Mindset Shift of Here and NowJennifer Kalz, CBAP®, CUA, CSM

May 23rd, 2018

Learning Objectives

Understand the shifts in thinking that need to occur within the organization

Understand the underlying reason(s) to implement these shifts

Understand examples of how these shifts can occur in an organization

Agenda

Set the Stage

The Mindset Shifts

Call to Action

Business Analysis Core Concept Model

What is needed to deliver a solution?

Deliver based on

stakeholder needs

The Goals

Test early and often

Deal with Changes

Delivery of a working solution

Who is creating the

solution

Who needs the solution

A Plan and Design for

the solution

Open to possibilities

Agile Principles

Satisfy customer through

continuous delivery

Welcome changing

requirements

Work together daily

Build around motivated individuals:

support and trust

Technical excellence and

good design

Simplicity

Self Organizing Teams

Reflect regularly to adjust behavior

Modern Methodology shifts

“Agile is not something you become–it’s not something you do. It’s a cultural change in the approach for how we plan, build software, and assemble teams.”

-Aaron Bjork, Principal Group Program Manager at Microsoft

Triple Constraint Remains

Traditional Methods

Scope

Budget Schedule

Scope

determines

budget and

schedule

Modern Methods

Schedule

Scope

Budget

Scope is

flexible

depending on

budget and

schedule

It is impossible to fully define requirements until the client actually begins to use the product.

Project Management

Product Management

Scope Fixed set of features

Ongoingprioritized list of features

Schedule Start and end dates

Multiple releases

Budget Allocated once at start of project

Cyclical

The Mindset Shifts

#1 TRANSPARENCY not Standardized Communication

What shift do we make?

Invite stakeholders to ALL meetings• Schedule them out a while

Talk about the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Progress NOT Perfection!

Overcommunicate happenings

Give access to management tool

How can we help Transparency as leaders?

Encourage transparency• We know there is good, bad and ugly that exists

• Reassure team

Don’t compare teams to one another• Each product is different

• Team knowledge/skill set is different

Encourage communication

#2 PRODUCTS not Projects

Let’s Talk about Projects!

What are some adjectives when you think of project?

What are the responsibilities of a Project Manager?

What do you like about Projects?

What do you dislike about Projects?

Let’s Talk about PRODUCTS!

What are some adjectives when you think of product?

What are the responsibilities of a Product Manager or Product Owner?

What do you like about Products?

What do you dislike about Products?

What shift do we make?

Think longer term!

Products are a lot like people

This isn’t a new concept…

Talk in terms of PRODUCT not a short project• How will this evolve

• How to maintain/support

How can we help Think Product as leaders?

Use the terminology, lead by example

Think long term strategy

Do a product assessment in your organization • Reminder: Product does not necessarily equate to an application

#3 PRIORITIZATION instead of Change Requests

EMBRACE CHANGE

Curious…

Who is freaked out about No Change Requests?

What’s the purpose of a Change Request?• Organization vs Consultant

What impact do you see this having on your team or organization?

What shift do we make?

Love Change, Embrace Change

Gaps are New Features• Add them to the backlog

• Prioritize

• Constantly Review for remaining work to velocity

How can we help Prioritization as leaders?

Reinforce constant prioritization in your product teams

Strategize a long term strategy for prioritization• Initial product release prioritization

• Care and feed of product prioritization

• Develop a tool/mechanism to take the emotion out of prioritization

#4 TEAMS not individuals

Product 1

Product 2

Product 3

Product 1

Product 2

Product 3

The idea is not that one specific development process is best, but that implementing the right values and adopting the right

mindset will unleash the abilities of a team and allow them to do their best work.

Benefits of Teams

Shared knowledge, not dependent on one person

Make sure to have the right people in the right roles

If dynamics are good, magic happens

What shift do we make?

Keep teams together

Give teams autonomy and authority• Deal with team problems

• Making process decisions

Keep teams focused on specific products

Have teams clearly define Roles & Responsibilities

Constant feedback loop

Along them to reflect and adapt, try new things

How can we help Teams as leaders?

Don’t move teams members constantly• Try to keep team members together, they build velocity and trust

Keep products limited• Teams should only support 2-4 products (care and feed mode) at a time

• Initial development no more than 2 product at a time

Constantly evaluate team members ability to work in the environment• Not everyone is efficient in the new era

• Not everyone has the aptitude for working in this type of mode

#5 RELEASE Planning not Ad Hoc Maintenance

Moving to Releases

What prevents your organization from going on a regular release schedule?

Where to start:• Maintenance and break/fix work on existing products

• Mobile application products

What shift do we make?

Set the stage early

Plan for maintenance in the future

Remove “Phase 2” from vocabulary

How can we help Release Planning as leaders?

Think about a release strategy during MVP• Consistent schedule (monthly, quarterly, etc…)

Prep organization for long term product owners• Long term vision / strategy for the product

• Roadmap for care and feeding

Schedule the cadence out on calendars

Create capacity for the product team to continue care and feeding

Recap

The Mindset Shifts

Provide Full Transparency

Plan Releases

Create Autonomous

Teams

Embrace Change

Think Product

Longevity

Call to Action

Start using new terminology

Assess what needs to be strategized in your organization

Set the stage / plan for the new era

Lead the shift among product teams

Learning Objectives

Understand the shifts in thinking that need to occur within the organization

Understand the underlying reason(s) to implement these shifts

Understand examples of how these shifts can occur in an organization

Questions

Solutions Consulting Services

Discovery Services

Product Setup

Better Requirements Training and Coaching

Business Analysis• Coaching and Mentoring

• Maturity Assessments

• Staff Aug Opportunities

Agile Enablement ServicesJen Kalz

jkalz@skylinetechnologies.com

@jenniferkalz

For more about Skyline Offerings contact us at letstalk@skylinetechnologies.com