Benefits of Servant Benefits of Servant Leadership & Self-Leadership & Self-

Organisation in Organisation in Software DevelopmentSoftware Development

Neil KillickNeil Killick

June 2012June 2012

Who am I?Who am I?

16 years in “software industry”, background in development

Last 3+ years, Agile team leader & coach Scrum Master Product Owner

Twitter: neil_killick Blog: http://neilkillick.com

Leadership in Agile - The Leadership in Agile - The Scrum Master roleScrum Master role

Scrum Master is specifically ScrumScrum Master is specifically Scrum Also known as Also known as Iteration ManagerIteration Manager, , AgileAgile

Project ManagerProject Manager or (less commonly) or (less commonly)Agile MasterAgile Master

SM focuses purely on the SM focuses purely on the peoplepeopleaspect of delivering projects (whichaspect of delivering projects (whichis everything)is everything)

SM SM leads, coaches, guides & mentorsleads, coaches, guides & mentors the theteam to its team to its own successown success

What about Project What about Project management?management?

Project (work) management is Project (work) management is sharedshared by the by the SM, SM, Product OwnerProduct Owner & & TeamTeam

PO calls the shots in terms of work priorities & PO calls the shots in terms of work priorities & release dates (the “boss” of the product)release dates (the “boss” of the product)

SM fosters an environment of SM fosters an environment of team team empowerment, self-organisation, positivity & empowerment, self-organisation, positivity & successsuccess

People WANT to succeedPeople WANT to succeed& will if & will if encouraged, trustedencouraged, trusted& supported & supported rather thanrather thanbeingbeing asked or told to asked or told to

Servant LeadershipServant Leadership

Scrum Master is the leader - NOT the “boss” or theScrum Master is the leader - NOT the “boss” or the““manager” - of the team (aka Servant Leader)manager” - of the team (aka Servant Leader)

Servant LeadershipServant Leadership Role of SM embodies what a Role of SM embodies what a good leadergood leader

should be (as opposed to a good boss)should be (as opposed to a good boss) Opposite of Command &Opposite of Command &

Control leadershipControl leadership SM SM serves the teamserves the team, not the other, not the other

way roundway round Helps the team Helps the team achieve their goalsachieve their goals, not, not

tell them what to do or do things for themtell them what to do or do things for them SM does not remove impediments;SM does not remove impediments;

they help the team they help the team remove their ownremove their ownimpedimentsimpediments (“teach a man how to fish…”) (“teach a man how to fish…”)

Traits of Command and Traits of Command and ControlControl

Subtly present in almostSubtly present in almostall (dysfunctional) organisations,all (dysfunctional) organisations,not just those with tyrant bossesnot just those with tyrant bosses

Metrics that encourageMetrics that encourageplaying the systemplaying the system, e.g. velocity, e.g. velocitytargets, actual vs. estimatetargets, actual vs. estimate

Metrics that promoteMetrics that promotefear of failurefear of failure, e.g. must complete, e.g. must completeall stories by release date, individual all stories by release date, individual performance targetsperformance targets

Telling people to “work harder”Telling people to “work harder”or work longer hours/weekendsor work longer hours/weekends

Consequences of Command Consequences of Command and Controland Control

Moaning at the water-cooler (“grrrrr Moaning at the water-cooler (“grrrrr I want to kill my boss!”)I want to kill my boss!”)

Intra and inter-team Intra and inter-team conflictsconflicts Death marchesDeath marches (“get it done (“get it done

at all costs!!”)at all costs!!”) CompromisesCompromises made in product made in product

quality & employee well-beingquality & employee well-being Short-term wins vs.Short-term wins vs.

long-term sustainabilitylong-term sustainability Technical debtTechnical debt

An alternative: Self-An alternative: Self-OrganisationOrganisation

““The best architectures, requirements, The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-and designs emerge from self-

organizing teams.”organizing teams.”

– – from the 12 principles of Agilefrom the 12 principles of Agile

Self-OrganisationSelf-Organisation

Team organises itself to work in optimum wayTeam organises itself to work in optimum way Enabling self-organisation is the Enabling self-organisation is the most most

effectiveeffective way to get the best out of people way to get the best out of people If you have a If you have a cross-functional teamcross-functional team full of full of

individuals hired to do a particular job, they individuals hired to do a particular job, they willwillknow best how to do that jobknow best how to do that job

Metrics used by teams becauseMetrics used by teams becausethey they want to improvewant to improve, not by managers, not by managerswho want their teams to improvewho want their teams to improve

Teams Teams buy in to the visionbuy in to the vision & are & aregiven the given the environment and tools to succeedenvironment and tools to succeed

Self-ManagementSelf-Management

What about people management? What about people management? Team Team manages itselfmanages itself

If a process is pushed upon a team, they may If a process is pushed upon a team, they may accept it but will accept it but will never truly own itnever truly own it or care or care about itabout it

If the process isn’t working, team will If the process isn’t working, team will complain rather than complain rather than fix the processfix the process because because that’s all theythat’s all theythink they’re allowed to dothink they’re allowed to do

Team wall allows team to Team wall allows team to visualise,visualise,inspect and adaptinspect and adapt their process and their process andcreates a creates a shared story shared story of workof work

Self-Organisation/Self-Organisation/ManagementManagement

Two sides of the same coin; one leads to the Two sides of the same coin; one leads to the otherother

Leaders Leaders emergeemerge, as does process and , as does process and continuous process improvements (continuous process improvements (kaizen, kaizen, retrospectivesretrospectives))

Particularly true in knowledge managementParticularly true in knowledge managementwork such as software development,work such as software development,which is a which is a creative pursuitcreative pursuit for forsmart, motivated peoplesmart, motivated people

Under which conditions doUnder which conditions doyou work best?you work best?

Thank youThank you

Any questions?Any questions?