Dark

collaborationTHE NEW VIRAL THREAT TO AGILE/LEAN INITIATIVES

LKCE 2016, KATHERINE KIRK

Agenda

Intro

Challenge

Context

Forced collaboration

Speed = stress

Dark collaboration

Summary

Anecdotes

Conclusion

Agenda

Intro

Challenge

True or false:

“Making collaboration EASIER is the aim”

Collaboration fatigue

− Tasler, Nick. “How to avoid collaboration fatigue”. www.hbr.org/2014/07/how-

to-avoid-collaboration-fatigue/ Harvard Business Review, 10 July 2014.

www.hbr.org.

Decision fatigue

− Craig, Lacey. “5 Ways To Minimize Decision Fatigue In Your Business”.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lacey-craig/5-ways-to-minimize-

decisi_b_9623396.html . TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc, 06 April 2014.

www.huffingtonpost.com

− Bakalar, Nicholas. “Doctors and Decision Fatigue”.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/27/doctors-and-decision-fatigue/?_r=0

. The New York Times Company, 27 October, 2014. www.nytimes.com

− Tierneyaug, John. “Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-

fatigue.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0. The New York Times Company, 17

August, 2011. www.nytimes.com

References

Dark Triad

− Kaufman, Scott Barry. “The Dark Triad and Impulsivity”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-barry-kaufman/dark-

triad_b_890003.html. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc, 05 July 2011.

www.huffingtonpost.com

− “Dark triad” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_triad

Diversity

− MI5 Chief, Andrew Parker “MI5 head: ‘increasingly aggressive’ Russia a

growing threat to UK” https://www.theguardian.com/uk-

news/2016/oct/31/andrew-parker-increasingly-aggressive-russia-a-growing-

threat-to-uk-says-mi5-head?CMP=share_btn_tw

Stress

− TED talk, Daniel Levitin (Neuroscientist) “How to Stay Calm when you are

stressed”

https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_levitin_how_to_stay_calm_when_you_know

_you_ll_be_stressed/transcript

References (con’t)

Agenda

Intro

Challenge

Context

“Agile/Lean collaborative working is a

cult created by genius’ to takeover the

business world in order to make money”

One person knows best

Take care of royalty the most – they are the ‘HEAD’ of the universe

Kill or jail anyone who is a threat

Mute anyone who appears to know more

Change via war, mutiny, secrecy, takeovers etc

Executive Management

Culture

One person knows best

Take care of royalty the most – they are the ‘HEAD’ of the universe

“Kill or jail” anyone who is a threat

Mute anyone who appears to know more

Change via war, mutiny, secrecy, takeovers etc

Control

All about me

Perfection

Documentaries

“Wonder of the Universe” – Professor Brian Cox

“City in the Sky” – Campbell & Fry

“The Millionaires Holiday Club”

Gordon Gekko – 1980’s Motto Reality….

You can get control Its all about ‘ME’ You can get perfection

Everything is in a state of change We need to collaborate (its not about

‘the me)o Interdependent ecosystem

Satisfaction is hard (perfection is rare and not easily sustained)

3 characteristics of

existence

Everything is in a constant state of change

It’s not about “the me”

(we are part of an interdependent ecosystem)

We will always battle dissatisfaction

3 characteristics of

industry

Everything is in a constant state of change

It’s not about “the me”

(we are part of an interdependent ecosystem)

We will always battle dissatisfaction

Technology change

in last 25yrs

“…it seems like

250 years have

passed, not just

25…”

“No industry

has seen more

dramatic

change…over

last 25 years,

than

technology

business…”

People had to interact to bring expertise

together to find solutions

− to complex technology problems

− and to deliver more effectively and quickly

TO MAKE THE CUSTOMER HAPPY and get better

business value

That’s Agile and Lean

A PRACTICAL response to

− 3 characteristics of industry

− and increasing business demand

Agenda

Intro

Challenge

Context

Forced collaboration

“Techs love collaboration. Execs love

collaboration. As soon as they do it,

they can’t get enough. They do it a lot

because they enjoy it so much”

“Techs love hugging. Execs love

hugging. As soon as they do it, they

can’t get enough. They do it a lot

because they enjoy it so much”

A Kanban board does not mean we will

all instantly get along!

REALITY

Techs like collaborating as

much as hugging

Execs like collaborating

only with those they

worship or who worship

them

Agenda

Intro

Challenge

Context

Forced collaboration

Speed = stress

Customer & Business

Demand = Stress

“Collaboration is so fun, techs

& execs are doing more and

more just for the sake of it.

They love it so much. In fact,

they could stop collaborating if

they wanted to”

Rough guess...Increasing market demand?

Delivery cadence

1980 Every 10 years

1990 Every 5 years

2000 Every 1-2 years

2010 Every 1-6 months

Now (2016) 7 times per day?

Now we have to make more decisions than ever!

