Has your organization's Agile adoption stalled or hit a ceiling? Using his experience working with a diverse set of organizations, David Hawks will share patterns he has discovered that avoid common pitfalls. In this hands-on session you will learn a proven path to agility for many organizations and understand where you fit. Participants will apply this knowledge to create their own customized action plan to make further progress on their Agile journey.

1. Path to Agility: Adoption Patterns to Overcome Pitfalls
David Hawks, CST, CEC
@austinagile
Accelerate Agility
Get your mobile phone ready as we will do real time polling during this session.TextVELOCITY to 22333 to join.
@Agile_Velocity

2. David Hawks
Agile Trainer and Coach
CEO of Agile Velocity
@austinagile
Accelerate Agility
Agile Training and Transformations

4. EVERYONE HAS ADOPTED AGILE IN SOME CAPACITY
94% of all organizations surveyed now practice agile. (VersionOne State of
Agility 2015)

5. 5

6. ONLY 53% OF
AGILE PROJECTS
ARE SUCCESSFUL
It is better than waterfall, but is that good
enough?
(VersionOne State of Agility 2015)

7. THERE IS MORE BAD AGILETHAN GOOD AGILE
Why is that?

8. Path to Agility
Stage Align Learn Predict Accelerate Adapt
Pains
• Goal is to “implement” Agile,
Scrum, SAFe, etc.
• Lots of chaos and resistance
• No process for escalating
organizational impediments
• Teams don’t feel management is
bought in
• Different understandings of
Agile/ Scrum
• Think Agile is just a process
change
• No time to make improvements
• Not a safe to fail environment
• Leadership is acting the way they
always have
• Lots of carryover into next
Sprint
• Dev & QA not working close
together
• No knownVelocity
• Ambiguous backlog and stories
• Long release cycle times
• Organizational friction with the
“business”
• Long customer feedback cycles
• Low customer satisfaction
• Low employee engagement
across the organization
• Executive leadership not
operating with agility
• Other departments culture not
aligned with Agile
Your
Rating
(1-5)
Potential
Solutions
• Set strategic measurable goals
• Create a sense of urgency
• Form a Transformational
Leadership Team
• Create a Transformation Backlog
• Make progress transparent and
visible
• Training for all team members
• Training for leadership
• Provide slack to learn
• Emphasize team building
• Form cross-functional teams
• Make all work visible
• Limit WIP until you are getting
“Done Done”
• Constant team Backlog
Grooming
• Break work down and swarm
• Embrace cross functional team
goals
• Cross train and develop T-shaped
ppl
• Leadership focus on optimizing
the whole
• Urgently resolve organizational
impediments
• Test Automation, Continuous
Integration, DevOps
• Lean Product Discovery
• Educate teams and leaders
across the org
• Implement Agile practices in
other parts of the organization
(Make work visible, self-
organizing teams, daily standup,
etc.)
• Change leadership mindset to
servant leadership
Your
Action
Item

9. Pitfall #1
No Alignment on Mission

11. Satir Model of Change

12. Status Quo
Satir Model of Change

13. Chaos &
Resistance
Status Quo
Satir Model of Change

14. Integration &
Practice
Chaos &
Resistance
Status Quo
Satir Model of Change

15. Integration &
Practice
Chaos &
Resistance
Status Quo New Status Quo
Satir Model of Change

16. Apply Organizational Change Mgmt

17. Transformation Backlog and LeadershipTeam
Run the Transformation using Agile

18. Align
.

19. Align
Path to Agility - Stage 1
Pains
• Goal is to “implement” Agile, Scrum, SAFe,
etc.
• Lots of chaos and resistance
• No process for escalating organizational
impediments
• Teams don’t feel management is bought in
Solutions
• Set strategic measurable goals
• Create a sense of urgency
• Form a Transformational Leadership Team
• Create a transformation backlog
• Make progress transparent and visible

21. Discussion:What could your leaders
do better to support your change?

22. Pitfall #2
Team and Leadership not
equipped with knowledge

25. Self Organizing Teams need Knowledge and Support

26. ShuHaRi
Stages of Team Learning

27. Stages of Team
Development

28. LearnAlign
Path to Agility

29. Learn
Path to Agility - Stage 2
Pains
• Different understandings of Agile/ Scrum
• Think Agile is just a process change
• No time to make improvements
• Not a safe-to-fail environment
• Leadership is acting the way they always
have
Solutions
• Training for all team members
• Training for leadership
• Provide slack to learn
• Emphasize team building
• Form cross-functional teams

