how to start the agile conversation in your organization

How To Start the Agile Conversation At Your

Organization

Tim WiseEnterprise Agile Coach

tim@leadingagile.com

twitter.com/timswiselinkedin.com/in/timwise

www.leadingagile.comfacebook.com/leadingagile

How many are using any form of agile?

ExerciseWhat are the reasons that agile fails?

Breaking Down the Agile MisconceptionWhat we say: “We want to do agile”

What they really hear:• “We want to do our own thing” or• “We want to do something that has made you look

bad before” or• “We don’t want to use hours for estimation, we are a

bunch of hippies and we estimate in rainbows.”

Breaking Down the Agile MisconceptionA wise, retired CIO once told me. “Don’t sell me your solution, solve my problem.”

Breaking Down the Agile MisconceptionProblem: Agile as a term has fundamentally changed in the minds of our customers

Solution: Don’t talk about agile

Outcome: No baggage and honesty

BEGINNING A DISCUSSION OF AGILE TRANSFORMATIONProblem: We are selling the solution not fixing the problem.

Solution: Listen to customer needsVocalize your understandingSell the problem

Outcome: Shared Understanding

Thinking

Seeing

Gain

Hearing

Feeling

Pain

Being John Malkovich… The CFO

Their Problems• Predictability• Time to ROI• Quality• Economics• Adaptability• Risk Reduction

Gaining Permission To CoachThe Problem: They aren't listening... Yet

The Solution: Discovering the desired outcomes together

The Outcome: Collaborating on a solution

Warning: In the next bit you might be thinking…

“Tim… Can this possibly be your latest thinking?“

4 lines on a page?

Predictive Adaptive

Emergent

Convergent

Predictive Adaptive

Emergent

Convergent

Management System

Predictive Adaptive

Emergent

Convergent

Solu

tion

Irrational

Predictive Adaptive

Emergent

Convergent

Management Systems

Irrational

Become Predictable

Predictive Adaptive

Emergent

Convergent

Management Systems

Irrational

Become Predictable

ReduceTime to ROI

Predictive Adaptive

Emergent

Convergent

Management Systems

Irrational

Become Predictable

ReduceTime to ROI

Maximize Economic Return

Predictive Adaptive

Emergent

Convergent

Management Systems

Getting to The Trusted DiscussionProblem: That’s great, but we have no idea how to get there

Solution: Drive toward the Business Goals with Agile

principlesDon't be a hypocrite, be consistent

Outcome: Forming a trusted relationship with a shared vision

How does Agile Work?Small Teams deliver increments of

value

Backlog prioritized by value

At scale, the backlog need to be coordinated and we need to address integration

Lot’s of Teams

Scrum of…

Scrum of…Scrum Masters?

Scrum of…Product Owners?

Scrum of…Anyone or None?

We need a Value Structure And Guidance

DoneDevelop and Test

Ready To Build

Detailed Planning

Release Targeting

FeasibilityStudy

Market Research

New Concept

Feature Complete

Integration Testing

Developand Test

StoryReview

Story Mapping

FeatureBreakdown

Story Done

TaskDone

Task InProcess

TaskReady

StoryBacklog

KANBAN

FEAT

URE

STO

RY

EPIC

S

KANBAN

SCRUM

Clarity MVP

Accountability

Guidance can be Governance

Remember• Fixed teams• Reduce batch size

What Is Needed To Move?Irrational

Become Predictable

Predictive Adaptive

Emergent

Convergent

Management Systems

Steps to Start the Agile Conversation• Break down the agile misconceptions• Sell the problem• Listen to customer needs• Vocalize your understanding• Discover the desired outcomes together• Drive toward the Business Goals with Agile

principles• Don't be a hypocrite, be consistent

Tim WiseEnterprise Agile Coach

tim@leadingagile.com

twitter.com/timswiselinkedin.com/in/timwise

www.leadingagile.comfacebook.com/leadingagile