No. of deliveries/ year

No. of interactions No of decisions

For every collaboration: 2 minimum decisions (what next, due when)

Yearly 1 3(min 1 BA, 1 Dev, 1 Tester)

6

Monthly 12 36 72

Fortnightly 24 72 576

Daily 192(4 days p/w x 48 wks)

576 1,156

7 times per day 1,344 4,032 8064

Future ???? ++++ ???? ++++ ???? ++++

Waiting for 1 person to decide = huge risk of delay

Decisions...decisions

The WAY we interact now matters more

− Because its how we make decisions

− It’s how we ensure

Executives can make good strategy

Experts ‘on the ground’ feedback VITAL information

So...here’s the issue...

Decisions need to be made

down AND up the ‘hierarchy’

now!

DECISIONS: involve whole hierarchy

We can’t wait for 1 or 2 people

to answer our questions

We need to be empowered

Consequence of

continuous collaboration!

Impact of constant interaction

− More delivery == more interactions

− More interactions == more collaboration

Collaboration = people interacting with people!!!

Relying on people interaction means...

Higher risk of behaviour dysfunction affecting outcome

− e.g. Misunderstanding

WARNING: High level of interaction not managed effectively

Exhaustion, battle weary etc

This is stressing us out

Agenda

Intro

Challenge

Context

Forced collaboration

Speed = stress

Dark collaboration

Me, me, me

Controlling

Manipulative

Narcissism

Psychopathy

Machiavellianism

Stress/Context can trigger a ‘soft’ combination of

these traits IN ALL OF US

− Narcissism

me, me, me, self centred/absorbed, egotistical,

grandiose

− Psychopathy

heartless, controlling, selfish, remorseless

− Machiavellianism

manipulative

We all possess to some degree – on a sliding scale

Agenda

Intro

Challenge

Context

Forced collaboration

Speed = stress

Dark collaboration

Summary

Summary

“Unnaturalness” of collaboration for Techs & Execs

+ business demand for more (because it works)

= stress response

= dysfunctional behaviour – Dark Triad

= habitual responses

→ the threat: DARK COLLABORATION becomes a

real thing?

The worst form of Dark Collaboration

“Happy-making”

Business Needs

to be Successful

Translation The DARKEST

collaboration

(“Happy Making” RISK)

• Differentiation

• Competitive

advantage

• Innovation

• Creative thinking

• Risk identification

& mitigation

• Being different

• Standing out

• Crazy ideas

• New connections

• Seeing & dealing

with uncomfortable

truths HEAD on

• “yes men”

• Blending in

• Comfort culture

• Accepting as things are

• Not challenging

• Avoiding things that make

us unhappy or stressed

Business Needs

to be Successful

Translation The DARKEST

collaboration

(“Happy Making” RISK)

• Differentiation

• Competitive

advantage

• Innovation

• Creative thinking

• Risk identification

& mitigation

• Being different

• Standing out

• Crazy ideas

• New connections

• Seeing & dealing

with uncomfortable

truths HEAD on

• “yes men”

• Blending in

• Comfort culture

• Accepting as things are

• Not challenging

• Avoiding things that make

us unhappy or stressed

Business Needs

to be Successful

Translation The DARKEST

collaboration

(“Happy Making” RISK)

• Differentiation

• Competitive

advantage

• Innovation

• Creative thinking

• Risk identification

& mitigation

• Being different

• Standing out

• Crazy ideas

• New connections

• Seeing & dealing

with uncomfortable

truths HEAD on

• “yes men”

• Blending in

• Comfort culture

• Accepting as things are

• Not challenging

• Avoiding things that make

us unhappy or stressed

Agenda

Intro

Challenge

Context

Forced collaboration

Speed = stress

Dark collaboration

Summary

Anecdotes

Anecdote 1

Raise your Awareness: See it

Anecdote 2

(the most important one)

Embrace Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity

Wikipedia: “Neurodiversity is an

approach [to looking at the way we

think and operate in different ways] …

that suggests that diverse neurological

conditions appear as a result of normal

variations in the human genome.”

REMEMBER

Collaborative monoculture

derails the purpose of Agile/Lean:

meeting market demand

Embrace difference

Respect alternative views and approaches

− Embrace spicy

− Welcome controversy

− Enjoy strange viewpoints

− Take your time

− Complain

− Rebel

YOU ARE DOING THE COMPANY A FAVOUR

@inclusivecollab

(Investigate the work of Dr Sal Freudenberg)

Agenda

Intro

Challenge

Context

Forced collaboration

Speed = stress

Dark collaboration

Summary

Anecdotes

Conclusion

Wrap up

Unnaturalness of collaboration for Techs & Execs

+ business demand for more (because it works)

= stress response (Collaboration fatigue, Decision fatigue)

= dysfunctional behaviour … The Dark Triad

= habitual responses

The threat: DARK COLLABORATION becomes a

real thing

Biggest threat – ‘Happy Making’ comfort collaboration

Anecdote: See it, be mindful – embrace

neurodiversity!

Destination EASY collaboration

= NOT TRUE

Beware the slippery slope of

comfort

If collaborating is difficult –

you’re probably doing the right

thing!

@inclusivecollab

(Investigate the work of Dr Sal Freudenberg)

THANK YOU!@KKIRK