVZzeLHrK8k4nE9Ok3L-4_4wgoOs53WkeCs/s1600/custom_text_protesters_12987.gif" height="225" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Actually this is one of the first times that I've had to manage a sizable project in the face of such controversy. Mis-information, protest camps, intimidation & media manipulation are just some of the things we're having to deal with. One thing I have learnt is that there's relatively little local protest over fracking. I think that's a little strange because I'm sure if an Oil & Gas company was going to put a drilling rig in the field next to my house I'd want to protest a bit. In reality though it's clear that although local resistance is one of the most powerful tools for stopping such projects people are fundamentally apathetic and would rather leave the protesting to someone else. Well, that's until something bad happens or they're convinced that something bad is <em>going</em> to happen and then it's protest camps, swampy tunnels, chaining themselves to gates & railings and overall making life difficult for the company that's just trying to make a profit. I'm a great supporter of the right to protest and of free speech but some of the protesters methods are downright dangerous and in a lot of cases make the life of the real locals unbearable.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fKZ4AuIT9nRw5eGmooUWXcUm19-KhLSN_MNdvQgDutGjchwRZPYHVwhyphenhyphenc70YFknR9A7UTouBMw7h-DdJr9GoHwc2v9rkrd1gKs4gmvXI-AhMUrM4UzpStaJEGA7hUBT8HQZ7bZ8mIy4/s1600/rioters_tipped_car_1600_clr_12720.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fKZ4AuIT9nRw5eGmooUWXcUm19-KhLSN_MNdvQgDutGjchwRZPYHVwhyphenhyphenc70YFknR9A7UTouBMw7h-DdJr9GoHwc2v9rkrd1gKs4gmvXI-AhMUrM4UzpStaJEGA7hUBT8HQZ7bZ8mIy4/s1600/rioters_tipped_car_1600_clr_12720.png" height="300" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So when will local people get together, overcome their apathy and protest? We can get some ideas from <a href="http://socialicense.com/publications/Modelling%20and%20Measuring%20the%20SLO.pdf">Boutilier & Thomson "Modelling & Measuring The Social Licence to Operate, 2011</a>. They suggested that there are four levels of social acceptance including: </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rejection</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">/Withdrawal, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Acceptance-Tolerance, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Acceptance-Support and </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Co-Ownership</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MXBfvWgM0iP2OHtE29KXC3oA3FFJfeRNaZODmvdm-YKI86J7D6y8611pStSbs7BcwjwZMBB2TapwAhglNcEv4DBixysSRzY1qNazR3uyabJaBRDQ2N1QSpg11kJ1lSsrSSv7Hse8t50/s1600/bringing_the_giant_down_400_clr_6007.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MXBfvWgM0iP2OHtE29KXC3oA3FFJfeRNaZODmvdm-YKI86J7D6y8611pStSbs7BcwjwZMBB2TapwAhglNcEv4DBixysSRzY1qNazR3uyabJaBRDQ2N1QSpg11kJ1lSsrSSv7Hse8t50/s1600/bringing_the_giant_down_400_clr_6007.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In any project, including my own, there will be three primary views: For it, Against it and Haven't Decided. The "Haven't Decided" typically won't be that passionate either way and don't get involved in lobbying. However, the views of the opposing factions "For" and "Against" will have vastly polarised views and regardless of the actual facts of the case are unlikely to change their mind. The number of people in these two groups are vastly outnumbered by the "Haven't Decided" majority but typically have voices that are disproportionate to their size.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Boutilier & Thomson came up with the view that if a project is going to succeed and gain the support of the local community then it must gain a "social licence to operate" from the residents. If the project can engender a feeling of "trust" then protests are likely to be limited and delivery will be so much easier to achieve. I would suggest that groups like Frack Off, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth can only succeed if they can build a "social license to protest" as without the support of the silent majority they simply don't have the ability to get the local community to stop the project and they don't have the power or the numbers to do it themselves. The role of the "Against" lobby is probably slightly easier as it's much easier to be negative about a project than it is to be positive and they can always play the "David v Goliath card" (e.g. the small man against the giant corporate). For those of you who are interested I don't believe that either the "For" or "Against" groups have found a way to swing the views of the "Haven't Decided" group yet. That's why the Green Party, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace are fairly silent on the matter at the moment and overall local resistance is very low... but it's increasing slowly.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmPz5XGcZxbB-GZWczIFOTpQjwfhN8EIznj2WwPvVqfHbC0R7m3li3-mzQA5iClxRccMl5P8gDKwLiAHSjwwCdSUIY2Ebx2VJ5VpVxf5KQ73aw-HFmSutYz5s3bR0w2hj6DvHKvYTVw8/s1600/figure_being_quieted_400_clr_11034.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmPz5XGcZxbB-GZWczIFOTpQjwfhN8EIznj2WwPvVqfHbC0R7m3li3-mzQA5iClxRccMl5P8gDKwLiAHSjwwCdSUIY2Ebx2VJ5VpVxf5KQ73aw-HFmSutYz5s3bR0w2hj6DvHKvYTVw8/s1600/figure_being_quieted_400_clr_11034.png" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So what's this got to do with Agile methods and techniques? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In traditional project management methods we work on our stakeholder mapping & management matrices to try and get buy in from the key people who could make our lives very difficult - those with real influence. Some of our "stakeholders" are hostile and oppose what we're trying to do but the vast majority are "Haven't Decided". However, things change rapidly and people can quickly change their minds. Traditional projects aren't geared up for this. Project planning & management methods are build around the premise that with enough definition & planning at the start of the project we can de-risk & mobilise our stakeholders to deliver the project. Intuitively we know that this isn't the case. Things change, incidents happen and political environments shift too rapidly for traditional project management to keep up. All we can hope is that the buy-in that we developed in the early days of the project can be sustained just long enough to deliver something useful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Of course Agile is much better at managing change and resistance. Assuming that we ensure that the ways that we measure "value" include what's important to the "Haven't Decided" community we can continuously develop & demonstrate our positive approach through the Sprint Stand up, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective to fine tune our Social Licence to Operate. Agile is designed to bring the stakeholders (product owners) into the project develop & deliver process and bring the builders closer to the users.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRX7w6ZCL7ImvXu8PAX_ieRFnuJCHysUqwyfApxnc-z_a0qUnh42ZAPouuaL_ogZ8rxfBGHS0dD3kBKTydLNdNy2_nDDCFnGOlVOK54roRVUvgSQnwVotguu_M-fM_pp60SLrFuK5MCVU/s1600/oil_money_uk_pc_400_clr_2384.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRX7w6ZCL7ImvXu8PAX_ieRFnuJCHysUqwyfApxnc-z_a0qUnh42ZAPouuaL_ogZ8rxfBGHS0dD3kBKTydLNdNy2_nDDCFnGOlVOK54roRVUvgSQnwVotguu_M-fM_pp60SLrFuK5MCVU/s1600/oil_money_uk_pc_400_clr_2384.png" height="129" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So that's what I've learnt in the past few weeks. If I want to reduce the number of protests & keep my project on track I have to change the "Haven't Decided" into "For it" stakeholders and reduce the influence of the "Against it" groups - in short I've got to use Agile rather than Waterfall techniques.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Recent Agile surveys constantly indicate that one of the benefits of Agile is an increase in Stakeholder Acceptance of 80-85%. In my industry that can equate to 10-15 days saved per Exploration Drilling Expedition due to a reduction in protester generated delays. When you're paying £50,000/day just to keep the rig going that's worth £750,000 per site and we're probably going to drill at least five wells this year alone. £3.25 million savings seems like a worthwhile reason to concentrate on getting the Social Licence - what do you think?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LNElKSSTExHt6tDlANi4OKE-fg-XINfQJfF93s3xtWFdWE6YMNSBCo4xJfi5aQbr1lXtFTwFP6SwgEzuJ98MXYM91jCZ6hdGu_N7k2yEVzWXYHFz0mbl9Y3YcEF4-OStCg6XOpQ7Tng/s1600/trust_fall_pc_400_clr_2701.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LNElKSSTExHt6tDlANi4OKE-fg-XINfQJfF93s3xtWFdWE6YMNSBCo4xJfi5aQbr1lXtFTwFP6SwgEzuJ98MXYM91jCZ6hdGu_N7k2yEVzWXYHFz0mbl9Y3YcEF4-OStCg6XOpQ7Tng/s1600/trust_fall_pc_400_clr_2701.png" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">For an industrial company it's been quite a learning curve worrying about the community & social side of projects. In the past, most operations have been offshore and protest opportunities are pretty limited in the wild North Sea. But now we're exploring literally next door to communities and the chances of mass protests are much larger and the risks to our reputation that much greater. The industry has made a few mistakes but we've also seen the "trust" rating improving in our local project communities as we've started to adopt Agile principles and using community acceptance as part of any story value. As a result we're moving from Rejection towards Acceptance-Tolerance. We're not naive enough to think that we'll ever achieve Co-ownership but we do believe that Acceptance-Support is possible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In the next blog I'll demonstrate some of the methods and techniques that we're using to gain our Social License to Operate. If the cynical large multi-national Oil & Gas sector can now see how Agile can deliver on the bottom line and these principles apply to all project environments - perhaps other resistance sectors will be able to see that Agile ain't just for IS projects - it applies to all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">See you all soon</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mike</span><br />
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KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-58835318669768621372013-05-23T14:06:00.001+01:002013-05-23T14:06:46.849+01:00Agile, visions and nightmares...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An Old English Proverb states that:</span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></i><br />
<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A vision without a plan is just a dream, a plan without a dream is an hallucination but a vision with a plan can change the world</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosHpjvWfTmbsgnsi6SFvr7cdNojbtWjAegHeqH-jpOMymZnsnLpIXrx6Htx7776YXZkySzLItXGVimv-9R4SsVwFkMvdVYk1SbWzWzY5CadKIxXsEqFR-dMBn03IL8wxYIXjIKzG0fJA/s1600/construction_figure_point_400_clr_10888.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosHpjvWfTmbsgnsi6SFvr7cdNojbtWjAegHeqH-jpOMymZnsnLpIXrx6Htx7776YXZkySzLItXGVimv-9R4SsVwFkMvdVYk1SbWzWzY5CadKIxXsEqFR-dMBn03IL8wxYIXjIKzG0fJA/s320/construction_figure_point_400_clr_10888.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sounds good but it doesn't work for me - not in the Agile world at least. So l</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ooking at the situation in front of me </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think I prefer the Japanese ve</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">rsion of the same idea:</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare</i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We often think of a vision as being a lofty view of what we want to achieve in the far distance. Something that's nice to have but in reality a soft, fluffy concept that doesn't really impact the actual plan and work that we're doing right now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In my normal day to day activities I don't feel a great desire to plan everything I do. It's not because I don't like planning, given my skills in DIY I'll do anything to put off the inevitable need to actually "do something". It's just that I seem to do better if I work on a more general direction that I want to take and then get started by doing the obvious things first.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr3xStqUH4vLcOge-fCsDe53mPvJLpqLZuP1SPMuvivCnIajWwqoDdQXiPkqFlYS1JFvp3I0cMrDJ2NVHUV46ulXAsH2HjNr_G-UTuAFNDyxoOobEagusJFFx5Xs5iSiLP3ia9VqRX14/s1600/woman_reading_blueprints_400_clr_7980.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr3xStqUH4vLcOge-fCsDe53mPvJLpqLZuP1SPMuvivCnIajWwqoDdQXiPkqFlYS1JFvp3I0cMrDJ2NVHUV46ulXAsH2HjNr_G-UTuAFNDyxoOobEagusJFFx5Xs5iSiLP3ia9VqRX14/s320/woman_reading_blueprints_400_clr_7980.png" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes it's true that sometimes I do work that I didn't need to do or I have to rework something that I got wrong. However, after 30 years of experience I generally find that what I gain by getting on with things easily balances what I lose from thinking about something too much. </span><br />
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<span class="bodybold" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Dwight D. Eisenhower</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> is often quoted as observing:</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 26px;">Plans are nothing; planning is everything </i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">which seems to be in conflict with </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tennessee Williams's quote that: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it... Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I don't think that it is. Eisenhower was simply saying that the act of planning makes us more aware of what we want to do and brings together those people who are going to have to deliver it. Williams was warning us not to take planning so far that the reason for the plan is lost.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Visions should be a simple set of guidelines that enable us to make simple decisions on what we should be doing today. Simply put, we shouldn't be doing anything in our agile delivery unless it's taking us nearer to our vision. More importantly, we shouldn't be doing anything that takes us in a different direction.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6p52zQctRbUeCNPJXQlR49nTiagXqpZWmsTssIelAhpQBoX4fPDCS4Mj3d95_UuIdVG_vq6eLsSh6yHS5ls66fZTQVULgCEfPARVgNbOpsUCz89AazbD2ji3H68-aasy2ApFOQ2MzGU/s1600/rugby_tackle_400_clr_5972.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6p52zQctRbUeCNPJXQlR49nTiagXqpZWmsTssIelAhpQBoX4fPDCS4Mj3d95_UuIdVG_vq6eLsSh6yHS5ls66fZTQVULgCEfPARVgNbOpsUCz89AazbD2ji3H68-aasy2ApFOQ2MzGU/s320/rugby_tackle_400_clr_5972.png" width="241" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Too much planning constraints innovation and make it harder for us to adapt. I coach a local Rugby Team as a SCRUM Coach. I know - the irony doesn't escape me. Every week we teach new skills and new ideas. Successful rugby teams are not those that have hundreds of set pieces that they bring into play. In training, my team scores a try everything they run the ball - in matches they don't.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Does that mean the set pieces are wrong? No it's simply that a set of detailed strict plans leaves no space to change direction when the situation changes. In order to win, the team must be able to adapt their plans as a single entity merging, simplifying or adding new rules as the situation demands.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbt8WMMhLpce_Xpvwee7JEv8LIaqSt7wQdIN7Ciq9GWoq7D2Vciqbv8iUxgjLzw5eXDpF0nibyj4dUS2gDXVmJQhskZEk8dvgKUnurP5XLDk4wrsFWojiC6XmhdVuvUP7VylJHYixhpXw/s1600/stick_figure_drawing_game_plan_400_clr_3666.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbt8WMMhLpce_Xpvwee7JEv8LIaqSt7wQdIN7Ciq9GWoq7D2Vciqbv8iUxgjLzw5eXDpF0nibyj4dUS2gDXVmJQhskZEk8dvgKUnurP5XLDk4wrsFWojiC6XmhdVuvUP7VylJHYixhpXw/s320/stick_figure_drawing_game_plan_400_clr_3666.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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So that's now not the way we train. We have some simple visions, or guidelines, that govern each situation. We teach the basic <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">skills; passing, tackling, scrumming, throw ins and kicking. We teach base moves; loops, high kicks, missed passes and rushing. We then look at various rugby scenarios as a team. We ask the team to decide how they react in each situation and then to list what other options they could use given the limited set of skills that they have in their arsenal. This is similar to the "futurespectives" I discussed in my last blog.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We also do this directly after the matches. Reviewing actual videos of the play and deciding what actions we're going to take forward into the next training session and match. These debriefing sessions (or retrospectives) are the most effective way we've found to improve performance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So we are planning, we're just not actually drawing up actual plans.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_CtsYFqd9B_GK8IwAnzCA7HR5qqLny_TilWI0tKsJs6UT_Pmxmefv3Src1-CPpAHz9BwAFz9xD8egBlsIqo6_AnkjtcS8fZyXi_jwtM6hvymFfe9YJn0QEIUe08pYCX1aVSidgn50G4/s1600/pondering_board_400_clr_10974.