This document summarizes a presentation on adopting agile practices in organizations with mismatched cultures. It discusses starting with incremental adoption by focusing on specific pains and avoiding prescriptive approaches. Transformation requires addressing cultural barriers through open conversations. Leaders must model agile values and develop a aligned transformational leadership team. Resources on patterns for transforming organizations are provided.

1. Agile 2012
Grapevine, TX
@MichaelSahota

2. About Michael
STRATEGIC
PLAY®

3. Session Outline

4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/akeg/2230862848/

5. Quick Survey – What Agile Adoption
Success have you seen?
• 5
=
Every
)me
a
success
• ...
• 0
=
Every
)me
a
failure
• Raise
your
hand
when
your
number
comes
up…
Photo CC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
lindsey_catherine/5808320129

6. XP Toronto Mtg 2011
Agile Tour Toronto 2011
Agile New England 2011

7. Causes of Agile Failure

8. Barriers to Further Agile Adoption
Copyright VersionOne 2011

9. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lokner/4164251472

10. Why is Culture Important?
“If
you
do
not
manage
“The
only
thing
of
culture,
it
manages
you,
real
importance
and
you
may
not
even
be
that
leaders
do
is
to
aware
of
the
extent
to
create
and
manage
which
this
is
happening.”
culture.”
Edgar
Schein
Professor
MIT
Sloan
School
of
Management
Photo courtesy: http://leadership-tdoerffer.blogspot.com/2010/11/enjoy-interview-with-prof-edgar-schein.html

12. Agile Tour Toronto 2011
Agile New England 2011

14. Example Survey Question
When
all
is
said
and
done,
the
way
we
accomplish
success
in
this
organiza7on
is
to:
1. Create
an
organiza)on
that
has
the
highest
possible
level
of
competence
and
capitalize
on
that
competence.
2. Get
and
keep
control.
3. Provide
the
condi)ons
whereby
the
people
within
the
organiza)on
can
develop
and
make
valuable
accomplishments.
4. Put
a
collec)on
of
people
together,
build
them
into
a
team,
and
charge
them
with
fully
u)lizing
one
another
as
resources.

15. Graphic ©
Jurgen
Appelo

19. Kanban Principles (Anderson)
First
adopt
the
Then
(use
the
5
Core
founda:onal
principles
Proper:es)
• Start
with
what
you
do
1. Visualize
the
workflow
now
2. Limit
WIP
• Agree
to
pursue
3. Manage
Flow
incremental,
4. Make
Process
Policies
evolu7onary
change
Explicit
• Respect
the
current
5. Improve
Collabora7vely
process,
roles,
(using
models
&
the
responsibili7es
&
7tles
scien7fic
method)
http://agilemanagement.net/index.php/Blog/the_principles_of_the_kanban_method/

21. http://www.flickr.com/photos/lenore-m/2515800654

23. Working with Existing Culture

24. Kanban is Like an Oreo Cookie!
Outside:
Crunchy
Control
Inside:
Sweet
White
Agile
Goodness
(collabora)on,
cul)va)on
and
craTsmanship)

25. Craftsmanship as a starting place

26. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalavinka/4617897952

27. What are your goals?
My
main
focus
is
to
stop
companies
from
doing
Agile.
Pascal Van Cauwenberghe
Namiya.be
Photos©http://www.flickr.com/photos/pascalvancauwenberghe/3053517274

28. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tza/3214197147

29. Adoption of Agile Practices in
a Mismatched Culture

30. Agile Transformation

31. http://www.wanderingthought.com/2012/01/squishy-balls.html

32. Adoption Transformation

34. Adoption of Agile Practices in
a Mismatched Culture

36. Adoption - Practices à Doing Agile
When
culture
is
not
compa:ble
with
Agile
q Incremental
Adop)on
q Look
at
Context
q Pain
à
Prac)ce
q Avoid
q Scrum
q Agile
Manifesto
q See
q “Agile
Adop)on
PaXerns:
A
Roadmap
to
Organiza)onal
Success”
by
Amr
Elssamadisy
q “Becoming
Agile
in
an
Imperfect
World”
provides
a
lot
of
prac)cal
advice
on
adop)ng
Agile
[Smith
&
Sidky].

37. Agile Transformation

39. Agile Is Not Enough

40. http://www.wanderingthought.com/2012/01/squishy-balls.html

41. Plan for Hard Conversations
Agile
is
about
people,
and
as
such
they
will
tend
to
be
largest
obstacles,
we
will
need
to
have
serious
conversa)ons
at
some
point
if
we
really
want
to
go
Agile.
Johnny Scarborough
Photos©http://www.flickr.com/photos/pascalvancauwenberghe/3053517274 and The Innovation Games Company

43. Some Interesting Patterns of
Transformation

44. http://www.flickr.com/photos/exothermic/2547162058

47. WARNING: This will fail eventually*

48. #2 Incubate Transformational
Leadership
Leaders
go
first!
• Live
the
values
• Lead
by
example
• Seek
to
truly
understand
their
culture
• Be
as
transparent
as
the
teams
they
lead
See
presenta7on:
Agile
From
the
Top
Down:
Execu7ves
&
Leadership
Living
Agile
by
Jon
Stahl
hXp://www.slideshare.net/LeanDog/agile-­‐from-­‐the-­‐top-­‐down

49. #3 Develop Transformational Leadership Team
Ø Deep alignment
between leadership
teams’ personal visions
and organizational
compelling shared
vision
Ø Continued commitment
to maintaining integrity
and sacredness of
leadership team
See Temenos retreat
@Siraju
Ref: http://adaptivecollaboration.com/2012/04/23/temenos-retreat-a-journey-of-change/

50. http://www.flickr.com/photos/_brilho-de-conta/400937249

51. Transforming the World of Work

52. Session Outline

53. Resources
• These
slides
are
available
on
slideshare
• Free
eBook:
hXp://www.infoq.com/minibooks/
agile-­‐adop)on-­‐transforma)on
• Videos,
Blog
Posts
hXp://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-­‐
culture-­‐series-­‐reading-­‐guide/
CC @MichaelSahota