Agile Mindset For Executives

www.plays-in-business.com
www.Plays-in-Business.com
The Agile Imperative
An Introduction to Agile For Executives
Michael Tarnowski, Plays-In-Business.com
Josh Hallett, https://www.flickr.com/photos/hyku/421684654/

“The world is becoming turbulent faster than companies
are becoming resilient”
Gary Hamel - HBR
The “fog of the future” requires greater focus creating an
“execution culture”
Donald Sull - London School of Business
Volatility is redefining the business environment and
today’s “best practices” are completely inadequate
Gary Hamel - HBR
We now live in a VUCA World that requires leaders
and organizations to become more AGILE if they aim to
be successful and survive!
Why Agile or Business Agility?
Speed and Agility Training, https://www.flickr.com/photos/speedandagilitytraining/4440690268/

The Key To Survival In A Constantly Changing Environment
“In times, where chaos, turbulence and
rapidly changing business environment has
become the «new normal» “
Vision, Understanding, Clarity and Agility
is the VUCA Prime.”
Bob Johansen, Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley

When to Apply Agile
Speed and Agility Training, https://www.flickr.com/photos/speedandagilitytraining/4440690268/
Waterfall
(“Best Practices”)
Agile
(for anything complicated
or complex)
Stacey Matrix
Issues or decisions are close
to certainty when cause and
effect linkages can be
determined.
The vertical axis measures the
level of agreement about an
issue or decision within the
group, team or organization.
(Rational Decision
Making)
(Political Decision Making)
(Complex Decision Making)
(Disintegration &
Anarchy)

• Shorten Time to Market
• Increase Productivity
• Improve Alignment with the Business
• Improve Predictability
Reasons to Adopt Agile
Hernán Piñera, https://www.flickr.com/photos/hernanpc/6788702542/

Agile in a Nut-Shell: Some Benchmarks
2015, http://techbeacon.com/survey-agile-new-norm
• an increased
visibility, during
the project life-
cycle;
• a better
adaptability;
• delivering biz
value starting
with the first
iterations;
• managing lower
and lower risks.
Reasons for Agile Adoption
Project Success and Failure Rates
When should I use Agile/Scrum vs Waterfall?
• https://www.linkedin.com/groups/52030/52030-6197093360415551489
• https://hbr.org/2007/11/a-leaders-framework-for-decision-making
https://www.versionone.com/agile-101/agile-software-development-benefits/
Benefits of Agile Development

You can face Agilefrom two perspectives:
• creating awesome, innovative products – Product Development
…or…
• creating high-efficient and performant collaboration
between teams– Management, Organizational Design
Andy Wells, https://www.flickr.com/photos/31843304@N02/8562583593/sizes/c/

WARNING: your Life Won’t Be The Same!
Kanban Tool, https://www.flickr.com/photos/kanban_tool/20329271933/
All facets of your professional
live will be touched:
• your personal way to live
• your organizational design
• your style of management
• your style of leadership
• your employee development
• your customer relationship
• …
• …
• …
• …
• …
Agile Will Turn Your
Business Life Upside
Down!

Mapping The Pyramids
@gapingvoid, http://www.gapingvoidart.com/gallery/now-vs-future/

Continuously Delivering Value
djkaraok, https://www.flickr.com/photos/djkaraok/12752657623/
Agile is…
• People-centric way to create innovative products and solutions
• Market-centric model to maximize business value
• Demand-Driven model based on lean principles:
Continuous Delivery to avoid “waste”/muda

Product Owner Challenger – Agile Game by Plays-In-Business.com: Agile Game Workshop Demonstrating Agile Adoption
http://www.plays-in-business.com/pochallenge-product-owner-challenge-game/
In Agile you do not getwhat
you ordered…
…you will getwhat you need,
instead!
Agile in a Nut-Shell: Customer’s Need First!

Customer Focus & Market Demand: Unshippable = Waste !
http://blog.nongkhaidesign.com/tag/udon-thani/

Partially Done Has No Value!
http://blog.nongkhaidesign.com/tag/udon-thani/
Definition of Done (DoD)
consistent acceptance criteria across all User Stories
(Requirements).
The DoD drives the quality of work and define when
a User Story has been completed.
It is a simple list of activities (writing code, coding comments, unit
testing, integration testing, release notes, design documents, etc.)
that add verifiable/ demonstrable value to the product.