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit_CtsYFqd9B_GK8IwAnzCA7HR5qqLny_TilWI0tKsJs6UT_Pmxmefv3Src1-CPpAHz9BwAFz9xD8egBlsIqo6_AnkjtcS8fZyXi_jwtM6hvymFfe9YJn0QEIUe08pYCX1aVSidgn50G4/s320/pondering_board_400_clr_10974.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That's the fundamental foundation of agile. We don't know exactly what we're going to deliver at the outset or even how we're going to deliver it. We need guidelines & a vision to tell us if we're doing the right things. There are some basic skills & base moves at our disposal but the team review & commit to a given course of action having reviewed all of the possible solutions and optimizing their approach based on the most immediate information to hand - i.e. they've learnt to adapt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But my current client is still struggling with the concepts. Apparently although we want to be Agile we want to lay down the plan in advance so that we know the answer before we start. The problem is that this assumes that there is only one viable solution when we all know that there are many solutions to the same problem. Admittedly, some of these plans are more viable than others but why start off assuming that there is only one road to success at the outset and limiting your possibilities.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oYz_gB08kp-WqMDBxC8lBBqq3Jr7jQe_2s5majufFaKvhZ2NMxTAHFnIRcLe5tQovlPQwuWgwIbM-E4FlH7g94ey7Ap63ZwhHW_nMCWRH4mT1bJBUlryXqhvQboW5F7yO1XjoFOhD9c/s1600/bull_by_the_horns_400_clr_9518.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oYz_gB08kp-WqMDBxC8lBBqq3Jr7jQe_2s5majufFaKvhZ2NMxTAHFnIRcLe5tQovlPQwuWgwIbM-E4FlH7g94ey7Ap63ZwhHW_nMCWRH4mT1bJBUlryXqhvQboW5F7yO1XjoFOhD9c/s320/bull_by_the_horns_400_clr_9518.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week may have been a turning point though. Four months in the planning and their implementation plans A through D were all shot to nothing. Deadlines can't change, costs can't change and we don't have time to sit and plan it all out again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So we laid out our vision - this must be operational by 3rd September 2013</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've taken the bull by the horns and we've been looking at our backlog of activities. We simply prioritized them in terms of this vision and started on the ones that took us closer to the destination while eliminating those that didn't. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Result? We've reduced the scope of the project by 25%, brought the project delivery back on track and gained a very satisfied customer. More importantly they've agreed that planning everything in advance gave us a false sense of security and nearly sunk our project.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90_OAsIjQ449ZGUlPvSLW9htqpNPJtiLvyH-Z5HcS-cMmriKMNgn4c64Qn7jrm_18NQOhkyFBHCC_a9Z9QHIzCA6HFAXb6NhyphenhyphenX8c3fPJNnoKVvrm-Di5QyLrI1ro4vLJ2CsedotmEExM/s1600/connect_the_dots_400_clr_11515.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90_OAsIjQ449ZGUlPvSLW9htqpNPJtiLvyH-Z5HcS-cMmriKMNgn4c64Qn7jrm_18NQOhkyFBHCC_a9Z9QHIzCA6HFAXb6NhyphenhyphenX8c3fPJNnoKVvrm-Di5QyLrI1ro4vLJ2CsedotmEExM/s320/connect_the_dots_400_clr_11515.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So we solved the problem by being more Agile. Having a clear vision that we all know & understand, evaluating value based on increasing probability of achieving what we've set out to achieve and not looking too far down the road (3 months in a 24 month project) we've regained control of the benefits & project delivery. By starting activities and worrying about how we'll "join up the dots" at a later date we're already making great strides. We know we will be able to "join up these dots" because there all founded on the same clear, unambiguous vision. Anyway, half the fun is seeing how it all turns out and fixing problems as we reach them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the next time you feel tempted to start a protracted planning review remember that you'll gain more from setting a clear vision and getting on with it... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mike</span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-39221658451889860232013-05-14T16:52:00.002+01:002013-05-14T16:52:45.762+01:00Doctor, doctor, I keep seeing into the future. When did this first happen? Next Tuesday! - Futurespectives<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCdtRIY3jif2RaFFf3yvUU6OciIDm8VGngtm6KvIg9FZo0Ix0k48wXShmv8oAUSLTf-3QNYLZFbhAdENiaCOe2IT_sUDluSb6EOv232dDUk4QpGdKf4JrZaXbPg1VagAsEZ4rwahOdMs/s1600/waiting_in_airport_400_clr_8655.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCdtRIY3jif2RaFFf3yvUU6OciIDm8VGngtm6KvIg9FZo0Ix0k48wXShmv8oAUSLTf-3QNYLZFbhAdENiaCOe2IT_sUDluSb6EOv232dDUk4QpGdKf4JrZaXbPg1VagAsEZ4rwahOdMs/s400/waiting_in_airport_400_clr_8655.png" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After sitting waiting in the airport for my London to Atlanta flight we finally landed at 0705 this morning after another 9 hour flight from the US. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />It wasn't a good flight, it wasn't a bad flight - but it was a wonderful flight. You see it was my last flight from the US for the foreseeable future and that can't be a bad thing. It's not that I don't like Georgia, Americans or McDonalds. It's just that I really wanted to come home to the UK for a while.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDZiEYeAyR-oriLLdOZkdMqHw5ajthK7x3ijV5Xv34YTxfnI7daoHkde50bx0AhrTcnu7rRtmQm_RDVMQdeEp875ANIGAwQmyUEyLVAWX3w6dx0OkKOI_zM8oYiLrzC_xDmuYiKkJVQc/s1600/stick_figure_run_head_fire_400_clr_8519.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDZiEYeAyR-oriLLdOZkdMqHw5ajthK7x3ijV5Xv34YTxfnI7daoHkde50bx0AhrTcnu7rRtmQm_RDVMQdeEp875ANIGAwQmyUEyLVAWX3w6dx0OkKOI_zM8oYiLrzC_xDmuYiKkJVQc/s320/stick_figure_run_head_fire_400_clr_8519.png" width="172" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm now supporting a new client in Leeds. Actually they're not a new client but a very old one who've hit new problems in the way they run projects. I've always admired the company. It's incredibly successful with growth of over 25% year on year for the last four years. Their success started around the last time I left them but I'm sure that's just a coincidence! However, now this very success has become a clear and present danger to their future viability and they're panicking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The problem is that they can't keep up with the pace of their own growth. Their development & delivery process simply can't give them what they need to sustain growth quickly enough. Some major projects were seriously behind schedule and the gap between delivery and future growth was widening month by month.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They'd decided to <i>'go down the Agile route'</i> because they've read that it was quicker, more cost effective and overall much better than other ways of running projects. Of course, Agile didn't solve their problems - in fact everything got even worse than it had before. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It wasn't that they didn't understand the process, or had got the training or even that they couldn't adopt the mindset needed. What ever the problem was it was more fundamental than that. So in a chance meeting their CEO asked me what they were doing wrong and I gave him an honest answer (unique for consultants I think) - <i>I don't know but I bet your team does.</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1vgvuRv_kCgHdY3OT_UvfkQ5JQjRAlevU1YF1uDFK15gA5ZPb8eVy-EGwzW7CZQpjSlU5rLJxOsyfDnWsTpup0g4a3HFM_HKiCSqIXsRKDPq3hw4BiRwtOGPMSHZlNjKjh-kb47W0nc/s1600/pondering_board_400_clr_10974.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ1vgvuRv_kCgHdY3OT_UvfkQ5JQjRAlevU1YF1uDFK15gA5ZPb8eVy-EGwzW7CZQpjSlU5rLJxOsyfDnWsTpup0g4a3HFM_HKiCSqIXsRKDPq3hw4BiRwtOGPMSHZlNjKjh-kb47W0nc/s320/pondering_board_400_clr_10974.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I suggested a technique that's become quite popular in Agile and that's the concept of the <b>Futurespective</b>. It's a powerful technique that takes the concepts of the Retrospective to mold the future. The idea is simple. Think of your new project and mentally take the team to the final deadline. Assume the project has been a miserable failure - not too difficult with my current company as they've had recent experience. Brainstorm about what happened on the project to make it fail thinking of People, Organization, Systems, Processes, Facilities and Logistics and put all ideas up on a flip chart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now look at all of the things that have been written down as a team. Ask them to <i>dot vote</i> to determine which of these are starting to happen (e.g. poor communications with Product Owner) in the current project. At the end of the session you'll have a list of priority actions that you should take now to resolve the problems that haven't happened yet.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Mi0cyTg4ovyFye1k2RaOIwC2cStxIZdNQEWTwAYyvorPF-XB5zJCY2Glf7Zdu3SN5h6_xVncRkiBWNMtXVb_alpTL06JQJAXnJ1NAaM3xK6QWusjcjre4CGezf39ej6rhgNRA6D0o7I/s1600/forging_success_400_clr_9368.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Mi0cyTg4ovyFye1k2RaOIwC2cStxIZdNQEWTwAYyvorPF-XB5zJCY2Glf7Zdu3SN5h6_xVncRkiBWNMtXVb_alpTL06JQJAXnJ1NAaM3xK6QWusjcjre4CGezf39ej6rhgNRA6D0o7I/s320/forging_success_400_clr_9368.png" width="193" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We did this exercise taking a mythical Sprint Plan and the team then enjoyed thinking of ways to make it fail. Of course they drew on their own experience and clearly themes began to emerge. We identified five critical things we could do straight away to improve Agile implementations and created action plans, as part of the product backlog, to forge success from our future failure</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. The benefits were immediate and the rate of Agile projects has significantly improved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So successful was the one day session that I've been asked to support the team deliver their next bunch of projects and accelerate the adoption of Agile across their Europe offices as well. Even more interesting is that the Futurespective has now become a part of the early sprint planning meetings across other projects. They decided to hold a Futurespective before each Sprint. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The team ask themselves two questions:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Assume this Sprint is a complete failure, and based on what we've committed to deliver, what are we going to do on this Sprint to make that happen? </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What actions can we take now to stop that happening and make our Sprint successful?</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The difference between this and a Retrospective is that it's more postive and we're able to take </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiI-ikBZYTyarJLIPWZ8yubCsUe1Jyg3_4RztG1M-cUElU0vumKnY7cSO5O6hJsYForBdQ3AHxmPFMjHIE_VtbLXShu98uiD23MIX_OJQalFj668wUeMYc4idTsxQsMeUcKR9xkcl-t0o/s1600/raining_cats_and_dogs_400_clr_7040.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiI-ikBZYTyarJLIPWZ8yubCsUe1Jyg3_4RztG1M-cUElU0vumKnY7cSO5O6hJsYForBdQ3AHxmPFMjHIE_VtbLXShu98uiD23MIX_OJQalFj668wUeMYc4idTsxQsMeUcKR9xkcl-t0o/s320/raining_cats_and_dogs_400_clr_7040.png" width="232" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">into account what we've committed to do in the current Sprint and adjust the way we work together in advance to avoid problems. That's means we're looking forward not backwards. As a result the team feels more in control and is far more likely to put ideas into actions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't accept the credit for coming up with the idea but I'm more than happy to accept the assignment and the fees of course. It's got me back into the UK, back into Yorkshire and back to proper weather (it's raining cats and dogs outside as I write so I'm feeling much better).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let me know if you've tried the Futurespective yet or if you're going to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mike</span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-43010212358027470812012-11-08T02:46:00.000+00:002012-11-08T02:46:08.974+00:00Failure is an option... <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the worst sayings I've heard recently is "...are we an 'Ameri-<b>can</b>' or an 'Ameri-<b>can't</b>'?" But reflecting on the spirit, and having reflected in my previous blog on "Being a Brit in the US" I've come to accept these truisms as part of the culture I'm now part of - however macho I find them.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvIkE281BDqTd1LOzH5I8IP4ypHr5TtofpdHUeN0uDf7k0A3teP4qlGMWMkE4WWesd72cV5HZ-4CcmtLnXox-7fIvRP8UlsRZ323HzWNhQFDDyuF8Vjag0eSXJ8_C5sQgmWjWRv7Qbjg/s1600/trip_hurdles_400_clr_5680+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvIkE281BDqTd1LOzH5I8IP4ypHr5TtofpdHUeN0uDf7k0A3teP4qlGMWMkE4WWesd72cV5HZ-4CcmtLnXox-7fIvRP8UlsRZ323HzWNhQFDDyuF8Vjag0eSXJ8_C5sQgmWjWRv7Qbjg/s320/trip_hurdles_400_clr_5680+%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The point that the author is trying to make here is a philosophical view that my current client company innately accepts that that progress is measured only by successful conclusions. <i>"You're only as successful as your last project"</i> is a common comment I hear in my adopted home. KPIs, Performance Measurement and Capability are</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">measured, not by what I have learnt but by what I have delivered. <i>"Failure isn't an option"</i> has now reached the point of a religion in American project management and I suspect in the UK as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But is it true? Looking back over the last 20 years I can honestly say that I've learnt more from my failures than from my successes. Every mistake I've added to my virtual "book of experience" in my head to make sure I don't make the same error a second time. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPoUYFCmT9-KL9GQz0D8keeUYp1ch-kN8u-UG6UB9HnnY5UH62-4Q0bvM3znF5_prCuKMrf4gj4RjqiAAoSZslpJubDr-hlugvMbzFNtKtJtBcY8sXHXhn_sYtDVu_vx8CtJ3FNe_l4c/s1600/stick_figure_book_pile_150_clr_9336.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPoUYFCmT9-KL9GQz0D8keeUYp1ch-kN8u-UG6UB9HnnY5UH62-4Q0bvM3znF5_prCuKMrf4gj4RjqiAAoSZslpJubDr-hlugvMbzFNtKtJtBcY8sXHXhn_sYtDVu_vx8CtJ3FNe_l4c/s200/stick_figure_book_pile_150_clr_9336.gif" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It reminds me of a story about Thomas Edison...</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Edison tried two thousand different materials in search of a filament for the light bulb. </span></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When none worked satisfactorily, his assistant complained, “All our work is in vain. We have learned nothing.”</span> </span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Edison replied very confidently, “Oh, we have come a long way and we have learned a lot. We know that there are two thousand elements which we cannot use to make a good light bulb”</span></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One of the most forgotten parts of Agile, and something that was oddly omitted from the manifesto, is the primary ability to "fail fast". By failing quickly, and recognizing that failure and developing solutions that overcome it, we are able to avoid costly implementations of ideas that simply won't work. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Agile is about failing to deliver what we expected but learning and developing better ideas quickly. Constant learning, especially though the retrospective, is critical to effective Agile implementations. Al Franken's quotation makes my point:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-ItNVk4PdMR27LpEQjuk37Z8xRtt0pz5SeU04F7EuvBsCX6QxbaV2gDpge7rhHxj3sJksWwWnWrMZyWQs6PACokzaekidUCpKvDwCOxF1imaGBdY51KvPs5GqM2Ehl70gLbyrmf8zwk/s1600/doctor_presenting_to_nurses_400_clr_8474.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-ItNVk4PdMR27LpEQjuk37Z8xRtt0pz5SeU04F7EuvBsCX6QxbaV2gDpge7rhHxj3sJksWwWnWrMZyWQs6PACokzaekidUCpKvDwCOxF1imaGBdY51KvPs5GqM2Ehl70gLbyrmf8zwk/s200/doctor_presenting_to_nurses_400_clr_8474.png" width="200" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 19px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from</i> - Al Franken 2002</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this week we've started the new Agile approach to software delivery. To illustrate the point, and to improve the way that we work, I've started with the Executive Committee (for EC read really important people who run the company) and performed our first retrospective on the way they initiate and support projects.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1eeLitgTnc97v3y-SuF3eVMGH5GB4BVgw3jxgm5nd7TjUpuozrZqxBkl58ZnZulQTVNZfPyKdVHd8w1J-___-k4XHGG1FPwUoabqU0Pd7Ti9BWxJe8vv_orgskv418lfBWrkkAEPfvA/s1600/hear_see_speak_no_evil_pc_400_clr_3340.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU1eeLitgTnc97v3y-SuF3eVMGH5GB4BVgw3jxgm5nd7TjUpuozrZqxBkl58ZnZulQTVNZfPyKdVHd8w1J-___-k4XHGG1FPwUoabqU0Pd7Ti9BWxJe8vv_orgskv418lfBWrkkAEPfvA/s320/hear_see_speak_no_evil_pc_400_clr_3340.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Interestingly they immediately came to the conclusion that we needed better processes, people, capabilities, systems and attitudes to delivery. From the review of how projects were going in the organization it was clear who was to blame for project failures... anyone <u>but</u> the Executive Committee. Indeed, apparently the only way that we could be better than our competition was to ruthlessly eliminate failure and hold accountable those who made it happen - or at least got caught making it happen!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On that we disagreed. Aristotle noted that:</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="background-color: white; color: #454545; line-height: 19px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is possible to fail in many ways...while to succeed is possible only in one way.</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Successful organizations are those that can recognize that failure is a critical part of innovation and ultimately of success. You must fail many times to find the one way to deliver success effectively. While going through this process you will fail many times but the true measure of a company's ability to respond to the market place and survive is their ability to quickly change direction and investigate many options on find the best possible solution. Truly successful organizations have recognized that the ability to fail fast, change direction and respond to market demands is the only way to true commercial success. Examples include Yahoo, Google, Microsoft and Facebook.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fortunately my clients are now mature enough to agree to take the time to discuss my point, review case studies of their behavior and then work to create an action plan that I really think will move us forward on our Agile journey. More importantly the communications that followed the meeting stated that they accepted that <i>"failure was a necessity that was the true mother of invention"</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Will they stick to that philosophy? Only the next few months will tell - but I know that my retrospectives, agile start-ups and discussions with the business will be a little bit easier over the coming days. I just hope that we can demonstrate the point before our leadership team loses faith in the epiphany they've just had.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mike</span><br />
