politically incorrect agile
TRANSCRIPT
POLITICALLY INCORRECT
AGILERed Ink Edition
Tiago Garcez@tcgarcez
Agile Tour Brussels 2 November, 2015
“EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL HERE…
… THE ONLY THING UNAVAILABLE IS RED INK”
THERE’S PLENTY OF GREAT TEAMS AND STORIES…
… BUT THIS TALK IS ABOUT DYSFUNCTIONALITIES
Dev Team
Agile Coaches
Management Consultants
Scrum MastersManagers
ACME INC.
Dev Team
IS EVERYBODY A GOOD FIT FOR AGILE?
Work is inherently distasteful
People are not ambitious, don’t want responsibility
Most people have little capacity for creativity
Motivation occurs only at the physiological and safety levels
Most people must be coerced to achieve objectives
Work is play
Self-control necessary to achieve organisational goals
Capacity for creativity is widely distributed
Motivation occurs on social, esteem and self-actualisation
levels
People can self-organise if properly motivated
Theory X Theory Y
Which one are you?Source: Douglas McGregor
WE ARE Y !!
REALLY ??
reality is we all have the potential to be Y
WE KNOW THE CHARACTERS
“BIG FISH IN SMALL POND” GUY After years of exposure to X-type environments, cynicism is his thing
“WATCH THE WORLD BURN” GUY Unit tests? Continuous Integration? What’s the problem, are you scared?
“LAZY” GUY Slow down! You keep delivering like that and expectations will be raised
“I CAN MANAGE ALL THIS” GUY I know what we’re doing is bad, but at least it’s predictably bad
IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT
PSYCHOLOGICAL BAGGAGE heavier than you think
Does 99% ofthe work
Says he will help but doesn't
Has no ideawhat’s happening
Disappears, shows upwhen it’s done
DYSFUNCTIONAL TEAMS assuming they are all Y and that everything will be fine is dangerous
NOW MAKETHEM AGILE !
"BUILD (…) AROUND MOTIVATED INDIVIDUALS"
DON’T WORRY, LATER WE WILL WORRY ABOUT
CULTURE
PEAK AGILE what everybody wants
ACME AGILE what many end up with
HIRE PEOPLEYOU CAN TRUST
HIRE PEOPLEYOU CAN TRUST
And create an environment where they areempowered to their job
HIRE PEOPLEYOU CAN TRUST
Hedge your bet by releasing often,not by hiring the cheapest
Scrum Masters
WHERE ARE ALL THE SCRUM MASTERS?
WHAT IS A SCRUM MASTER? most organisations don’t understand the role
TWO POSSIBLEOUTCOMES
TOO BUSY TO BE A SCRUM MASTER more of a manager than anything else
FORCED TO BE A SCRUM MASTER you get to keep your current role, but also be a Scrum Master !
WHAT ABOUT THE GOOD SCRUM MASTERS ?
WHY WOULD I STAY HERE? why stress here when I can go be a freelance coach and earn more ?
CAN MANAGERS EXPLAIN THE SM ROLE? heuristic: if the answer is “no”, your organisation has a long way to go
UNDERSTAND THESCRUM MASTER ROLE
UNDERSTAND THESCRUM MASTER ROLE
And create an environment where greatScrum Masters can grow and be appreciated
Agile Coaches
IS A COACH WORTH THE MONEY?
YES.
BUT…
… ARE ALL COACHES CREATED EQUAL?
NO.
HIRE THE RIGHT COACH know what you are looking for,
beware of prescriptions
@COACHES: DON’T GET TOO COMFORTABLE
WHO IS YOUR COMPETITION?
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCIES more effective than us right now,
but on the wrong side of the paradigm shift
EVOLUTIONARY PURPOSE differentiation by eating your own dog food
teal
HIRE A COACH THAT MATCHES YOUR LEVEL
OF AMBITION
Management Consultants
FILLING IN THE LEADERSHIP VOID
SO YOU WANTTO BE AGILE?
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING fear creeps into the minds of managers
RESIST do we have to change everything?
ENTER THE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
IMPROVEMENT ILLUSION we will improve everything, while actually changing nothing
AGILE-BUT hammering the square peg through the round hole
AGILE AS TOOL something to do to improve productivity
MOST MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCIES SELL
STABILITY, NOT CHANGE
AGILE IS UNSTABLE.IT’S ABOUT
CONTINUOUS CREATION
Managers
THE MANAGEMENT FARCE
ACT I.GREAT EXPECTATIONS
THE PROMISE Agile will improve productivity, happiness, and reduce cholesterol
IGNORING THE DISCLAIMERS this is not a process, it’s a mindset, and as such this change will hurt
ACT II.UNHOLY COMPROMISES
MY RESOURCES we’ll create teams, but they remain with their current silo’d boss
LET’S NOT LOSE CONTROL we’ll create metrics that have no relationship to the team
HIDE SOME ISSUES some of these impediments are political, let’s leave them alone
EXECUTIVE INFALLIBILITY I know it’s stupid, but the CEO said it, now we have to support it
ACT III.TURD POLISHING
I THINK WE SHOULD DO THE
. MODEL
WHAT’S YOUR POINT?
ACME-OTIFY FRAMEWORK it’s just like Spotify, except it’s sh*t
ACT IV.CELEBRATE BANALITY
WE MADE IT ! it took only 8 months and 30 people to deliver this app, we’re rocking
ACT V.EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
MY PRECIOUS no cultural change happened, but management has a new improvement idea
MEH
“HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF, FIRST AS TRAGEDY,THEN AS FARCE”
- Karl Marx
MANAGEMENT VISION IS THE BOTTLENECK TO
CHANGE
PEOPLE
HIRE PEOPLEYOU CAN TRUST
HIRE PEOPLEYOU CAN TRUST
And create an environment where they areempowered to their job
HIRE PEOPLEYOU CAN TRUST
Hedge your bet by releasing often,not by hiring the cheapest
SCRUM MASTERS
UNDERSTAND THESCRUM MASTER ROLE
And create an environment where greatScrum Masters can grow and be appreciated
COACHES
HIRE A COACH THAT MATCHES YOUR LEVEL
OF AMBITION
MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCIES
MOST MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCIES SELL
STABILITY, NOT CHANGE
AGILE IS UNSTABLE.IT’S ABOUT
CONTINUOUS CREATION
MANAGERS
MANAGEMENT VISION IS THE BOTTLENECK TO
CHANGE
“EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL HERE…
… THE ONLY THING UNAVAILABLE IS RED INK”
RED INK CHANGE
DON’T HIDE FROM THE CHALLENGE