Agile in a Nut-Shell: Adaptive Development Approach
Adaptive process: the vision creates feature
estimates
• Time, Cost, and Quality are Fixed
• Features (Requirements) are variable,
negotiable with the customer
Customer Happiness / Market Demand
Create a MVP – Minimal Viable Product,
i.e. Minimal Released Product
Ship at end of each increment.
Create stand-alone solutions – increase
value independently.
Feedback Loops are appreciated – no
risk!
You can stop at each phase without
loss! – “Pivoting”
1. Shift of Usability
Market Disruption
New Focus Groups
Innovation
Ship-It: Biz
Value a
Ship-It: Biz
Value b
Ship-It: Biz
Value c
Ship-It: Biz
Value d
Ship-It: Biz
Value!
Time
Feature/Requirements
Hendrik Kniberg, crisp.se
Hendrik Kniberg, crisp.se,
Market Disruption
New Focus Groups
Innovation
Market Disruption
New Focus Groups
Innovation

1 3
2
4
Idea
Build
Launch
Learn
30 Days
1 Day
1 3
4
Idea
Build
Launch
Learn
2
Agile in a Nut-Shell: Adaptive Development Approach
Software in 30 Days: How Agile Managers Beat
the Odds, Delight Their Customers, and Leave
Competitors in the Dust.
Ken Schwaber, Jeff Sutherland

5 Day Design Sprint Framework
(Jake Knapp, Google Ventures)
http://www.gv.com/sprint/, https://zapier.com/blog/google-ventures-design-sprint/
Agile in a Nut-Shell: Adaptive Prototyping Approach
1 3
2
4
5 DaysIdea
Build
Launch
Learn

Scrum Framework – Pull Principle
Product Backlog
24 hrs
1 - 2
weeks
Sprint
Potentially
Shippable
Product
Sprint Backlog1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Product Backlog Item
11
12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Product Increment
Scrum it's a simple framework to organize in a different
way how people perform their work.

Scrum Framework – Pull Principle
No Changes!
in Duration or Goal
during Sprint
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Product Backlog Item
11
12
24 hrs
1 - 2
weeks
Sprint
Potentially
Shippable
Product
Sprint Backlog
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Product Increment
3 Artefacts:
Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog,
Product Increment
3 Roles:
Team, Product Owner,
Scrum Master
4 Ceremonies:
Sprint Planning, Daily Standup,
Sprint Review, Retrospectives
The team has complete control over the amount of
work it takes on: team is self-organized, it pulls
only the tasks they can handle in one sprint!
Scrum teams are cross-functional, including the
skills (but ideally not the job titles) of software
engineers, architects, programmers, analysts,
QA experts, testers, UI designers, etc.
Product Owner
Prioritizes features:
Product Backlog
Scrum Master
Daily Scrum
Standup meeting
(15 min)
Sprint Review
Retrospective
(after 4-5 sprints)
Backlog Refinement
Meeting
(during each sprint)
Sprint Planning
Meeting

blog.crisp.se
Scaling Agile – Agile Project Management
Scaled Agile Framework – SAFE: http://scaledagileframework.com/
Large Scale Scrum – LeSS: https://less.works/less/framework/index.html
Nexus – https://www.scrum.org/Resources/The-Nexus-Guide
http://www.cio.com/article/2974436/agile-development/comparing-scaling-agile-frameworks.html
Continuous Value Stream(s)
Project / Product LevelProduct A
Product C
Product B
SM‘
PO‘
SM‘
PO‘
SM‘
PO‘
Team LevelTeam 01
Team 03 Team 02
Team 04
SM
PO
SM
PO
SM
PO
SM
PO
Sprint Planning Meeting with all teams (≥120 pls, 2 days, each ≈8 weeks)

Agile Success = “Smoth” Tool Chain
Agile Project Mgt Tools:
• Jira, Atlassian.com (DOORS, SAP interf.)
• Ralley, CA Software
• VersionOne.com
• …..
Task / Requirements &
Release Planning
Task / Requirements &
Release Planning
Delivery & Deployment
„Total Value“ of all
implemented
requirements in a sprint„How many“
requirements are
implemented in a
sprint (Velocitity)
Reporting & Status Monitoring

Controlling something, not someone
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jurgenappelo/2015/12/30/why-management-is-dead-is-stupid/
Scott Lewis, https://www.flickr.com/photos/99781513@N04/16662111864/
Agile Managers recruit and construct teams, gather
and provide feedback, guide career paths, and coach results.
They set the Vision clearly, in a way that the team
can adopt it as their own..
But, never ever, they command how to do
tasks.
Trust the people doing the job.

Traditional Project Manager
Micro-management & Bureaucracy:
Stop; Wait, Go!
Agile Manager vs Project ManagerMetaphor proudly stolen from Dave Sharrock & Martin von Weissenberg (agile42): http://www.agile42.com/en/blog/2016/11/04/scrum-master-vs-project-manager/;
Pete Bellis, https://www.flickr.com/photos/video4net/4103124627/

Agile Manager
No central directions to be followed.
Instead drivers need to apply a number of
rules to their own local position in the
junction.
Self-organisational teams
Andrew Skudder, https://www.flickr.com/photos/skuds/48288551/

David Skinner, https://www.flickr.com/photos/branestawm/17088955200/;
SCALING traditional approach
Bureaucracy & Command-
n-Control
At it‘s best!