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KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-31671422266581714002012-11-02T15:38:00.000+00:002012-11-02T15:38:45.810+00:00Reflections from a Brit living in the US - The battle of language<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyCZSIhxPD1A85UYj16p2lOyS1UN1VXQ1c85uote2h36sjS9RL9jpT8a7P_LKTNo5qkZxSKB643k3Itjsm5jJh19PLm9SznKfpF6xH_iJjzlcrPEDWqzmjuRBHg5J8uidQrm4V5xHGHg/s1600/one_on_one_competition_400_clr_5925.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyCZSIhxPD1A85UYj16p2lOyS1UN1VXQ1c85uote2h36sjS9RL9jpT8a7P_LKTNo5qkZxSKB643k3Itjsm5jJh19PLm9SznKfpF6xH_iJjzlcrPEDWqzmjuRBHg5J8uidQrm4V5xHGHg/s320/one_on_one_competition_400_clr_5925.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think it was George Bernard Shaw who noted that<em> "England and America are two countries separated by a common language". </em>Having spend time in the US for the last 8 months working with a team in the US to make them more agile & effective I can sympathize with that. I ask for a <em>check</em> not a <em>bill</em>, <em>I'm good</em> not <em>I'm fine</em>, I eat food <em>to go</em> not <em>takeaways</em> and I ride in <em>elevators</em> not <em>lifts</em>. I talk about <em>organizations</em> not <em>organisations</em> and analyze problems <em>soup to nuts</em> not <em>root & branch</em>. What I have noticed is how quickly I've adopted these changes into my everyday life to the extent that my family at home often look at me and say "What?".</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRhfJGBAvIU9zylNPwZOFYcK6egbC1BzHZnEqwFcTHwUt5pGWcR7WxqJ9e6FJ2Plk2aO778J6O_KjxAevRluWbtdnTzBvZW9hdN7drf8T5oAhSC34qZ1VqKj92liyblzTexhjbDIIXsM/s1600/pain_disappointed_stick_figure_400_clr_6526.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVRhfJGBAvIU9zylNPwZOFYcK6egbC1BzHZnEqwFcTHwUt5pGWcR7WxqJ9e6FJ2Plk2aO778J6O_KjxAevRluWbtdnTzBvZW9hdN7drf8T5oAhSC34qZ1VqKj92liyblzTexhjbDIIXsM/s320/pain_disappointed_stick_figure_400_clr_6526.png" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reflecting on this at our local tavern (not bar) watching soccer (not football) I've started to make connections between the importance of language in managing change and gaining traction in moving organizations to a new way of thinking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It seems that every time we want to make a change we insist on shrouding it with special terms and jargon. So in moving an organization from Waterfall to Agile methods we find that they are two methodologies separated by a common language as well. So we talk of <em>stories</em> not <em>requirements</em>, <em>products</em> not <em>deliverables</em>, <em>storypoints</em> not <em>effort</em>, <em>sprints</em> not <em>tranches</em>, <em>backlogs</em> not <em>plans</em>, <em>blockers </em>not <em>issues</em> and <em>themes</em> not <em>goals</em>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">During a recent summit of waterfall and agile advocates this week I found myself listening to strongly argued points of view and intense conflict between two project management factions. We talked about command & control, structure, need for predictability and timely tracking of progress. What became evident to me, very quickly, is that both sides were in violent agreement about they were trying to do - they just didn't understand each other because they spoke different languages.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapxVpFcKAICADufGmPwqeom7bD9Eu1pOhjotUT_IzP6eliaBbvhXVk0y_4-v_XavaHe5xislKgEe91HPK7Ba_rgofFnHizRszV1j_eCygqbrM1nF461FzQCQA0iRuYsETQN5gEbRsQHU/s1600/bright_idea_pc_400_clr_2277.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiapxVpFcKAICADufGmPwqeom7bD9Eu1pOhjotUT_IzP6eliaBbvhXVk0y_4-v_XavaHe5xislKgEe91HPK7Ba_rgofFnHizRszV1j_eCygqbrM1nF461FzQCQA0iRuYsETQN5gEbRsQHU/s320/bright_idea_pc_400_clr_2277.png" width="132" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">To break this down I brought the conversation back to the five standard questions... Why are we doing this?, What do we need to deliver?, How can we deliver it?, Who's going to deliver it? and When can it be done? I sent the groups away to list the methods they'd use to answer each of these questions without using any of the words that I provided in a taboo list. They found it difficult to drop the jargon but 30 minutes later they came back and presented their answers to the other group with case studies to illustrate what they meant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The result? Two almost identical presentations written in English that everyone could understand. I've often seen cartoons where you can see a light bulb suddenly appearing above someone's head - and it was just like that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yes there are differences in philosophy between command & control and servant leadership but the basic project management concepts are exactly the same. When you strip out all of the methods & terminology your simply left with a group of people who want to know why we're doing something, what's got to be done, when it's got to be done by and how we'll know it's been done correctly.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNDqC1A_CpgeZ85gdMoB3kPoor9sJ01PamavMt8dI1RHQoVnVMSWHC-B8oQdqnablE8RBn1KRqMoTkDFN-uhka0W5IjtNJ4xWJtJPBeY6L7lgjrteXF_jF_-u7q2kBEWu7wWpby7j-GI/s1600/group_chat_interaction_400_clr_9894+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNDqC1A_CpgeZ85gdMoB3kPoor9sJ01PamavMt8dI1RHQoVnVMSWHC-B8oQdqnablE8RBn1KRqMoTkDFN-uhka0W5IjtNJ4xWJtJPBeY6L7lgjrteXF_jF_-u7q2kBEWu7wWpby7j-GI/s320/group_chat_interaction_400_clr_9894+(1).png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">By removing the language barrier, and the emotions attached to it, working out a transition plan became a lot simpler. Yes there are culture changes needs, new ways of working and training for those involved. But the highest barrier to overcome is the language we use. It seems such a small change but it really has made a difference - I just wish I'd thought of it earlier!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I started this blog with a quotation so it seems fitting I <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">should close it with one: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>Language is the biggest barrier to human progress because language is an encyclopedia of ignorance. Old perceptions are frozen into</em> <em>language and force us to look at the world in an old fashioned way.</em> Edward de Bono</blockquote>
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So a new way of working to add my experience in introducing change... build a common language that everyone understands. <br />
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Although, I don't think I can convince the whole of the US to adopt my way of everyday English so I'll pack that in the trunk, fill the car with gas and ride out into the sunset when I return home this weekend :-)<br />
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Mike </span><br />
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KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-59137688933621439732012-10-18T14:49:00.000+01:002012-10-18T14:49:41.867+01:00Reality is your friend<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">love the title of this piece. I can't claim credit for it though. It's part of an excellent article by Charlie Martin called </span><a href="http://www.cio.com/article/442264/Cargo_Cult_Methodology_How_Agile_Can_Go_Terribly_Terribly_Wrong?page=1&taxonomyId=3040" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Cargo Cult Methodology: How Agile Can Go Terribly, Terribly Wrong</span></b></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. In his interesting and amusing article Charlie gives a candid account of how a poor implementation of Agile concepts leads to project hell. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />He gives us three key lessons that he's painfully learnt in the past:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHPjYEV9GybeqEFNxfKaejYkAWc34tecco3cwaAoYq8bUY4oWo88d8GeHWUxIX460_-3ZjHw21pEosU8nvcb7JMAvtv1utqBwCaCUo5e0-D_h_rlsyP-uozfGwjUjQ5l2G4STlUWCCYg/s1600/leap_of_faith_400_clr_9548.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHPjYEV9GybeqEFNxfKaejYkAWc34tecco3cwaAoYq8bUY4oWo88d8GeHWUxIX460_-3ZjHw21pEosU8nvcb7JMAvtv1utqBwCaCUo5e0-D_h_rlsyP-uozfGwjUjQ5l2G4STlUWCCYg/s1600/leap_of_faith_400_clr_9548.png" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZHPjYEV9GybeqEFNxfKaejYkAWc34tecco3cwaAoYq8bUY4oWo88d8GeHWUxIX460_-3ZjHw21pEosU8nvcb7JMAvtv1utqBwCaCUo5e0-D_h_rlsyP-uozfGwjUjQ5l2G4STlUWCCYg/s200/leap_of_faith_400_clr_9548.png" width="200" /></a>
<li>People are willing to try almost anything to make things better—except of course to actually <i>change </i>(obviously others should change though)</li>
<li>Watch out for <i>"cargo cults"</i></li>
<li>Reality is your friend</li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Having coached organisations through transitions to Agile I can relate to the attitudes and behaviors that he highlights.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I actually promised myself 12 months ago that I'd had enough of the pain & suffering that goes with selling Agile concepts to organizations and if I didn't see another "Agile Start-up" ever again that would be one day too soon. I decided to find new industries and concentrate </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">on delivering different types of projects rather than transformation change.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekBTdumqak3FkYYo7XT1MijDk5aRAY-b39gXtQm9uxqZYvekr2hCMHwqhfh3PKdlyGHBan34Av7t8YP0Fm5GnHMWxyTzIOB3Syss8FG2vgRgVWUZlPSQKz2Y3b4YFpLlo67AoQzgQ5go/s1600/frustrated_at_my_desk_400_clr_8478.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekBTdumqak3FkYYo7XT1MijDk5aRAY-b39gXtQm9uxqZYvekr2hCMHwqhfh3PKdlyGHBan34Av7t8YP0Fm5GnHMWxyTzIOB3Syss8FG2vgRgVWUZlPSQKz2Y3b4YFpLlo67AoQzgQ5go/s200/frustrated_at_my_desk_400_clr_8478.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">So what happened? Less than 6 weeks after making that commitment I broke it and here I am again looking at another failing Waterfall project organization who recently decided that "we need to get better so let's go Agile" and have asked for help to transform the way they deliver projects. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Why oh why didn't I learnt that this is going to lead to lots of discussions on command & control, flexibility, changing attitudes throughout the business not just IT and the day to day frustration of simply asking the question "really if you look at what you're doing do you really think that's Agile?"?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Clearly the answer to that question is no. Here I am again giving the sales pitch, showing the scale of what they've actually decided to do and trying to work through a transition plan with the business and IT groups. Reading Charlie's article really gave me a boost because he's hit the nail on the head and I've started to list his lessons at every executive presentation I've given in the last couple of weeks. If you're not sure what a cargo cult is I suggest that you click on the link and read his article - you'll like the story.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">So do I have any insights from the last few months outside of Charlie's lessons? Yep.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The first phase (doesn't sound very Agile does it - ironically I came to the conclusion over the years that that you have to use the current waterfall methods to transform the organisation to agile concepts) involved going out to all of those people, both internal & external to the IT group who delat with them on a regular basis and interview them from the main board to users. 80 interviews and 450 survey responses later common themes about the way IT delivers came through. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEIam9ILmpVa8IbjSqFtX5MkYXmZ_8P_1Vco9CsKVMUwmdJKTZZbnSF0LNTEuPDYcwho6CptqeT0o0skVQZKApKUJkZc0cbPkht2lepygDQ_gk4SnRjMfzHa4DReqHEm3Pu7PTgepI74/s1600/trust_me_400_clr_7204.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEIam9ILmpVa8IbjSqFtX5MkYXmZ_8P_1Vco9CsKVMUwmdJKTZZbnSF0LNTEuPDYcwho6CptqeT0o0skVQZKApKUJkZc0cbPkht2lepygDQ_gk4SnRjMfzHa4DReqHEm3Pu7PTgepI74/s200/trust_me_400_clr_7204.png" width="187" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Top three? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">1. Need to become a trusted partner not a software shop</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">2. Need to be more transparent</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">3. Need to fix the basics and put reliability and robustness, not exciting new technologies, at the top of their priorities. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Actually there were a lot more than that in the 250 page presentation but these were the main highlights. The IT Group had to stop fighting the business and start to become a true business partner. Furthermore, the lost opportunity costs and the more real overspends on projects were added up and made scary reading - just in time for Halloween!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uX6cda2CjK5QxD30cQ_2QNWbaBE1cKWvAXBaBqULF83y1AEFHf2bTPCB7_Pp2d__9XQ3zuEq4MPmgmlXmA9jIfblq0XQTSXwPrSLkGTEQnJ2E_Ij8XTeOlKEf1-Ax_H0WC0u1cox4EY/s1600/angel_demon_tug_of_war_400_wht_6239.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1uX6cda2CjK5QxD30cQ_2QNWbaBE1cKWvAXBaBqULF83y1AEFHf2bTPCB7_Pp2d__9XQ3zuEq4MPmgmlXmA9jIfblq0XQTSXwPrSLkGTEQnJ2E_Ij8XTeOlKEf1-Ax_H0WC0u1cox4EY/s400/angel_demon_tug_of_war_400_wht_6239.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Hmmmm - there was a lot to fix but actually showing that the business didn't comment on the capability of IT group. Actually they recognized that they delivered excellent solutions and that they would not want to deal with anyone else simply because "these guys are passionate about our business" . But waterfall methods had lead them into silos that had lost the ability to "talk" to customers and gaining a reputation for building software rather than enabling business solutions.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Interestingly on one of the many questions people were asked - <i>How well do you think IT engage with the business?</i> 80% of the IT people questioned said "really well - great relationships" but only 20% of the business responded in the same way. Shocked? Well not as shocked as the development teams were when the results were published. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">As Charlie notes - "Reality is your friend" and learning how others view can be a very difficult lesson. However, what it did was show how much we had to change to become that "trusted partner" and that it would be a journey, not a step change, that we'd have to make.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnR7OKrP8gd7CUmcDuayDTFAA7pB6UI3P84uqhxzVq5iieY1cyhBgC_Z-vgmJNujgSHsqXIXQe_74SIpEVVRt3BEaN5dNgwih2aSXxyTa59VZMH8QnMu1vrQDdhUvxYqw1BhQ0ETryiF4/s1600/stick_figures_agreement_400_clr_7114.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnR7OKrP8gd7CUmcDuayDTFAA7pB6UI3P84uqhxzVq5iieY1cyhBgC_Z-vgmJNujgSHsqXIXQe_74SIpEVVRt3BEaN5dNgwih2aSXxyTa59VZMH8QnMu1vrQDdhUvxYqw1BhQ0ETryiF4/s200/stick_figures_agreement_400_clr_7114.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">So what's happened? We have a very committed CIO and Leadership team who truly know where they are and what needs to change. Couple that with sessions on the transformation needed to become "Agile" and the reasons "why" and the scale of the change is obviously even to the most dyed in the wool command and control advocate. So I'd really recommend that you find out what your customers think and use their feedback to get commitment - Reality wins every time - especially when we're talking impacts on bonuses :-)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I'll keep you in the loop as we learn more lessons but take time to read the rest of Charlie's article - it's great.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Mike</span></span></div>
KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-33869341809267757182012-01-31T10:11:00.001+00:002012-01-31T10:56:06.482+00:00Tyranny of teams & collaboration<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok I admit it - I'm a closet introvert. I live in a world where working collaboratively in teams, and all that it means, really turns me off. It's not that I don't like people - it's just that I'd rather have a bit of piece and quiet rather than chats around a table (or so called "meetings"), desk to desk flirting or attending suspect "fun team building" events.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVwESm3mLWbWR3jN24ttXdf0Or3-p5AqD1Nil703pnsca4EpFSDWd0CWnhmAGok3T1nx0zdOV1KA4On_RHcyggU0K0wsu1kWOyhXITFk7V9jtCwTEoOYMdsjJGZwlHw2907K1204QL6I/s1600/holding_your_ground_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVwESm3mLWbWR3jN24ttXdf0Or3-p5AqD1Nil703pnsca4EpFSDWd0CWnhmAGok3T1nx0zdOV1KA4On_RHcyggU0K0wsu1kWOyhXITFk7V9jtCwTEoOYMdsjJGZwlHw2907K1204QL6I/s640/holding_your_ground_800_clr.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As an introvert of course I blamed myself. I'd thought that this was just me - a sort of social psychopath - who was simply destined to be left out of the fun & comfort of group thinking. Now I'm pleased to see that I've a group of my own who believe that solitude produces the best results.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Susan Cain is the author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352145">Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking</a>. She is passionate about the role of the introvert in creativity, innovation and original thinking. Through impressive research she demonstrates how much we undervalue the role of the introvert and how much we lose out in doing so. In doing so she notes Babbage, Dawin, Piccasso and others as prime examples of great thinkers who'd rather think alone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So apart from making me feel less of a social misfit what does Cain's philosophy teach us? </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's best to take Cain's own words from a recent interview in <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-power-of-introverts&page=1">Scientific American</a>...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-gjLt0T2R-9YZqFiGYSLwSNh-baWvH4kPc2tTyH_N8fKJWjzy2mFNywqMaJjWujYFSoNJjWTF02qMgnvHfLJ4M8GNxfeWwTKXfFsr2ullKeYE9xEwbEY6KOC52rt6QDtlszDu9kXFow/s1600/stick_figure_ruins_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-gjLt0T2R-9YZqFiGYSLwSNh-baWvH4kPc2tTyH_N8fKJWjzy2mFNywqMaJjWujYFSoNJjWTF02qMgnvHfLJ4M8GNxfeWwTKXfFsr2ullKeYE9xEwbEY6KOC52rt6QDtlszDu9kXFow/s200/stick_figure_ruins_800_clr.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When you’re working in a group, it’s hard to know what you truly think. We’re such social <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=animals" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #19437c; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">animals</a> that we instinctively mimic others’ opinions, often without realising we’re doing it. And when we do disagree consciously, we pay a psychic price. </i></span></blockquote>
<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns found that people who dissent from group wisdom show heightened activation in the amygdala, a small organ in the brain associated with the sting of social rejection. </i><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Berns calls this the "<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/topic.cfm?id=pain" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #19437c; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">pain</a> of independence.</i><br />
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take the example of brainstorming sessions, which have been wildly popular in corporate America since the 1950s, when they were pioneered by a charismatic ad executive named Alex Osborn. Forty years of research shows that brainstorming in groups is a terrible way to produce creative ideas. The organisational psychologist Adrian Furnham puts it pretty bluntly: The "evidence from science suggests that business people must be insane to use brainstorming groups. If you have talented and motivated people, they should be encouraged to work alone when creativity or efficiency is the highest priority."</i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>This is not to say that we should abolish group work. But we should use it a lot more judiciously than we do today</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From an Agile perspective she makes an important point. Much of the wisdom of Agile is the importance of teams, getting teams working together, establishing collaboration, team bonding and collective responsibility. However, in doing that we're also in danger of suppressing innovation & creativity through group think or hive mentalities.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGU7Jeee1CXZgtffHIbxf_bkC_a9v7mmxSbQRqVOC22oYb2wSXJfeEN28XI6FuBS9AE3bEj2edWD6L7rqZs3bRV9U7KJcQaWkyFP1062IUAkvtc6s6D6I5WzNTkYJse3sap1SIuwjMlE/s1600/let_sleeping_dog_lie_400_clr+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGU7Jeee1CXZgtffHIbxf_bkC_a9v7mmxSbQRqVOC22oYb2wSXJfeEN28XI6FuBS9AE3bEj2edWD6L7rqZs3bRV9U7KJcQaWkyFP1062IUAkvtc6s6D6I5WzNTkYJse3sap1SIuwjMlE/s320/let_sleeping_dog_lie_400_clr+(1).png" width="219" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We often think of anything that doesn't foster "team work" as anti-agile but Cain's book reminds us that individuals are just as important as the team. Of course, introverts have annoying qualities. They don't speak up when they see problems, they're terrified of speaking in a public forum, they <i>let sleeping dogs lie</i> rather than challenge and they're often seen as unambitious. It takes a different sort of leadership to get the best out of these people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So ask yourself a few questions:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you value group think over individual contribution?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you believe that Agile and Projects are "all about team work"?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you determined who in your team is an introvert, extrovert or in-between?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you considered the best way to manage each team member to get the best out of them? - enforced "collaboration & fun" is often counter productive</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Are you providing the one to one environments where these people can express their views?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do you provide quiet areas where introverts can get on with their work in relative peace?</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Terence Blacker in The Independent recently highlighted a survey of companies citing:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">In a survey of 600 computer programmers at 92 companies, it was found that, while people within the same firm performed to similar levels, there was a huge gap in effectiveness between one company and another. It was those which offered staff a degree of privacy which produced the best results.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He also went on to note that:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A more convincing explanation is the unquestioned and wrong-headed assumption that, if one person can produce a good idea, several together can only achieve more. Our culture may be self-obsessed but, weirdly, it is also one in which the noise of crowds and groups drowns out the unconventional and individual.</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I strongly recommend that you look through the links I've provided in this blog. It's a new way of thinking that can enable you to get even more out of your Agile teams and the individuals within them. As a member of the undervalued society of introverts I hope that you'll take my advice - if you don't mind of course and if you can hear me above all of this team building NOISE!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mike</span><br />
<br />KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-36526746060995367222011-12-21T10:49:00.000+00:002011-12-21T10:49:14.431+00:00Agile - A Christmas Tale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's that time of year where everything starts to wind down as we all get ready for Christmas. It seems to start earlier every year with most of the people on my project already off for Christmas and not thinking of returning until the New Year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9_uVgKBcwSgrTuIpXAoTobTp75vmfjLRIlKEGnIXnz9OS4wcQ9jTS4lfP9c0YoyyDCvaG3-6_WiwdqCe2RWDZgP-VpQD8oplB5t8X1jofFf6m8_q7cAOsjzoAAGIMQxLtJxApcTchr4/s1600/dragging_santas_bag_pc_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9_uVgKBcwSgrTuIpXAoTobTp75vmfjLRIlKEGnIXnz9OS4wcQ9jTS4lfP9c0YoyyDCvaG3-6_WiwdqCe2RWDZgP-VpQD8oplB5t8X1jofFf6m8_q7cAOsjzoAAGIMQxLtJxApcTchr4/s320/dragging_santas_bag_pc_800_clr.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was thinking of writing an "Agile Christmas Carol" or some blogs on learning lessons from reviewing how making toys in Santa's workshop is one of the best examples of Agile processes in the world and they still meet the deadline every year so Agile clearly does work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But after much thought I realised that Christmas is such a magical time that it's real purpose is to spend more time thinking of important things - especially my family - and getting a break from trying to convince people that less control really does mean that you can get the best out of everyone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I'd like to thank everyone whose contributed to Keeping Agile Simple this year and look forward to working with you all in 2012. There's so much more we can do to take Agile forward without defining processes, systems or generally making it more complicated that it needs to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And as it's Christmas I'd like to share Clement Clarke Moore's poem (sometimes attributed to Henry Livingstone) for two reasons. One because I was taught it by my Grandmother, another character I've mentioned in these blogs before, and second to prove that there were only <b>EIGHT </b>reindeer originally (in the 1823 poem) and Rudolf wasn't added to the myth until 1939 by Robert May for the Montgomery Ward Department Stores in a book that they gave away to children in a PR campaign.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Knowing this poem has helped me win a number of Christmas Quiz rounds at our local bar where <i>"Name Santa's reindeer"</i> is a common seasonal question. Indeed my daughter, now studying at Birmingham City University, won their local bar contest my naming all of the reindeer successfully. However, they incorrectly insisted all NINE original reindeer had to be named - clearly standards are dropping in our great educational establishments!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So a Merry Christmas to all of our readers and enjoy again the very best of Christmas stories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;</span></i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The children were nestled all snug in their beds,</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads,</span></i><i><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em;">And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,</span></i><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em;"><i>Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap —</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeoRbMuG_lk-hOIavrcbK5WgrV60qz0IBau-xjpIoPXBpA5tFGjhh0T0-uc6GY5h4le5SqHI2GqygH0B4H3SFDW0HQdYoLdCGw7PcpCFWM_Amlt2Rbv-YhCRFaf1rLl7Is992otNnkio/s1600/santa_eating_cookies_pc_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeoRbMuG_lk-hOIavrcbK5WgrV60qz0IBau-xjpIoPXBpA5tFGjhh0T0-uc6GY5h4le5SqHI2GqygH0B4H3SFDW0HQdYoLdCGw7PcpCFWM_Amlt2Rbv-YhCRFaf1rLl7Is992otNnkio/s320/santa_eating_cookies_pc_800_clr.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>Away to the window I flew like a flash,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceScATa8Frq1caE-4B8KNb_TMpPaZeyJ95UU05EDPrNcGF8xob0H-gQNobUOsIjFiH4-tS7E-f-lXpbt8ikSyx6hNdDiegHZjzxHaAFs9jNQ5ZsT4n0VE8QAgwjjcc-sZivThWbSinso/s1600/santa_stuck_chimney_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhceScATa8Frq1caE-4B8KNb_TMpPaZeyJ95UU05EDPrNcGF8xob0H-gQNobUOsIjFiH4-tS7E-f-lXpbt8ikSyx6hNdDiegHZjzxHaAFs9jNQ5ZsT4n0VE8QAgwjjcc-sZivThWbSinso/s320/santa_stuck_chimney_800_clr.png" width="240" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>With a little old driver, so lively and quick,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><b>"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer and Vixen,</b></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><b>"On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Donder and Blitzen;</b></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>"To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>"Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"</i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the sleigh full of toys — and St. Nicholas too:</span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i></i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6n1BwsoBmopKMjH8iHAi7naqKpzOoNOsMbBKVQmVuwqKTZRPoorMRZXdl1qp1wTdD_YqVyvbxUdKBiYsqQY4xJqO4UG8HAFetdkUe6eTwixtsa_drmyAcn00SWzNTaJ3ya6Du0_uP6w/s1600/christmas_stickman_gifts_in_bag_pc_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6n1BwsoBmopKMjH8iHAi7naqKpzOoNOsMbBKVQmVuwqKTZRPoorMRZXdl1qp1wTdD_YqVyvbxUdKBiYsqQY4xJqO4UG8HAFetdkUe6eTwixtsa_drmyAcn00SWzNTaJ3ya6Du0_uP6w/s320/christmas_stickman_gifts_in_bag_pc_800_clr.png" width="280" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i> The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>As I drew in my head, and was turning around,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>A bundle of toys was flung on his back,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack:</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>His eyes — how they twinkled! His dimples: how merry,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i></i></span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>He had a broad face, and a little round belly</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i> That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And I laugh'd when I saw him in spite of myself;</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>A wink of his eye and a twist of his head</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i> Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i></i></span></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And laying his finger aside of his nose</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i> And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i></i></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i>And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle:</i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"><i><br /></i></span><i style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight —</span></i><i style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em;">Happy Christmas to all, and to all <b>a good night!</b></span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em;">Merry Christmas and a Happy New year</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em;">Mike</span></div>
