Learn what to avoid when attempting to adopt an Agile approach to software development. Don't become a Cargo Cult Agile team, simply imitating what great Agile teams do, but without any of the beneficial results.
1. Understanding
How to Truly
BeneïŹt From
an Agile
Transformation
presented by:
in partnership with:
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2. Introductions
Bill Gaiennie
Agile Trainer
Trained over 5,000 people in Agile methods
over the last 5 years
Personally coached 80 different teams in various industries to
Agile Coach successfully transition to an Agile approach
Davisbase Consulting Developing People Who Develop Software.
Website: davisbase.org Agile Blog: theagileadvisors.com Email: bill@davisbase.org
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3. What is a âCargo Cultâ?
United States
World War II, Melanesian Islands Cargo Drops
Japan
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4. What is a âCargo Cultâ?
âWe did everything that they did, so whereâs our cargo?â
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5. What is a âCargo Cultâ?
rg e
Ca r Mo
o
No
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6. 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 âwhyâ is not valuable
⣠Style over substance
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7. Cargo Cult Agile Teams
⣠Simply replace one prescriptive process for
development and delivery with another.
⣠Invest more energy in duplicating othersâ processes
rather than creating their own.
⣠Fail to effectively communicate the
principles upon which their process
should be based.
⣠Lack discipline in maintaining sight
of their most important mandate.
⣠Care more about appearances than
results.
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8. Cargo Cults Produce Few Results
Re al
âWe did everything
they did,
where are
our results?â
âI knew Agile wouldnât work.
We did everything we
were supposed to,
but it only seemed to
cause problems!â
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9. The Agile Manifesto
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and
helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Value Value Value Value
Value Value Value Value
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value
That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more.
http://agilemanifesto.org/
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10. What Are We Here For?
We
are
here
to
develop
AND
deliver
great
working
products
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11. Complicated Vs. Complex
Watch Making Weather
Developing Software
Is a Complex
Endeavor
⣠Thousands of parts, hundreds of steps to ⣠DifïŹculty to predict details about behavior or
assemble outcomes
⣠Intricate, delicate work, difïŹcult to complete ⣠Outcomes are results of many variables
⣠Must work in speciïŹc order ⣠Variables that affect outcomes are difïŹcult to
⣠In order for watch to work, the ïŹnal build impossible to predict reliably
should reïŹect the original plan. ⣠Plans expect variability and deviation, then
⣠Deviation from plan is considered a defect. account for this in the plan
Complicated, but not complex Complex
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12. The Cone of Vs. Complex
Complicated Uncertainty
+
= Variable
In a Software
Waterfall Complete
Estimate Variability
project, this is where
all of the important
project planning
decisions are
made.
- The further out in time
Project something is, the more impaired
Initiation & our ability to accurately predict
Planning
anything about it.
present Time future
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13. So Bill, What Should We Focus On?
Customer
Improvement
Delivery
The Team
Serve your Note: Every project and product has a
customer customer. Know who your customer is!
⣠Listento your âŁA successful project
customers, even when must have a delighted
they are not happy customer
⣠Itâs not âUs vs. Themâ ⣠Seek to serve more
than just your contract
⣠Involvethem early,
often, and consistently ⣠Know that your
customerâs wants and
⣠Communicate with needs will evolve with
transparency the product
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14. So Bill, What Should We Focus On?
Customer Improvement
Delivery
The Team
Deliver
your
product If We Donât Deliver,
Nothing Else Matters
⣠All processes used by a development team Much
should serve to support their ability to deliver Any process used must be all
their product for their customer. about delivering our product.
⣠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 âIs what I am doing
adding value to the product we are delivering for
our customer?â
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15. So Bill, What Should We Focus On?
Customer Delivery Improvement
The Team
Your
people are
important
AGILE PRINCIPLE ⣠Agile teams are empowered to
Build projects around make decisions that support their short
motivated individuals.
term iteration goals.
Give them the
environment and ⣠The Agile team owns the responsibility
support they need, of meeting the customerâs expectations
and trust them to get
the job done.
and their own team commitments
Provide your team the
AGILE PRINCIPLE
mechanisms to
At regular intervals, ⣠Agile teams meet at the end of each allow for improvement.
the team reïŹects on iteration to examine the past iteration to
how to become more When your team is
effective, then tunes determine where improvements can be
made, then plans accordingly. happy they produce
and adjusts its
better products.
behavior accordingly.
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16. So Bill, What Should We Focus On?
Customer Delivery The Team Improvement
Youâre
never done
âI welcome failure, improving
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.â
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17. The Antithesis of a Cargo Cult
What They Faced What They Did
⣠2 brothers ⣠Started small, but stayed focused
⣠A large governmental agency (600 ⣠Always did a âsanity checkâ
developers) ⣠Reviewed what they did
⣠Entrenched development process ⣠Shared what they learned
⣠No allowance for deviation
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18. What You Need to Remember
⣠Imitation may be the sincerest form of ïŹattery,
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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19. 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 âownerâ of the approach
⣠Donât 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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20. Your Call To Action
⣠Find experts that can point
you in the right direction.
⣠Recognize that training is the
proper foundation on which
teamâs 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.
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21. 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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22. 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
âSee Providerâs Activitiesâ
⣠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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23. Meeting Close
⣠Thank you.
⣠Bill Gaiennie, Davisbase Consulting
⣠bill@davisbase.org
⣠http://www.davisbase.org
⣠(949) 303-9109
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24. 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. âIn the trenchesâ 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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