Roles of Project Managers in Agile Teams [Traditional] Perspective of PMs Scrum Team Roles Servant Leadership When will need our PMs? A Question of Scale and Complexity PM Roles and Responsibilities

1. ROLES OF
PROJECT MANAGERS
IN AGILE TEAMS
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2. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
[TRADITIONAL] PERSPECTIVE OF PROJECT MANAGERS
“EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL”
They have the responsibility to deliver the project scope
within the established time and budget.
• Initiate the project
• Create a transparent and complete plan
• Ensure that everything is working as expected
• Monitor and Control
• Deliver and close the project
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3. PROJECT
MANAGERS
ARE CAPTAINS IN
TRADITIONAL
WATERFALL
PROJECTS
image source: http://www.dezapare.net/?pid=87049933
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4. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
AGILE ADVOCATES TEAM WORK AND CHANGE
Teams are SELF-ORGANIZING
• People take full
responsibilities on their
work
• People work collaboratively
• Teams uncover and manage
requirements themselves
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image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-organization

5. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
SCRUM TEAM ROLES
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PRODUCT OWNER
SCRUM MASTER
DEVELOPMENT TEAM

6. WHILE SCRUM REJECTS THE ROLE
OF A PROJECT MANAGER PER SE, IT
IS STILL SOMETIMES YET TO
BELIEVE TO BE A RELEVANT ROLE.
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7. PROJECT MANAGERS NEED TO
REINVENT THEMSELVES.
REDEFINE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES
IN AGILE CONTEXT.
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image source: https://upsidedance.files.wordpress.com

8. BY BEING A
SERVANT LEADER
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9. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS 9
“ THE SERVANT-LEADER IS SERVANT FIRST… IT BEGINS
WITH THE NATURAL FEELING THAT ONE WANTS TO
SERVE, TO SERVE FIRST. THEN CONSCIOUS CHOICE
BRINGS ONE TO ASPIRE TO LEAD. THAT PERSON IS
SHARPLY DIFFERENT FROM ONE WHO IS LEADER FIRST. “
Robert K. Greenleaf
Author of A Life Of Servant Leadership

10. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
CHARACTERISTICS OF A SERVANT LEADER
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• They are self-aware
• They listen
• They share power
• They help other people grow
• They coach people, not control them
• They unleash the energy and intelligence of others
• They work to develop their foresight, so they can act, not react.
From Keith: The Case for Servant Leadership

11. SO WHEN WILL WE NEED
OUR PROJECT MANAGERS?
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12. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
A QUESTION OF SCALE AND COMPLEXITY
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PROJECT SIZE
Small, Single Team Large, Multi-team
RISK PROFILE
Few manageable risks Many significant risks
TEAM DISTRIBUTION
Small, co-located Large, Highly distributed
COMPLEXITY OF PROCESS
Simple Complex
GOVERNANCE ENVIRONMENT
Simple Complex
INCREASING NEED FOR PROJECT MANAGER ROLE
model from Simon Foley’s website

13. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
PROJECT MANAGER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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image source: http://www.ecentricarts.com/careers/project-manager/

14. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
PROJECT MANAGER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Look beyond
scrum team
problems
• Manage people in an
unpredictable and stressful
environment
• Motivate everyone to remain
focus on reaching the goal

15. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
LOOKING BEYOND SCRUM TEAM PROBLEMS
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• Check how the teams are doing.
• Ensure that the teams are in the state of FLOW.
• Ensure that the team members like each other.
• Ensure that the teams celebrate each other’s
successes.
• Ensure high accountability and commitment to
high standards.

16. 16
THE
ZONE
image source: https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/359373245247884298/

17. 17CHALLENGELEVEL
SKILL LEVEL
FLOW
controlworry
apathy relaxation
boredom
arousal
anxiety
THE ZONE
• Time Flies
• Nothing else
matters
• Your whole being is
involved
• The optimal state of
intrinsic motivation
• You even forget to
eat/sleep.

18. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
PROJECT MANAGER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Communicate
between
scrum teams
• Manage information flow and
ensure active engagement
across scrum teams.
• Resolve issues to keep the
project moving

19. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
PROJECT MANAGER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Handle
project risks
• Prepare project plans and
making necessary changes
• Develop risk communication and
management plans

20. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
PROJECT MANAGER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Stage the
integration
and release
of big projects
• Manage and monitor
dependencies with other teams
and external projects.
• Ensure that the organization is
ready for the change that the
project will create

21. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
PROJECT MANAGER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Aid governance
for multi-scrum
team projects
• Handle financials.
• Manage and monitor
dependencies with other teams
and external projects.
• Ensure that the organization is
ready for the change that the
project will create
• Communicate with Business
Stakeholders

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23. QUESTIONS?
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24. THANK YOU!
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25. AARON MEDINA
RareJob Philippines, Inc.
Manager
Service Development Department
IT Infrastructure Department
aaron.medina@rarejob.net
aaronmedina30@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aamedina/

26. ROLES OF PROJECT MANAGERS IN AGILE TEAMS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
• Agile Deep Dive Conference - Manila May 2018
• Servant Leadership redefined; Role of a Project Manager in Agile Teams by Pradeep
Lokesh Prakash
• https://www.knowledgehut.com/blog/agile/project-manager-vs-product-owner
• https://www.knowledgehut.com/blog/agile/the-role-of-a-project-manager-in-an-agile-
environment
• Simon Foley: https://blog.scottlogic.com/2014/09/10/does-scrum-make-project-
managers-redundant.html
• https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/role-of-a-project-manager-in-managing-
agile-projects-2167-0234-1000204.php?aid=78657
• http://excitingcuriosity.com
• https://reqtest.com/agile-blog/the-role-of-the-project-manager-in-agile-development/
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