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</div>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-46802089793339656702011-11-07T16:04:00.000+00:002011-11-07T16:15:53.728+00:00Agile projects don't work - it's a puzzle!<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfI1yGsik_nyaNH8bX5ic8EalyoNdEIwfJFQA8q-emdfVBwJBxr6ZfWvGnnvw_DBZ2O5GtBO9tg5g0jKVQmEmoIJG9yHyjU-KvfzoGPEvUfM41lEUJ04NhS3cc5KQjq44jUEZ2lKjIdc/s1600/stickman_question_mark_thinking_pc_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfI1yGsik_nyaNH8bX5ic8EalyoNdEIwfJFQA8q-emdfVBwJBxr6ZfWvGnnvw_DBZ2O5GtBO9tg5g0jKVQmEmoIJG9yHyjU-KvfzoGPEvUfM41lEUJ04NhS3cc5KQjq44jUEZ2lKjIdc/s200/stickman_question_mark_thinking_pc_800_clr.png" width="175" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfI1yGsik_nyaNH8bX5ic8EalyoNdEIwfJFQA8q-emdfVBwJBxr6ZfWvGnnvw_DBZ2O5GtBO9tg5g0jKVQmEmoIJG9yHyjU-KvfzoGPEvUfM41lEUJ04NhS3cc5KQjq44jUEZ2lKjIdc/s1600/stickman_question_mark_thinking_pc_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><i><b></b></i></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While contemplating project management, Agile and different organisations I've come to the conclusion that there are certain companies who don't seem to be able to get to grips with any form of project management.</span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've tried to understand what these companies have in common and I've suddenly had an epiphany. They all have strong operational functions from which they grew into the larger organisations they are now. For example, Airlines, Leisure and Logistics all developed from doing one thing very well time & time again.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They <b>get </b>everything about their operation. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_gv8e8WjoczTuhqrgicjjKN-k8MjIPaD-JTedNmj42tRZfcPT3udGn1DOtaDg8ot680qoq1Rom1oSfUwHNhx3Zdfuo2FTpvFH76HrpryQ_9CA6KSgK4YGMOZkbReIhdKkCaBicRhB98/s1600/stick_figure_profit_building_blocks_300_clr.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_gv8e8WjoczTuhqrgicjjKN-k8MjIPaD-JTedNmj42tRZfcPT3udGn1DOtaDg8ot680qoq1Rom1oSfUwHNhx3Zdfuo2FTpvFH76HrpryQ_9CA6KSgK4YGMOZkbReIhdKkCaBicRhB98/s200/stick_figure_profit_building_blocks_300_clr.gif" width="150" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First of all they appreciate that you need capable people. I've often thought that I could run a bar, manage an airport or run a courier firm better than the people who are serving me. But I'm wrong. These jobs take specialist skills that might not immediately be apparent but are vital all the same. So these successful organisations attract & recruit the right people, give them the right training and provide on-going coaching & support. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Second, they realise that a successful operation is only possible if you have the right systems and a clear and understandable process where everyone knows what's expected of them. Only with these in place can you provide excellent customer services consistently time & time again. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally they realise that you need to keep a track on things and define metrics that show you how you're meeting your organisational goals and if anything isn't working as it should.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because they <b>get </b>it - they run successful companies that everyone admires.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But when it comes to projects - you know the activities that are going to maintain & improve their offerings, transform their company to realise unique selling points in the marketplace and grow revenues to maintain profits - they completely miss the point.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In every service industry that I've worked I've now realised that the attitude of senior managers to projects is exactly the same. </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyone can run a project so long as they're a subject matter expert</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Planning, systems and processes just add to the time it takes to deliver</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't need reporting or metrics to ensure benefits are nailed from the outset</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Can't understand why their projects aren't as successful as their operations</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtuULsk6cyjasXjpRRzMYeItMHyGJWlbtd1seudYifwzc7mjtRTIeHka0wPdRYjfc4a3IlZdEULeuPUjBHBfSVtsKNh7-e7Qbb_kw3yHgW_VYmcr2vlF07aR4wB_aTPdag7pqOLSlzgA/s1600/stick_figure_searching_for_answers_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjtuULsk6cyjasXjpRRzMYeItMHyGJWlbtd1seudYifwzc7mjtRTIeHka0wPdRYjfc4a3IlZdEULeuPUjBHBfSVtsKNh7-e7Qbb_kw3yHgW_VYmcr2vlF07aR4wB_aTPdag7pqOLSlzgA/s200/stick_figure_searching_for_answers_800_clr.png" width="175" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course it seems obvious to us. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The same disciplines that make the operational side of an organisation deliver are exactly the same as the ones needed to deliver projects successfully consistently, increase speed to market and maintain control of budgets and quality. It doesn't matter which methodology you subscribe to the factors for a successful operation work just as well - be it Agile or Waterfall.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So if you're thinking - why don't my projects deliver as well as they should think to yourself - why are we so successful in delivering customer service? If you can understand that you know what you have to do to make your projects better.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So right now my challenge is to bring this insight to others - I suspect it's going to be a bigger task than I think.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Does anyone else have any other insights that might help me?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mike</span></div>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-27758060991629561322011-10-28T10:08:00.000+01:002011-10-28T10:21:28.388+01:00Improv Comedy & Agile - Yes and...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keeping Agile Simple isn't easy and language, what we say and how we use it, is a bit part of getting people to accept new ways of working. This week I was presented with a 9Mb spreadsheet containing a glossary of "standard speak" that I'd need to become familiar with. It's one of the most difficult bits of joining a new group. Understanding their project portfolio - easy, getting to know new people & their aspirations - easy and getting agreement to a new approach to delivering projects - easy (ish). Understanding what the hell RevPAR or RGI could stand for - impossible. And apparently I'm not alone. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeZ5NE6y9g21bpVkOpUSKEMJfWRkRQnd2KHO20aQOhBayNwApWrwQms_RhCWbtGfRxhIw_NLsv5lnasKTLCxowYrfAdCePTBPoz3wySr61wa7A-sY0w_fHonMTlp2nJQcF-EhHTaIKBo/s1600/stick_figure_carrying_book_load_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeZ5NE6y9g21bpVkOpUSKEMJfWRkRQnd2KHO20aQOhBayNwApWrwQms_RhCWbtGfRxhIw_NLsv5lnasKTLCxowYrfAdCePTBPoz3wySr61wa7A-sY0w_fHonMTlp2nJQcF-EhHTaIKBo/s320/stick_figure_carrying_book_load_800_clr.png" width="200" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TheOfficeLife.com have a full "business speak" directory - you can find it by clicking <a href="http://www.theofficelife.com/business-jargon-dictionary-A.html">here</a>. It's full of interesting words and I did learn that Agile is an <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><b>Adhocracy</b> [n.] <i>"A minimally structured business where teams are formed as they are needed to address specific problems"</i> and that <b>Management Porn</b> [n.] <i>"a long </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fffff5;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>slide presentation of useless facts and figures, created to distract managers and give them something to salivate over"</i></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fffff5;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fffff5;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I realise that there are some places where specific jargon & abbreviations actually add value. In an Accident & Emergency hospital where time is of the essence, being able to communicate rapidly & precisely is very important - but is that really important in day to day business discussions (unless of course your business is managing A&E)?</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fffff5;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So back to my new company. Apart from them being one of the most genuinely friendly group I've ever met - I've already learnt some good lessons from them. As part of our team building event in my induction week we attended a Improv Comedy Workshop at the <a href="http://www.thecomedystore.co.uk/page.php?id=30&section=5">Comedy Store, Leicester Square</a>. It was full of the usual "making a fool of yourself" activities but there was one thing that's really made me think. To see what I mean try the following exercise.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvobaI5KwcAMGRXNXPXtuZlCR6oCskROPXTzNQQ_TFTsb6TKDAvaO4ySSxEjOJN1tERa_Nc0rQPOZ0QfXpNQssk3oySrGs1iHbMQNtOSzStaHyGAv3ug_T7l2OoZtusQOp8cfxlussnrQ/s1600/hello_my_name_is_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvobaI5KwcAMGRXNXPXtuZlCR6oCskROPXTzNQQ_TFTsb6TKDAvaO4ySSxEjOJN1tERa_Nc0rQPOZ0QfXpNQssk3oySrGs1iHbMQNtOSzStaHyGAv3ug_T7l2OoZtusQOp8cfxlussnrQ/s320/hello_my_name_is_800_clr.png" width="220" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Find a friend and sit opposite each other - it might be easier if you've had a beer or two. One of you should start a random story (Hopefully one more fun than this one) such as "Billy was a bright project manager who loved Agile." Your partner then carries on the story starting each sentence with the phrase <b>"Yes and...".</b> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For example </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Partner - "<i>Yes and</i> although he found it difficult to accept he wanted to apply it in his projects but it didn't work on the marketing project"</span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You - "<i>Yes and</i> so he thought about how he could make it work and he realised he need to communicate more which made it more successful"</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Partner - "<i>Yes and</i> he started to use a lot of other techniques from Agile which made things a lot easier"</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and so on...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now try the same activity but now use the phrase <b>"Yes but..."</b> It might sound something like this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjUXrJHdku4FRCbvsJagtalddL-pVGEYrs9KyLqxyxySH6z_GyIfB3RtmxftA-Q1Co1F2cwxEGqJe6mgrJUg-36UOhHxvT0HGIVRivF6N_RicrtVI2hUSXTszzAgGBmX0Ii51imgzuvs/s1600/stick_figure_stop_back_up_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjUXrJHdku4FRCbvsJagtalddL-pVGEYrs9KyLqxyxySH6z_GyIfB3RtmxftA-Q1Co1F2cwxEGqJe6mgrJUg-36UOhHxvT0HGIVRivF6N_RicrtVI2hUSXTszzAgGBmX0Ii51imgzuvs/s320/stick_figure_stop_back_up_800_clr.png" width="280" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You - "Billy was a bright project manager who loved Agile."</span></span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Partner - "<i>Yes but</i> it didn't work on the marketing project"</span></blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You - "<i>Yes but</i> he thought about how he could make it work and he realised he need to communicate more"</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Partner - "<i>Yes but</i> people didn't want to listen to him"</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You - "<i>Yes but</i> he worked out why they were resisting Agile and helped them understand it"</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Partner - "<i>Yes but</i> people wouldn't do what they said they would"</blockquote>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the first example we've got a positive discussion on Billy & Agile in the second we have an argument. Just by simply starting each sentence with "Yes and.." we maintain engagement, interest, motivation and get real value from the discussion. In the latter we block and build up more and more resistance and conflict.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To see professionals look for "Improv Yes and" on YouTube. For an example see this video </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe2a3ppacUk&feature=relmfu" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</a>.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwSHTq5MY-zyaaTMMu8OA2vtIHKLKRvP2wUnyjGpYBcds-Mx0QvdSptdMW62qsBqtk85aOpZ-HYZNdXYkrrBGRWdR3thY6k4YFWMDcDN-P6gmqk5e82wavGBbC-D7GFuwKlch9HczyLg/s1600/team_high_five_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwwSHTq5MY-zyaaTMMu8OA2vtIHKLKRvP2wUnyjGpYBcds-Mx0QvdSptdMW62qsBqtk85aOpZ-HYZNdXYkrrBGRWdR3thY6k4YFWMDcDN-P6gmqk5e82wavGBbC-D7GFuwKlch9HczyLg/s320/team_high_five_800_clr.png" width="320" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Essentially you're accepting an offer from your partner with "Yes and..." to build and extend the story positively. "Yes but..." simply blocks the conversation making it difficult to continue and gain acceptance or maintain creativity.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So next time you're talking with you team try and think "Yes and..." before each sentence - you'll get them onside much faster and they will think more positively & creatively. Start with "Yes but..." and their motivation will soon die as quickly as a bad stand up comedian. You don't actually have to say "Yes and..." in your meetings but you at least must think it before each conversation.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks to Luke at the <a href="http://www.thecomedystore.co.uk/page.php?id=30&section=5">Comedy Store</a> - Leicester Square for that life skill. Really you should consider going and learning Improv - it was a great experience especially when you get to see real experts doing it later.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">See you soon</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mike</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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</span></div>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-69621183077006319072011-09-21T16:23:00.001+01:002011-09-21T16:23:19.638+01:00Agile - Grandmother was right - you can't fit a quart into a pint pot<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYIvhnjf6npXliUScR-rMiW6cWXJa6uss-9cnzzjKu90isZUKZRsKahP4j__Y9O5d1WxbM-WkN62sOc1mpYPCZ_I8OZArUNeuwpPlss7Pm3rCdAOWtJZybyMXkX3h6xpRMFcrVP6wLeU/s1600/grandma_cane_fencing_300_clr.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYIvhnjf6npXliUScR-rMiW6cWXJa6uss-9cnzzjKu90isZUKZRsKahP4j__Y9O5d1WxbM-WkN62sOc1mpYPCZ_I8OZArUNeuwpPlss7Pm3rCdAOWtJZybyMXkX3h6xpRMFcrVP6wLeU/s1600/grandma_cane_fencing_300_clr.gif" /></a><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">My Grandmother used have lots of sayings. I remember - "We had one of those and the wheels fell off", "As much use as a chocolate fireguard" and "Look after the pennies and the pounds look after themseleves". My favourites as a project manager were "If you're in a hole don't dig" and "you can't fit a quart into a pint pot". It's the last one that came to mind today!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Lean project management has lots of great attributes – more effective use of people & resources, better quality development, increased communications and faster time to market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet however hard I look through research & documentation I can’t find the evidence that it’s also some form of “miracle worker”.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">I’ve been involved in a lot of discussions on failing projects and the reasons for failure always seem to be the same – no one really thought about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">how</b> they were going to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course people understood <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">why</b> and, to a certain extent, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">what</b> they want to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But when it comes to – so <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">how</b> are we going to do it – managers wanted to avoid the self-evident truth.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">But back to basics - it doesn’t matter what methodology you use you’re still going to be faced with a fundamental aspect of physics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If a project has a certain amount of work involved to complete it then it really doesn’t matter which approach you adopt – Waterfall, Agile, RUP or Lean – it will still take the same amount of time & effort to finish. A quart doesn’t fit in a pint pot…</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XHB5bVVRiDgo_fmfcJAlBcNSyYuVT5FlI1sJ9Y7KiLX5RSR6Om35h0a2NG0SJ5MV9dMuwktaAaCYP0nE9GN94n1xPT0nh5_JuKJLMhz0-rKGjogI4k9nROOAEX-kCOtZS26yItEqO-g/s1600/stick_figure_tight_quarters_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XHB5bVVRiDgo_fmfcJAlBcNSyYuVT5FlI1sJ9Y7KiLX5RSR6Om35h0a2NG0SJ5MV9dMuwktaAaCYP0nE9GN94n1xPT0nh5_JuKJLMhz0-rKGjogI4k9nROOAEX-kCOtZS26yItEqO-g/s320/stick_figure_tight_quarters_800_clr.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Of course, lean approaches are better at focussing on real requirements and what will add value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They deliver functionality up front avoiding big bang delivery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, there are implementations that need a base amount of functionality to be useful & chores to be completed to generate any significant value before they can be rolled out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t matter if we work as a small team, communicate better, concentrate on high value items or adopt Scrum methods to concentrate on great delivery processes ultimately the development work that needs to be done remains essentially the same.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Today I’ve had the ultimate Agile discussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Essentially it consisted of:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Looking at the user stories we’re looking at 4 sprints to complete the base functionality and probably another 3 to add the high priority business requirements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s about 21 weeks.</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
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<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">But we need it by Christmas</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
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<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">I appreciate that but that doesn’t change the amount of work that we need to do it will still take 21 weeks</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