31. Pitfall #3
Not Getting to Done

33. Story2Story3Story4Story1Individual Efficiency != Team Effectiveness
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA

34. Story2Story3Story4Story1Individual Efficiency != Team Effectiveness
Dev 1
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA

35. Story2Story3Story4Story1Individual Efficiency != Team Effectiveness
Dev 1
Dev 2
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA

36. Story2Story3Story4Story1Individual Efficiency != Team Effectiveness
Dev 1
Dev 2
Dev 3
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA

37. Story2Story3Story4Story1Individual Efficiency != Team Effectiveness
Dev 1
Dev 2
Dev 3
Dev 4
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA

38. Story2Story3Story4Story1Individual Efficiency != Team Effectiveness
Dev 1
Dev 2
Dev 3
Dev 4
QA 1
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA

39. Story2Story3Story4Story1Individual Efficiency != Team Effectiveness
Dev 1
Dev 2
Dev 3
Dev 4
QA 1
QA 1
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA

40. Story2Story3Story4Story1Individual Efficiency != Team Effectiveness
Dev 1
Dev 2
Dev 3
Dev 4
QA 1
QA 1
QA 2
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA

41. Story2Story3Story4Story1Individual Efficiency != Team Effectiveness
Dev 1
Dev 2
Dev 3
Dev 4
QA 1
QA 1
QA 2
QA 2
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA

42. Story
2b
Story
3a
Story
3b
Story
4a
Story
4b
Story
2a
Story
1b
Story
1a
Get Something “Done Done” every Few Days
Dev 1 & 2
2 Week Sprint - 4 User Stories - 4 Developers and 2 QA
QA 1
Dev 1 & 2
QA 1
Dev 3 & 4
QA 2
Dev 3 & 4
QA 2
Dev 1 & 2
QA 1
Dev 1 & 2
QA 1
Dev 3 & 4
QA 2
Dev 3 & 4
QA 2
New Skills Required:
Break Work Down (Stories/Tasks), Swarm, xFunctional Teams, Cross Training (T-Shaped ppl)

43. Focus on Clarity of Scope
Backlog Grooming:
• Engaged PO
• Whole team
involvement
• Conversations
• Prepare for future
Sprints
• Definition of Ready

44. PredictLearnAlign
Path to Agility

45. Predict
Path to Agility - Stage 3
Pains
• Lots of carryover into next Sprint
• Dev & QA not working close together
• No knownVelocity
• Ambiguous backlog and stories
Solutions
• Make all work visible
• Limit WIP until you are getting “Done
Done”
• Constant team Backlog Grooming
• Break work down and swarm
• Embrace cross-functional team goals
• Cross train and develop T-shaped people

47. Discussion:What needs to happen to get 9 out of 10
Sprints 100% Done?

49. Pitfall #4
Not Optimizing the Whole

50. Optimize the FullValue StreamIdeation
Prioritization
Requirements
Definition
Implementation
Quality
Assurance
Integration&
RegressionTesting
Deployment
Customer/MarketValidation

51. Optimize the FullValue StreamIdeation
Prioritization
Requirements
Definition
Implementation
Quality
Assurance
Integration&
RegressionTesting
Deployment
Customer/MarketValidation
Scrum

52. Optimize the FullValue StreamIdeation
Prioritization
Requirements
Definition
Implementation
Quality
Assurance
Integration&
RegressionTesting
Deployment
Customer/MarketValidation
Scrum
Test Automation/ Continuous Integration

53. Optimize the FullValue StreamIdeation
Prioritization
Requirements
Definition
Implementation
Quality
Assurance
Integration&
RegressionTesting
Deployment
Customer/MarketValidation
Scrum
Test Automation/ Continuous Integration
DevOps

54. Optimize the FullValue StreamIdeation
Prioritization
Requirements
Definition
Implementation
Quality
Assurance
Integration&
RegressionTesting
Deployment
Customer/MarketValidation
Scrum
Test Automation/ Continuous Integration
DevOps
Lean Product Discovery

