cargo cult agile

UnderstandingHow to Truly

Benefit Froman AgileTransformation

presented by:

in partnership with:

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Copyright 2010 Davisbase LLC. Distribution without express permission is forbidden

Introductions

Bill GaiennieAgile Trainer

Agile Coach

Trained over 5,000 people in Agile methodsover the last 5 years

Personally coached 80 different teams in various industries to successfully transition to an Agile approach

Website: davisbase.org Agile Blog: theagileadvisors.com Email: [email protected]

Davisbase Consulting Developing People Who Develop Software.

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mailto:[email protected]



What is a “Cargo Cult”?

World War II, Melanesian Islands

United States

Japan

Cargo Drops

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“We did everything that they did, so where’s our cargo?”

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No MoreCargo

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A Cargo Cult Assumes...

‣ Imitating actions alone produces desired results

‣ Process is more important than the underlying principles

‣ Discipline to process alone is paramount for success

‣ The need to know “why” is not valuable

‣ Style over substance

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Cargo Cult Agile Teams

‣ Simply replace one prescriptive process for development and delivery with another.

‣ Invest more energy in duplicating others’ processes rather than creating their own.

‣ Fail to effectively communicate theprinciples upon which their processshould be based.

‣ Lack discipline in maintaining sightof their most important mandate.

‣ Care more about appearances thanresults.

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Cargo Cults Produce Few Results

“We did everything they did, where are our results?”

“I knew Agile wouldn’t work. We did everything we were supposed to, but it only seemed to cause problems!”

Real

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Individuals and interactions over processes and toolsWorking software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiationResponding to change over following a plan

http://agilemanifesto.org/

That is, while there is value in the items onthe right, we value the items on the left more.

We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:

The Agile Manifesto

Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value

Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value

Valu

e V

alue

Va

lue

Val

ueValue Value Value Value

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What Are We Here For?

Weare

hereto

develop

deliverA N D

greatworking

products10


Complicated Vs. Complex

Watch Making

‣ Thousands of parts, hundreds of steps to assemble

‣ Intricate, delicate work, difficult to complete‣ Must work in specific order‣ In order for watch to work, the final build

should reflect the original plan.‣ Deviation from plan is considered a defect.

Complicated, but not complex

Weather

‣ Difficulty to predict details about behavior or outcomes

‣ Outcomes are results of many variables‣ Variables that affect outcomes are difficult to

impossible to predict reliably‣ Plans expect variability and deviation, then

account for this in the plan

Complex

Developing SoftwareIs a Complex

Endeavor

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Complicated Vs. ComplexThe Cone of Uncertainty

Time

Software Complete

ProjectInitiation &

Planning

+

-

In aWaterfallproject, this is whereall of the importantproject planningdecisions aremade.

The further out in time something is, the more impaired our ability to accurately predict anything about it.

Estim

ate

Var

iabi

lity

present future

= Variable

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ImprovementThe TeamDelivery

So Bill, What Should We Focus On?

Serve your customer

Customer

‣ Listen to your customers, even when they are not happy

‣ It’s not ‘Us vs. Them’

‣ Involve them early, often, and consistently

‣Communicate with transparency

‣A successful project must have a delighted customer

‣Seek to serve more than just your contract

‣Know that your customer’s wants and needs will evolve with the product

Note: Every project and product has a customer. Know who your customer is!

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Deliver your

product

Customer

‣ All processes used by a development team should serve to support their ability to deliver their product for their customer.

‣ The longer a product is in development, the more at risk it is of failing to meet market expectations.

‣ Teams must embrace uncertainty, or else they run the risk of being adversely affected by it.

‣ Agile teams must always ask “Is what I am doing adding value to the product we are delivering for our customer?”

If We Don’t Deliver,Nothing Else Matters MuchAny process used must be all about delivering our product.

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‣ Agile teams meet at the end of each iteration to examine the past iteration to determine where improvements can be made, then plans accordingly.

‣ Agile teams are empowered tomake decisions that support their short term iteration goals.

‣ The Agile team owns the responsibility of meeting the customer’s expectations and their own team commitments

Provide your team the mechanisms to allow for improvement.

When your team is happy they produce better products.



Your people are important

Customer

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

AGILE PRINCIPLE

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

AGILE PRINCIPLE

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You’re never done improving

Customer


“I welcome failure, not because I desire it as an ultimate end, but because I recognize that any true success must be born through some amount of failure. And because of this allowance, I expect my team to be better next year

than they are

today.”

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The Antithesis of a Cargo Cult

‣ 2 brothers‣ A large governmental agency (600

developers)‣ Entrenched development process‣ No allowance for deviation

What They Faced‣ Started small, but stayed focused‣ Always did a ‘sanity check’‣ Reviewed what they did‣ Shared what they learned

What They Did

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What You Need to Remember

‣ Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it is a poor foundation for your development approach

‣ Always seek clearly what value you expect to create with any process, product, meeting, team, etc.

‣ Ensure shared, team ownership of any initiative

‣ Pay closer consideration to the best product outcome, rather than simple adherence to your original plan

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Avoid the Pitfalls That Can Create a Cargo Cult Agile Team


‣ Ensure the organization understands the principles that Agile seeks to serve

‣ Provide the proper training to ensure that every team member is an “owner” of the approach

‣ Don’t assume that a failure in development is a failure of your approach

‣ Provide the teams the tools and assistance that they need

‣ Seek continuous improvement

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‣ Find experts that can point you in the right direction.

‣ Recognize that training is the proper foundation on which team’s build.

‣ It takes time to get good at anything, Agile is no exception, but the rewards are well worth it.

‣ Getting started is easier than you might think.

Your Call To Action

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Your Questions, My Answers

Note: For those questions we do not have time to answer during the webinar, I will be providing a written response.

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How to Claim Your PDU

‣ Go to ccrs.pmi.org

‣ Search for ASPE as a Registered Education Provider. Our number is 2161.

‣ At the bottom of our details page, select“See Provider’s Activities”

‣ Find the activity and code stated by the ASPE moderator during the seminar

‣ The seminars are typically a Category 3 for one PDU

Webinar Code: WSCARGOAGILE

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‣ Thank you.

‣ Bill Gaiennie, Davisbase Consulting

‣ [email protected]

‣ http://www.davisbase.org

‣ (949) 303-9109

Meeting Close

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http://www.davisbase.org





About Davisbase Consulting

‣ A leading, national provider of Agile training and coaching services.

‣ Since 2007, over 300 classes taught to over 5000 people nationwide.

‣ Training, coaching, and consulting work for over 50 Fortune 500 Clients.

‣ Experienced. “In the trenches” doing what we teach

‣ Extensive experience with all aspects of software development and project lifecycle across multiple industries and verticals.

‣ Every title and role from Developer, QA, Project Manager through Sr. Leadership.

‣ Average of 15+ years of applied IT Leadership experience.

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