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<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">But we need it by Christmas</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">What requirements do you want us to drop?</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
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<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">None – but we need it by Christmas – maybe if you don’t test it so much?</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">The work hasn’t changed – it will take 21 weeks</span></i></div>
<div style="margin-left: 36pt;">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">I thought Agile was meant to be quicker?</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">It is more focussed and relevant but it can’t make 21 weeks of work take 10 weeks</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">I think you get the idea…..</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">That’s the problem with something being sold as the new solution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone says Agile is quicker, faster & more improved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course we all know it isn’t but that’s the press it’s got.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">So I’m left with the age old problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lean project management is a much better solution to delivering great software.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it’s reputation is going to be tarnished by a few individuals who’ve sold the “faster” tag and Agile can’t always deliver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure that someone soon is going to suggest that planning things upfront, signing up to detailed designs & requirements and agreeing a detailed plan that managed centrally is the best way to get things delivered quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder what they’ll call that approach – I suspect it will be popular if they promise to deliver 21 weeks work in 10 weeks by simply adding more people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">I’ll let you know how the argument is resolved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";">Mike</span><br />
KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-84323687512346939742011-09-20T12:13:00.000+01:002011-09-20T12:13:04.828+01:00Agile, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Fire Control<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Perhaps they are singing songs to you, and I just think they're asking me questions" explains the Ruler of the Universe when talking to his cat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been reading the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Resturant at the End of the Universe for the nth time this week. I've always loved Douglas Adam's sense of humour and there is a particular section that really sums up the problems I've had this week with a new "Agile Team" that have asked me to coach them and help them understand why people aren't accepting their new approach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In one part of the story Zaphod, Trillian and Zarniwoop visit the man who runs the Universe. He clearly isn't what they expect and he tends to avoid answering a question directly. It's worth a read and you can find the book online <a href="http://www.molema.org/subpages/books/hhgttg/book_02_chapter_64.html">here</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Apart from being an amusing distraction I think it highlights some of the problems that Agile Projects have to deal with all of the time. This week in my new team we've discussed our Agile approach, the impacts it has on our customers & our teams and what we should do to improve things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Without exception it's been one excuse after another. Sitting in the meeting room (just like the Ruler of the Universe's shack in the middle of nowwhere) you'd think the the rest of the organisation doesn't exist once the meeting room door is closed. The team deny that they simply aren't delivering what's needed. They can't remember the questions that were raised at the last retrospective and anyway they are in denial that their unstructured approach is leading to all sorts of problems and issues.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Douglas Adams writes "How can I tell, that the past isn't a fiction designed to account for the discrepancy between my immediate physical sensations and my state of mind?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The equvalent I heard in this group today was "I think that customers have decided they don't like the Agile approach so they're making up issues just to get us to go back to the old ways of working"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The lack of ability for an Agile team to accept personal accountability & responsibility for delivery is a hangover from the Waterfall Approach. It can be argued, and indeed I have many times, that the PRINCE2 methodology provides the Project Organisation with lots of hiding places. In the news today you will have read about the £469m Project Failure of the FiRe Control Programme (<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14974552">BBC article</a>). What wasn't recorded was how all of this money was wasted. £40-50m on "Management Fees", £20m on "Consultancy" fees. The actual buildings only cost £36m (nine buildings at around £4m each) or £14m less than the Project Management fees!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbAX6tHI2Alv0vJXOguOQ5vUhrmzpr83R8vFAGOwTVf9-4NsxOHIKOcCHDflTvCebKqf25CYmWK3NxBmko8TvCosy499xKItxwU15_ZgOPf8wfha4xtk7wtX7_eykKhGtFXN3tn9FNy8/s1600/scared_behind_chair_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbAX6tHI2Alv0vJXOguOQ5vUhrmzpr83R8vFAGOwTVf9-4NsxOHIKOcCHDflTvCebKqf25CYmWK3NxBmko8TvCosy499xKItxwU15_ZgOPf8wfha4xtk7wtX7_eykKhGtFXN3tn9FNy8/s320/scared_behind_chair_800_clr.png" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Funnily enough though there's no one to blame. No one is accountable and everyone did a good job apart from the fact that nothing actually got delivered and none of the project objectives were met at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">That's how this team and the project have felt this week. Close the door and hide from the real world. Nothing's our fault, we've nothing to learn so I think that I've nothing I can teach them either.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Pity - because they're a great bunch of people and I hate to admit failure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Tomorrow's another day - and at least we haven't wasted £469m!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mike</span><br />
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<br />KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-76173559114339847592011-09-07T09:17:00.000+01:002011-09-07T09:18:11.824+01:00Can Agile Horses Sing?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While lazying in the back garden I've had lots of time to reflect on the last 12 months. I've always thought that the retrospective was one of the best parts of Agile (or indeed of any decent methodology) because it's the one opportunity to concentrate on simply doing things better.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRl6INBdkTe3I1pXxJNKt_xEbeUfyeWEBrYSUdjY9dFtcZJWR-mEwjwxcsjy3aN7UjSbZ-xv8tiPjyoyZnposXFW00c0b_c4kUMsXlwq6PfmfLNuzP6Gy5ANMzt4lZnJVrnMgfCGlwDg/s1600/the_thinker_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRl6INBdkTe3I1pXxJNKt_xEbeUfyeWEBrYSUdjY9dFtcZJWR-mEwjwxcsjy3aN7UjSbZ-xv8tiPjyoyZnposXFW00c0b_c4kUMsXlwq6PfmfLNuzP6Gy5ANMzt4lZnJVrnMgfCGlwDg/s320/the_thinker_800_clr.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So have I learnt anything that will help me help</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> others better in the next 12 months? I guess that one of the advantages of being a turnaround project manager is that you get to see a lot of project train wrecks and get the opportunity to see them become successful ventures. Ok, they don't always deliver exactly what you'd hoped when you put together than business plan but in most cases they deliver greater value simply because you had to concentrate on what you needed rather than what you wanted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've a few pet hates. One of those are people who seem to think that they can diss the case for Agile by saying "...oh yeah BUT in the REAL WORLD..." I've spend the last 6 months helping my eldest daughter with her philisophy A2 Level and 50% of that seemed to be about deciding if the world we live in really exists or not. There are arguments that it's completely in our heads, that we rely on sensory data and make up a world to intepret it and that none of us really see the real world - it's a bit like watching a film.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">That's exactly how a recent experience has been for me. I feel I've been living in a surreal environment which is so far from the real world that I'm beginning to believe what all those philosophers were on about - it's just like watching a film. Unfortunately not a comedy, although there have been moments, nor a action filled movie. If I had to describe the style I would have said a bit like the Hammer Horror films of the 70's - unbeliveable storyline, no real purpose and a lack of anything that you can relate to real world thinking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Let me expand. Firstly they really think that they're Agile. They have a Scrum Board, hold daily standups (ok they have 20 people attending and they take over 90 mins but they do stand up) and they consume vast quantities of post-it notes. I've watched this board for the last three weeks. Everyday they discuss progress but not one single post-it note has ever moved. I actually checked to see if they were glued down. They've never seen anyone from the business but they don't need to because they already know what the solution is. One product owner dared to send a list of requirements and these were immediately put onto post-it notes and placed in the "blocked" column on the Scrum board - "At least it looks like we're working on those if Bob turns up one day".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yesterday I sat in a meeting where the IS Programme Manager presented the plans for the next release which is happening in 10 weeks! Actually he also presented what would be in the releases in Q1, Q2 & Q3 for 2012 as well. So let's get this straight - Detailed plans for 2011& 2012, releases fixed 12 months in advance, scrums of 20+ people having one & half hour meetings every morning and a lack of customer involvement in development - but we're Agile? I ran the first Agile Training sessions this week and everyone loved it. Of course <em>"it won't work in the real world..."</em> was the general feeling. <em>"And what you're doing does?"</em> I argued. <em>"Every project you have running is late & overbudget, customers are complaining about bug-filled software & threatening to leave and staff turnover reaching 40% per year".</em> Apparently that's the point - they're running Agile and it clearly doesn't work in the real world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sadly, I don't think I can convince them - they really believe that they've adopted Agile and they really believe they're living in the "real world". It's a shame a because the business proposition they have is fantastic but they can't change their mindset sufficiently to deliver a solution to meet it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But I've accepted the challenge because reminds me of the story of the Prisoner & the King. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyWUqIBaweIQXS0FdfaQnFX2A0xwyLWgAOpwIs7v9aByvFfeiU2YFQBTOf4ZuAAGSkz2bvxe-4xvzWEWkKwEqH7CV1Nd_bBIC5tWwqNGAjFafe13QNvJvdms-bK_uW2pq_inHHomTPG0/s1600/stick_figure_jockey_riding_horse_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 397px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 275px;"><img border="0" height="400" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyWUqIBaweIQXS0FdfaQnFX2A0xwyLWgAOpwIs7v9aByvFfeiU2YFQBTOf4ZuAAGSkz2bvxe-4xvzWEWkKwEqH7CV1Nd_bBIC5tWwqNGAjFafe13QNvJvdms-bK_uW2pq_inHHomTPG0/s400/stick_figure_jockey_riding_horse_800_clr.png" width="265" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Nasrudin was caught in the act and sentenced to die. Hauled up before the king, he was asked by the Royal Presence: "Is there any reason at all why I shouldn't have your head off right now?" To which he replied: "Oh, King, live forever! Know that I, the mullah Nasrudin, am the greatest teacher in your kingdom, and it would surely be a waste to kill such a great teacher. So skilled am I that I could even teach your favorite horse to sing, given a year to work on it." The king was amused, and said: "Very well then, you move into the stable immediately, and if the horse isn't singing a year from now, we'll think of something interesting to do with you." </em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>As he was returning to his cell to pick up his spare rags, his cellmate remonstrated with him: "Now <b>that</b> was really stupid. You know you can't teach that horse to sing, no matter how long you try." </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Nasrudin's response: "Not at all. I have a year now that I didn't have before. And a lot of things can happen in a year. The king might die. The horse might die. <b>I</b> might die. </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>"And, who knows? Maybe the horse will sing." </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and just maybe I can convince <strong>them</strong> to become really Agile?</span><br />
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MikeKeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-78410825575533815652011-06-24T11:22:00.000+01:002011-06-24T11:22:32.353+01:00Get control of failing projects - be Agile<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaySSNSmW_C-8WROqN-UduthhWKvKMFostto3akK0nVP3AF0R3efFr62LOllXBFFfg1K2_A6hhEdYTJ17a6YImWXGpieo0XGBx3x1wcyQ7xVzWThlkFbHBG5oPfnpXiIX62w36ywifMJg/s1600/stick_figure_running_first_aid_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaySSNSmW_C-8WROqN-UduthhWKvKMFostto3akK0nVP3AF0R3efFr62LOllXBFFfg1K2_A6hhEdYTJ17a6YImWXGpieo0XGBx3x1wcyQ7xVzWThlkFbHBG5oPfnpXiIX62w36ywifMJg/s320/stick_figure_running_first_aid_800_clr.png" width="280" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've specialised in a particular area of project management called "Turnaround". Where other project managers specialise in different aspects of project delivery I specialise in clearing up the mess that some of them leave behind. If project management was a hospital I'm more the Paramedic or A&E specialist than the long term cardiologist or pediatrician. You don't ask me to manage your long term care - just breath life back into the patient.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">When my kids needed to know what I actually did when I left home for the day I found it a bit difficult to explain what a project manager actually does. I tried lots of things but finally hit on the explanation that "Daddy's job is to stop the s**t hitting the fan - but when it does he has to clear it up afterwards". As the years have passed I've realised that I've built my reputation up on the latter.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm often asked "... so how do you turn projects around?" normally followed by "... so what extra controls do you put in place to get it back on track?" or "...I bet you have to be tough with people?"</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've thought about it a lot this week, not least because I'm helping a new client deal with a failing critical project, and I've come to the following conclusions from my experience:</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Projects don't fail because of a lack of controls in fact the truth is the opposite. There are so many controls in place that everyone is wasting time managing the control system and forgetting to actually do something</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Projects don't fail because stakeholders aren't managed properly. Most people in my experience go to work to do a good job not destroy things. The problem is that we spend so much time "managing" stakeholders & teams that we forget that they need time to actually get on with what they're good at</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Projects don't fail because people don't know what they want. They struggle because people just don't take the time to think about the best ways to communicate something and make sure that everyone has the same ideas. No - we'd much rather have controls and detailed documentation that we read, review and comment on. Wouldn't it be so much better if we simply chatted, agreed the best solution and then got on with it? So much more effective & efficient</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Projects don't fail because we don't have enough resources, money or time. They fail because we allow expectations to get away from us or become so intransigent that we oppose change even if the new solution would make what we do more useful and relevant</span></li>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU49NoaRtf0EI7VOi7ygs21PQeBYwEvma3FE0xD6uDUenLieV_C2Dclln3xGJHrk-wJSAlWabhPixgy8R6kk6yJx6G4iHW1nma-mmqRbXhy0A6nDQ1nkmd7Dn-ZdjYzosgxc732mg6hmw/s1600/business_man_and_woman_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU49NoaRtf0EI7VOi7ygs21PQeBYwEvma3FE0xD6uDUenLieV_C2Dclln3xGJHrk-wJSAlWabhPixgy8R6kk6yJx6G4iHW1nma-mmqRbXhy0A6nDQ1nkmd7Dn-ZdjYzosgxc732mg6hmw/s320/business_man_and_woman_800_clr.png" width="240" /></a></div><li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Projects don't fail because we don't follow a "proper" process, don't have "proper governance", don't have "rapid action teams" or don't have "change control". They fail because all of these things, if improperly applied, strangle the innovation out of the best of teams</span></li>