55. Discussion:Where is the main bottleneck in your Full
Value Steam?

56. Predict AccelerateLearnAlign
Path to Agility

57. Accelerate
Path to Agility - Stage 4
Pains
• Long release cycle times
• Organizational friction with the “business”
• Long customer feedback cycles
• Low customer satisfaction
Solutions
• Leadership focus on optimizing the whole
• Actively resolve organizational impediments
• Test Automation, Continuous Integration,
DevOps
• Lean Product Discovery

59. Pitfall #5
Thinking Agile is just a Tech
Thing

60. The World has Changed

61. The Workforce has Changed

62. We have an Engagement Problem!

63. Knowledge
Workers want
Autonomy

65. Self-Organizing teams lead to better outcomes

66. Servant Leaders Support not Dictate

67. Predict AccelerateLearnAlign Adapt
Path to Agility

68. Adapt
Path to Agility - Stage 5
Pains
• Low employee engagement across the org
• Executive leadership not operating with
agility
• Other departments culture not aligned with
Agile
Solutions
• Educate teams and leaders across the
organization
• Implement Agile practices in other parts of
the organization (Make work visible, self-
organizing teams, daily standup, etc.)
• Change leadership mindset to servant
leadership

70. Path to Agility
Stage Align Learn Predict Accelerate Adapt
Pains
• Goal is to “implement” Agile,
Scrum, SAFe, etc.
• Lots of chaos and resistance
• No process for escalating
organizational impediments
• Teams don’t feel management is
bought in
• Different understandings of
Agile/ Scrum
• Think Agile is just a process
change
• No time to make improvements
• Not a safe to fail environment
• Leadership is acting the way they
always have
• Lots of carryover into next
Sprint
• Dev & QA not working close
together
• No knownVelocity
• Ambiguous backlog and stories
• Long release cycle times
• Organizational friction with the
“business”
• Long customer feedback cycles
• Low customer satisfaction
• Low employee engagement
across the organization
• Executive leadership not
operating with agility
• Other departments culture not
aligned with Agile
Your
Rating
(1-5)
Potential
Solutions
• Set strategic measurable goals
• Create a sense of urgency
• Form a Transformational
Leadership Team
• Create a Transformation Backlog
• Make progress transparent and
visible
• Training for all team members
• Training for leadership
• Provide slack to learn
• Emphasize team building
• Form cross-functional teams
• Make all work visible
• Limit WIP until you are getting
“Done Done”
• Constant team Backlog
Grooming
• Break work down and swarm
• Embrace cross functional team
goals
• Cross train and develop T-shaped
ppl
• Leadership focus on optimizing
the whole
• Urgently resolve organizational
impediments
• Test Automation, Continuous
Integration, DevOps
• Lean Product Discovery
• Educate teams and leaders
across the org
• Implement Agile practices in
other parts of the organization
(Make work visible, self-
organizing teams, daily standup,
etc.)
• Change leadership mindset to
servant leadership
Your
Action
Item

71. Exercise:What is the top thing you can go implement?

74. Predict AccelerateLearnAlign Adapt
Path to Agility
Status Quo Chaos &
Resistance
Integration&
Practice
New Status Quo
The goal for the transformation
cannot be to do Agile. Understanding
and communicating the business
objectives that will be achieved with
the transformation is a critical first
step.
Through Agile training and
coaching, teams and
leadership are equipped
with new techniques and
an understanding of how
Agile works.
Ownership of processes
are transferred to an
empowered team and a
culture of continuous
improvement is put in
place.
Teams harden these newly
learned practices and
become more disciplined in
order to deliver working
product in a predictable and
iterative manner.
Once the teams become disciplined
and predictable, we can focus on team
and organizational improvements to
optimize across the full delivery cycle
and shorten time to market.
Agile will begin to permeate
throughout the organization and
executive leadership, enabling
empowered teams and adaptive
leadership to respond to ever-
changing market demands as they
have transformed to an
organization with true Agility.
www.AgileVelocity.com
info@agilevelocity.com
@agile_velocity

75. accelerate AGILITY
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Tweet questions and continue the dialogue, @Agile_Velocity.
AGILE TRANSFORMATIONS
with less risk
AGILE TRAINING
with more engagement
AGILE TEAMS
with faster value

76. David@AgileVelocity.com
Twitter: @AustinAgile
www.AgileVelocity.com
info@agilevelocity.com
Twitter: @agile_velocity