</ul></div><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">My daughters still think its amusing for me to think that I'm now fashionable and cutting edge. But me and my "project busting" compatriots who believe that projects are just containers for actually "doing stuff" are becoming the majority.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">For me projects have two type of influences - Gains & Strains. The higher the Gain to Strain ratio the more likely you are to keep it on track. So when I'm faced with a failing project I aim to reduce the strains as quickly as possible. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Typically this includes:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Reducing command & control mechnisms to the absolute minimum</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Changing from "Project Review" meetings to more informal get togethers once a day to synchonise activity</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Stopping the "management" activity and emphasising the "leader/support" role</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Distracting company control freaks with "plans" and lots of activities that I need them to go away and deal with (that won't impact on the team or the project in any way)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Taking on the role of dealing with the blockers rather than allocating the tasks</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Verdana;">So I guess that means</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em>People over process, Deliver over Control Documentation, Cooperation over Contracts and Change over Detailed Plans</em></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Haven't I heard that before somewhere?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>So it looks like my "secret" is that I make projects more agile. I liked that in the past I was a maverick and did projects differently to everyone else. Now agile's becoming mainstream does that mean I'm going to have to become a Waterfall evangelist now just to be different. Now that's a scary thought!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mike :-)</span></span></span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-63624590408416448432011-06-07T13:23:00.000+01:002011-06-07T13:23:30.691+01:00Lean Contracts & Trust - Are they really compatible?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqA5_hniyJvWrDA-z2EscdCTxeP7F1qR9nB6sxUsUXvwkieNfvQbksU1sXRtSmxFk2Zw4Ywc4z2OL-LFEpnqbF6a_FNQflOwEbRNxFF0XWK1-f7iRWtA_a8Uczhap2ZIq5Z_nW8s2IO0/s1600/judge_with_robe_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqA5_hniyJvWrDA-z2EscdCTxeP7F1qR9nB6sxUsUXvwkieNfvQbksU1sXRtSmxFk2Zw4Ywc4z2OL-LFEpnqbF6a_FNQflOwEbRNxFF0XWK1-f7iRWtA_a8Uczhap2ZIq5Z_nW8s2IO0/s320/judge_with_robe_800_clr.png" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was asked an i</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nteresting question this morning - "Agile just doesn't work our work with fixed price contracts - so what should we do?" I guess I understand the problem - when you're designing & delivering using an iterative approach it's pretty difficult to tie down what's the contract is all about. If you can't do that then it's even more impossible to apply penalty clauses to incentivise suppliers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The more I thought about it the more other questions came to mind. Do fixed price contracts really work in any project environment?, Can we really define exactly what's got to be delivered in sufficient detail to deliver a truely accurate cost?, Do penalty clauses really deliver? and What do we have fixed price contracts anyway? </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now I've worked on a wide range of projects including so those with so called "Hard Deliverables" and, without exception, I can say that fixed price contracts never delivered what we expected - but that's in their nature.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There are two ways to look at contracts and it depends on what you believe. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><strong>Conventional view</strong> - Companies look out for their own interests and Contracts </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">are needed to limit opportunism</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><strong>Lean view</strong> - Assume other parties act in good faith, good relationships limit opportunism and contracts should encourage through incentives</span></span></span></span></blockquote><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So if we take the lean approach there are some key questions that will be worrying managers: Who takes the risk? What's the price of trust?, How does our approach change? What does a Lean contract really look like? and Can it really work?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now I don't profess to be a procurement expert but I do know that lean contracts are very effective in all environments - especially in software development and business transformation. I've negotiated partnership agreements with suppliers based on Time & Materials with incentives and they've been extremely profitable for both parties.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Luckily for us though, Mary Poppendeck really explains the subject very well in her presentation <a href="http://agileconsortium.pbworks.com/f/AgileContracts.pdf">Agile Contracts - What is trust?</a> She tackles the difficult concepts for lean contracts precisely with good case studies and excellent practical conclusions so I'd really recommend a read.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'll come back to this subject in the coming weeks. I believe that extending Agility to partnerships & suppliers is the next barrier for Agile to overcome. Pulling together the wider end to end team (partners, customers and suppliers) reminds me of the "Just in Time" projects I covered early in my manufacturing career and the key foundation of that was Kanban management.... Trust & partnership were the foundation of those phiolosopies as well and they've coped well over the years.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Maybe I can see a link here - Just in time->Kanban->Agile. That's what I'm going to talk about soon in this blog. There might just be a coming together of lean manufacturing & lean projects or BAU & Projects. That sounds an exciting development.</span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-17477359541980824752011-06-03T11:33:00.000+01:002011-06-03T11:33:58.447+01:00Agile - it's not complex enough!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuApFN6uwfzMO1MzdcGC0y5xpase5Krv1Ra0EBZftrei9xAvhxo6pJR3HEihWlAkf9xUFIhAmLlSrG5tTzpl05Oze3Mu31eOcnXPNV2-dsqOmwHzVCMDouuFGagFpNtbHQKwUCDWFyBO0/s1600/stick_figure_sitting_on_books_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuApFN6uwfzMO1MzdcGC0y5xpase5Krv1Ra0EBZftrei9xAvhxo6pJR3HEihWlAkf9xUFIhAmLlSrG5tTzpl05Oze3Mu31eOcnXPNV2-dsqOmwHzVCMDouuFGagFpNtbHQKwUCDWFyBO0/s320/stick_figure_sitting_on_books_800_clr.png" t8="true" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've just finished </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Prey-Michael-Crichton/dp/0066214122"><span style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Prey</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> an excellent book by the late Michael Crichton. It's a very scary book that follows the development of nanobots that evolve and form autonomous swarms. Although they have no individual intelliegence they demonstrate emergent behaviour in the same way that birds flock or termites build complex homes. The moral of the book is clear - self organisation can be very effective - and of course dangerous. It's also easy to see how the fictional story could become a reality - but that of course was Crichton's skill.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It got me thinking, what is this "self-organisation" thing anyway? Do self organising teams really self organise or are they really guided? Apparently I'm not the only one who's throught of this. A great presentation by Jurgen Appelo - <a href="http://programmedevelopment.com/resources/latest-resources-from-programme"><strong><span style="color: red;">What (else) can Agile learn from complexity</span></strong></a> looks at Complexity Theory and Agile. Now before you click on that "back" button it really is worth a look. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">He looks at the key factors of complexity theory and applies them to Agile and there are some great quotes:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Darkness Principle</strong> </span><br />
<div><blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Each element of a system is ignorent of the behaviour of the system as a whole... if each element "knew" what was happening to the system as a whole all of the complexity would have to present in that element</em></span></blockquote></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is one of the major issues that traditional management methods fails to recognise. We believe that the more we know the better we can control something. However, the reality is that it takes too much time and resource to try and control everything because the control system always needs to be more complex than the project we're trying to control.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Boundaries & Conditions </strong></span><br />
<div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Self organisation requires that the system is surrounded by a containing boundary. This boundary defines the "self" that will be developed during the self organising process"</em></span></blockquote></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Which implies that all Agile activities must have some form of wrapper. The concept of a project is well know and tested as a container for self-organisation so why create a new concept. Agile & Waterfall can co-exist and work together - in fact they're symbiotic.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReuGa0-isJWnISoFuFqKkqWUnRMf0DA5BvSvVj8Sz1mQy4QZTOQ1czkFxe-r8CZJ4YtLyxLGMv5dwYZtcOLgAiO7cv2LS1Tdg-k8RyHllp6SLIhyqNvH8uYhSN-tPSqJ5iWOHcUDWi2g/s1600/backpacker_figure_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReuGa0-isJWnISoFuFqKkqWUnRMf0DA5BvSvVj8Sz1mQy4QZTOQ1czkFxe-r8CZJ4YtLyxLGMv5dwYZtcOLgAiO7cv2LS1Tdg-k8RyHllp6SLIhyqNvH8uYhSN-tPSqJ5iWOHcUDWi2g/s320/backpacker_figure_800_clr.png" t8="true" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Fitness Landscapes</strong></span></div><blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>The environment is not out there separate from us. We can help to create the environment... The Spanish have a phrase 'My friend, these is no road - you make the road as you walk'</em></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If ever there was an argument for emergent design in IS projects then this is it. Emergent behaviour is apparent all around us. No one "organises" the bread supply for London it just happens. Our brains are a classic example of how independent elements can combine and a "self" can emerge from the chaos. However, as we know it takes time for intelligence to evolve and most organisations simply don't have the patience or belief to wait!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Incompressibility</strong></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>There is no accurate representation of the system which is simpler than the system itself. In building representations of open systems we are forced to leave things out, and since the effects of these omissions are nonlinear, we cannot preduct their magnitude</em></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Which means - we can't predict the future so why waste so much time trying to plan & deal with things that haven't, and probably won't, happen?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's a lot more in Jurgen's presentation and I'd really recommend that you read it through. I'd also recommend Michael Chichton's book because it's just a rally good story (and a lot more believable than Jurrasic Park!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So does Agile need more complexity? Absolutely - because it's only when we understand complexity that we can keep agile simple for the rest of us :-)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Friday</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mike</span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-61799783724103719102011-05-23T12:19:00.000+01:002011-05-23T12:19:42.796+01:00Agile - it ain't our culture revisited...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YDqk737z7GfKPgMhfHIt7lYrL3Cm69cR6kS94n2ttfvE04T6qsxghH0jHZ285n0aJVcP46k252ThiXYuM-E4mR1KQrjQoaQ2mviq-tbdSyln9RMS5ObalUi1CL5U7c4J9ghbwLa5aBc/s1600/stick_figures_angry_toward_other_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7YDqk737z7GfKPgMhfHIt7lYrL3Cm69cR6kS94n2ttfvE04T6qsxghH0jHZ285n0aJVcP46k252ThiXYuM-E4mR1KQrjQoaQ2mviq-tbdSyln9RMS5ObalUi1CL5U7c4J9ghbwLa5aBc/s400/stick_figures_angry_toward_other_800_clr.png" width="300" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for all of the responses to my last blog <a href="http://keepingagilesimple.blogspot.com/2011/05/it-aint-our-culture.html">"It ain't our culture..."</a> - I obviously hit a bit of a nerve. I'm not the only one who's getting fed up with the "Corporate Clone" culture where we think that everything will work out ok if we just keep trying the same thing again and again... </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Other examples that I've had sent to me include:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><strong>Confusing</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Your problem is that you're too focused on delivery and that's just not the way that we do things around here..."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"We don't manage stakeholders... we control them..."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Downright sexist</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"Don't get me wrong... Proper project management needs a strong manager - I think that Agile is more fluffy and people focussed - a more female way of delivering projects..." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><strong>Misguided</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">"You've been lucky in the past because we know that you can't deliver anything if you're going to concentrate on business value. I mean if the customer is part of the project team and they just deliver what they want you wouldn't need project managers would you?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The problem as I see it is that people are struggling with the changes needed to get Agile working. It is different, you do need a different attitude and the change to make it work at an Enterprise level is significant. As luck would have it there are two people who can explain far better than me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The first is by Gregory Smith - <a href="http://www.methodsandtools.com/archive/archive.php?id=70">Creating an Agile Environment</a> and the second is Kane Mar - <a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/public.kanemar.com/Impediments_to_Enterprise_Agile.pdf">Impediments to Enterprise Agile</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Two very different articles but one clear message. You need to look at your own attitudes, views and approaches and change them fast. If Agile "ain't your culture" then you'd better make sure you make it your culture soon if you want to keep up with your competition. </span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-35930387409084248742011-05-20T14:12:00.000+01:002011-05-20T14:12:48.617+01:00It ain't our culture...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlKD9kRJCWQmf4EnNhtoFH3V0ZtK5YpTMFfGPVIcjhmN5Ois4ma6w6zQ0IE0QmdFNhAr2KWVTH0aFohsJi-B8gRpF5n98mWnug7X_iXz-0YgI33wyJj5NHeiz5fLQo76ZSAgOnKECBLw/s1600/stick_figure_red_tape_500_clr.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlKD9kRJCWQmf4EnNhtoFH3V0ZtK5YpTMFfGPVIcjhmN5Ois4ma6w6zQ0IE0QmdFNhAr2KWVTH0aFohsJi-B8gRpF5n98mWnug7X_iXz-0YgI33wyJj5NHeiz5fLQo76ZSAgOnKECBLw/s400/stick_figure_red_tape_500_clr.gif" width="183" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had a long conservation yesterday about interviewing and interviewees that made me stop and think. We'd just interviewed an excellent candidate who ticked all the recruitment boxes - great CV, demonstrable successes, clear references and a very credible candidate with gravitas. However, they turned him down because "he great - the best we've seen - but he won't fit with our 'company culture'" I was also told that "the problem with this Agile approach is that it delivers things too quickly - can't you slow the team down a bit?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now part of that I'm sure was due to a blinkered HR approach that seems to be centred around "harmony" and employing "corporate clones" to develop some mythical perfect culture. But, "harmony" doesn't mean "balanced" - if an organisation isn't delivering what it should it seems to me that they should be looking for something or someone different to make things happen. A good team has a balance of people with diverse views & attitudes. Conflict, managed properly, delivers innovation, competition and fun. Employing the sort of people that "won't upset the people who are already here" seems very short-sighted. In fact, it can only lead to stagnation and blandness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Agile depends on creative conflict to deliver effectively, but then does proper corporate management. Is the drive for "consistency" leading to the death of Agile? </span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-41482961026263725452011-05-20T13:42:00.000+01:002011-05-20T13:42:47.478+01:00Agile - why doesn't it work except in the "trial" period?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAl2A-LchQIbOWVsx8Llw_l5FDnokxoprY6w3lHjUsuCfZr9AfMULEodPs1rzwBMqRAFdw9EqH-vUxrCOiwrQcRjFYUZcoWNEGTPWmicgaflLC5ZSKiSO9mmn04adH00z-7LuXJAIWy8/s1600/referee_red_card_pc_1600_wht.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAl2A-LchQIbOWVsx8Llw_l5FDnokxoprY6w3lHjUsuCfZr9AfMULEodPs1rzwBMqRAFdw9EqH-vUxrCOiwrQcRjFYUZcoWNEGTPWmicgaflLC5ZSKiSO9mmn04adH00z-7LuXJAIWy8/s320/referee_red_card_pc_1600_wht.png" width="163" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks talking about the problems of change. Now I'm thinking that Agile is always going to struggle because of the "siloed approach" that organisations innately adopt. It's covered really will in this article <strong><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://programmedevelopment.com/public/uploads/files/challenges_of_delivring_change_in_todays_siloed_it_environment.pdf">"Challenges of managing change in a siloed organisation"</a></span></strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The biggest challenge that Agile has is the capability of an organisation to deal with it the decentralised approach. When Agile is trialled at a local level it seems like the answer to all of those inertia problems that projects seem to produce. Of course we tend to forget that the trial project has a lot of support, gains the best possible resources and is given the highest priority so it's pretty likely to success regardless of the methods that are employed. However, at a local level - it all goes well - a fact that many Agile Consultants rely on when they promise to help you "mobilise Agile".</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But as we start to ramp up the process across the organisation the cracks beging to appear. They're not inherent problems with Agility but rather that the approach & mindset in Agile brings the flaws that already exist in the operating model into focus. There are two ways for the cynic to look at this: "<em>Agile doesn't work for us</em>" or "<em>Agile doesn't work in the real world</em>". However, the real problem is that many projects & programmes would have suffered regardless of the method being used - it's the corporate culture that's wrong.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">People talk about being "Open and Honest" but aren't really that keen when everyone actually is... we like a bit of wriggle room where things can be glossed over. Perhaps Agile should stop "making everything sooooo transparent" and concentrate on dealing with the Siloed organisation issue and it's politics. If we can make Agile work in a siloed environment we may really be onto something exciting...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mike</span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-9315344409590370352011-05-06T10:24:00.001+01:002011-05-06T10:24:39.228+01:00Agile Certification - something's missing isn't it?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcrZXk-5kHba6LW5FYUSAl18HUcVZzmSopReepZgRlMXHpYHrM24co1jZynMebGvL8cH3WW3hIYCgdeR2Fr-cPTigAXypKrLOyjkE-C_uAkCd5Vf-LKjhSwkeJHEPhzBv0oXIqDxPAOc/s1600/bored_students_1600_wht.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcrZXk-5kHba6LW5FYUSAl18HUcVZzmSopReepZgRlMXHpYHrM24co1jZynMebGvL8cH3WW3hIYCgdeR2Fr-cPTigAXypKrLOyjkE-C_uAkCd5Vf-LKjhSwkeJHEPhzBv0oXIqDxPAOc/s320/bored_students_1600_wht.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More and more companies are looking for certification or accreditation in Agile or SCRUM methods. As Agile becomes more mainstream there is a need to distiguish between one CV and another. One way of favouring candidates is to look for those that have been vouchered for by some certification body such as the Scrum Alliance and the famous Certified SCRUM Master or Product Owner "qualifications"</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now Agile is a very practical skill that demands a great understanding of how to influence & manage the expectations of the SCRUM team and the various stakeholders that surround development. Far more, I'd argue, than Traditional Project Management. However, looking at the marketplace at the moment it seems that every Agile training course is concentrating on understanding & managing the process of SCRUM not the people that are involved.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">That leaves me with a concern. I thought that the Agile Manifesto made it clear that we should favour "Individuals & Interactions" over "Processes & Tools" but from my perspective that exactly the oppostite to the approach that the mainstream certifications seem to be taken that tell me about the process and sweep over the people skills. That's a mistake that Project Management bodies made in the 80's & 90's and it's only in the last 10 years that they've started to realise that knowledge is only part of the equation and that capability must be demonstrated.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">SCRUM lends itself to a skills or vocational based certification approach. Potential SCRUM Masters need to demonstrate that they not only understand the process (and let's be honest that really doesn't take two days of training) but can apply it in the real world. To quote the Agile Alliance position <strong>"employers should have confidence only in certifications that are skill-based and difficult to achieve"</strong> Which is exactly where current qualifications fall down. They only give employers confidence that a person has been exposed to a specific set of knowledge not that they can then apply that in the workplace.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The APM in the UK seem to be taking a stronger line along with the PMI. Although I still struggle with the concept of Agile Project Management I respect both of these organisations in the way that they carry out and maintain the credibility of their qualifications. They also offer "Practitioner" and "Expert" levels to their offerings that require demonstration of skills - that's a move I fully support.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">However, I'd still like one of the main UK bodies take on the vocation approach - perhaps an NVQ in Agile & SCRUM for SCRUM Masters and Product Owners?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm looking at certitication & accreditation in the UK right now and any support would be welcome to help me bring it to fruition. Leave me comments </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mike</span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-14296242326330087412011-05-04T14:31:00.000+01:002011-05-04T14:42:50.042+01:00What comes around....<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaISfZPyljoOt-X-Vv6_EPeuXwy-gr6_BC1f_hwmw5KEjX5nmBYJkN4MxFevquWwjJUWyLeRBpJQUlBdmAp7Bmd3o84-iElWBoH71bec-4sSacf6l2yOW6XNa9jap0Zg9GXS2EB1WVoYA/s1600/help_old_figure_1600_wht.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaISfZPyljoOt-X-Vv6_EPeuXwy-gr6_BC1f_hwmw5KEjX5nmBYJkN4MxFevquWwjJUWyLeRBpJQUlBdmAp7Bmd3o84-iElWBoH71bec-4sSacf6l2yOW6XNa9jap0Zg9GXS2EB1WVoYA/s320/help_old_figure_1600_wht.png" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I realise that I've probably been in the delivery business too long or I'm getting old. </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've got used to the fact that fashions keep changing but keep coming back to the same styles. Rock music that I loved in the 70's and 80's is becoming popular again - well at least with my teenage daughters. </span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So nothing really changes - everything just goes in cycles - around and around and nothing really new is invented.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now Agile is maturing it's under threat from a new approach - Kanban. If you're not sure what Kanban is then have a look at this great <a href="http://bit.ly/muh5rY">Kanban 101 guide</a>.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I read this article and I thought - "Hang on a moment - I remember Kanban from 30 years ago when I first started out as a Manufacturing Consultant". I was implementing 'Just in Time' and the 'Theory of Constraints' in JCB, Texas Instruments, Caterpillar and other organiations. It was the latest thing at the time and the subject of the famous book "<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1598870645/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0566086654&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=05KGQPWXGNJY456GZYTF">The Goal</a>" Now 30 years later I'm being told it's "new" and the "in thing"!</span></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Looking on my bookshelf I've still got all of the white papers, articles and stuff that I created all that time ago. Maybe I should dust it all off and get ready to write the "Forget Agile it's old hat - implement Kanban - you know it makes sense" novel. Alternatively I could just call it - "Common sense - it just doesn't get old" Unlike me :-)</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mike</span><br />
<br />
</div>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-30443612609631554662011-05-03T13:31:00.000+01:002011-05-04T14:43:52.713+01:00Long break - has it affected your sprints?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs2_hTYKw0pIE-zHaIhSGN6FS0sOEcJ4uWsdweQNWj7ZT6OxO-rnMfmhrwQXip2ZQ8UoOn34DnHSUdryRVsAQdlX4e0450uIEbke5bn4psJIRTwZ0PKkDkdkN3rD1IqzGX2xVCNmxjlQ/s1600/loading_bricks_in_backpack_c_800_clr.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs2_hTYKw0pIE-zHaIhSGN6FS0sOEcJ4uWsdweQNWj7ZT6OxO-rnMfmhrwQXip2ZQ8UoOn34DnHSUdryRVsAQdlX4e0450uIEbke5bn4psJIRTwZ0PKkDkdkN3rD1IqzGX2xVCNmxjlQ/s200/loading_bricks_in_backpack_c_800_clr.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the long break that we've all just enjoyed I'm reminded that I often get asked if teams should have a break between sprints to recover and prepare for the next sprint. My answer is always the same. One of the core principles of SCRUM is "sustainable development" and so no I don't think that there should be a break between sprints.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Breaks between sprints lead to a constant need to build momentum and that's just an ineffective way of operating. The team velocity constantly keeps changing. So the sprints should be run back to back and we need to make sure that the development effort is sustainable, workloads properly balanced and that SCRUM & innovative remains fun approach not a constant burden to carry.</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Of course, a number of companies don't operate real SPRINTs at all. They run small three/four week waterfall projects that deliver something at the end. You know what I mean... One week for design, one week for development and one week for testing rather than integrated design, develop & test activities. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The problems this causes is identical to their Waterfall big brother:</span><br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Testing being squeezed at the end of the cycle and either not completed properly or causing "delays"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everyone rushing at the end to complete things that can't really be completed in the time available</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Everyone working extra hours & weekends to deliver what they promised</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Everyone getting increasingly stressed as the end of the SPRINT looms large.</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Of course this isn't a problem if it's just a one-off at the end of a project - but if it's happening every three weeks then it's going to make development harder & harder to complete.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Add that to the "technical" debt that SCRUMs slowly develop over the first few sprints without automated testing or integrated development and you've a recipe for serious conflict!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So look honestly at your SCRUM process during your next retrospective. Are you really running small waterfalls? Is your team getting stressed? Can your team get better at working together on parallel design, development & test?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I promise you it'll make everyone's life so much better and you'll deliver so much more.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mike</span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-76275031904794826912011-04-21T14:32:00.000+01:002011-05-04T14:43:52.714+01:00Agile Qualifications...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7cF50Q6hcqvF-2mNRvEPPFxR68pu4e3eSun-J6fGWi69VQYKMLsyHo0enHE2MoxyAZKqfScvcp_HhJQiy7ZtxYgMaCYQVoO4BguTfrfsyrmNAHr6YH9ZyVJIz9OW_qYdihcDb6Q7Htg/s1600/stick_figure_group_confused_1600_wht.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG7cF50Q6hcqvF-2mNRvEPPFxR68pu4e3eSun-J6fGWi69VQYKMLsyHo0enHE2MoxyAZKqfScvcp_HhJQiy7ZtxYgMaCYQVoO4BguTfrfsyrmNAHr6YH9ZyVJIz9OW_qYdihcDb6Q7Htg/s200/stick_figure_group_confused_1600_wht.png" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've always been a little worried about the current clamouring for Agile qualifications. With the PMI, SCURM Alliance and APM all trying to get in on the act my concern was that we're going to end up with a whole pile of conflicting qualifications - just like Project Management before it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now it seems that I was right to worry. I've never really been a fan of the Certified SCRUM Master which seemed to be given out on courses for just turning up in some cases. The same has been true of some project management certificates.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Apparently that's all going to change. However, what I wonder is why anyone thinks that a "paper based" examination really gives any idea of the skills of an individual - and yet that's what we seem to keep getting. Moving towards a more Vocational Qualification approach would not only challenge people to get the right sort of training but also encourage the use of methods & ideas back in the workplace.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">If you want to see the latest comparison on Agile Qualifications then give the following article a good read. It seemed very interesting to me! Check it out by clicking <a href="http://www.projecttimes.com/kevin-aguanno/whats-new-in-agile-project-management-certifications.html"><span style="color: red;"><strong>What's the latest in Agile Project Management Qualifications?</strong></span></a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Happy Easter</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mike</span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2148363796996006749.post-27814527981687026822011-04-21T11:02:00.000+01:002011-05-04T14:43:52.714+01:00Agile isn't just for software!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v08Rgq7OiUtYuNStQ8V3SVQg_K6LD0Uyfo8cqIoFB0C9adgKhfFboT5JWgO5z4zbj4Z8tgFqfA9pO7G9_HPLd5ga03jzjbBtsJNgVnsaQi14jB3dw86s7xKPl1EfHtQurTEcvUgj3XE/s1600/figure_thinking_bubble_1600_wht.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v08Rgq7OiUtYuNStQ8V3SVQg_K6LD0Uyfo8cqIoFB0C9adgKhfFboT5JWgO5z4zbj4Z8tgFqfA9pO7G9_HPLd5ga03jzjbBtsJNgVnsaQi14jB3dw86s7xKPl1EfHtQurTEcvUgj3XE/s200/figure_thinking_bubble_1600_wht.png" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just stumbled on this <a href="http://pmdoi.org/index.html"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Declaration of Independance</strong></span></a> site by accident - but I'm really pleased that I did. I really believe that Agile applies to all project environments - not just software. In some ways it reminds me of project management that, for many years, was entrenched only in the construction industry and so called "hard" projects. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now, 20 years later, project management is found in just about every industry and organisation.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now I'm not a real fan of the concept of "Agile Project Management". I think that the mindset of most projects is completely different to that of an Agile implementation. Until we can change the mindset of Leaders & Managers we're always going to struggle to make Agile work effectively.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The <a href="http://pmdoi.org/index.html"><span style="color: red;"><strong>Declaration of Independence</strong></span> </a>is just one of those starting points. It takes the Agile Manifesto and widens it's application to a range of other possibilities and demonstrates how Agile can be applied outside of software development.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Take a look - and become a signatory if you think it's worth pursuing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Have a great Easter</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Mike</span>KeepAgileSimplehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11160988360296826459noreply@blogger.com0