Swindon roundabout, Great Britain, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OGvj7GZSIo
SCALING Agile approach
Adopt to increasing complexity.
And self-organization remains!

http://60let.com/2015/09/27/accident-prevention-traffic-lights-to-make-safer-roundabouts/
Agile in Waterfall environments
Over-Control –
SABOTAGILE the agile transformation

Agile Is A
MINDSET
Described By
4 VALUES
Agile Values
Graphic inspired by Ahmed Sidky, ICAgile, Riot Games
Defined By
12 PRINCIPLES
Manifested In
MANY PRACTICES
Agile Manifesto 2004, http://agilemanifesto.org/

Agile Is A
MINDSET
Defined By
12 PRINCIPLES
Satisfy the customer through early
and continuous delivery…
Welcome changing requirements,
even late in development…
Deliver working software frequently…
Business people and developers
must work together…
Build projects
around motivated
individuals….
Face-to-face
conversation…
Working
software is the
primary measure
of progress.
Agile
processes
promote
sustainable
development
Continuous
attention to
technical
excellence
Simplicity – the art of
maximizing the amount of
work not done…
Self-organizing teams….
Team reflects on how to become more effective…
Agile Principles
Agile Manifesto: A set of guiding concepts supporting you in implementing agile projects.
http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html
Described By
4 VALUES
Individuals and their interactions
Delivering working software / products
Responding to change
Customer collaboration

Agile Is A
MINDSET
Agile Practices
Manifested In
MANY PRACTICES
Lean
Kanban
Mindsets
Scrum
LeSS
SAFeNexus
Frameworks
(Scaling)
DSDM
TDD
FDD
BDD
Crystal
XP
Methods

Agile Values
Nina Matthews https://www.flickr.com/photos/21560098@N06/6722653055/sizes/l/
Individuals and Interactions
over Processes and Tools
Respect for the worth of every
person
Truth in every communication
Transparency of all data,
actions, and decisions
Trust that each person will support
the team
Commitment to the team and to the
team’s goals
Working Software
over Comprehensive Documentation
Working software is one of the big
differences that agile development
brings.
The “Definition of Done (DoD)”
defines “working software”.
The DoD also covers the extent of
documentation as essential and
valuable deliverables.
Customer Collaboration
over Contract Negotiation
Cooperate and collaborate in short
feedback loops and direct
contact with the customers
continuously.
Responding to Change
over Following a Plan
Changes always improve a
product; changes provide additional
value.

Agile Values
Our highest priority is to
satisfy the customer
through early and
continuous delivery
of valuable software.
Welcome changing requirements,
even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the
customer's competitive advantage.
Business people and
developers must work
together daily throughout the project.
Build projects around motivated individuals.
Give them the
environment and support
they need, and trust them to get the job done.
Working software is the
primary measure
of progress.
Deliver
working software
frequently, from a couple of weeks to a
couple of months, with a preference to the
shorter timescale.

Agile Values
Agile processes promote sustainable development.
The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to
maintain a constant pace
indefinitely.
Continuous attention to
technical excellence
and good design enhances agility.
Simplicity– the art of maximizing
the amount of work not done – is
essential.
The best architectures, requirements, and designs
emerge from self-organizing teams.
At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more
effective, then tunes and adjusts its
behavior accordingly.
The most efficient and effective
method of conveying information to
and within a development team is
face-to-face
conversation.

Traditional Team & Agile Team
Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2016/09/08/explaining-agile/
AGILE TEAM
• Autonomous (self-organized)
• Team responsibility – ”blame the team”
• No silo-ing – Cross-functional
• Much interaction
BUREAUCRATIC TEAM
• Top Down
• Individual responsibilities – ”blame the person”
• Trend to “silo-ing”: department boundaries
• Little Interaction

Self-Organizing Teams
A group of motivated individuals, who work
together toward a goal, have the ability and
authority to take decisions and readily
adapt to changing demands.

DVIDSHUB, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/5546514579/
Essentials of Self-organizing Teams
Ownership & Commitment: they pull work
for themselves and don't wait for their leader to assign work.
Self Management: they manage their work
(allocation, reallocation, estimation, re-estimation, delivery,
and rework) as a group.
Coaching & Mentoring: they require mentoring
and coaching, but they don't require "command and control."
Communication: they communicate more with
each other.
Learning: they continuously enhance their own skills
and recommend innovative ideas and improvements.

U.S. Army, https://www.flickr.com/photos/familymwr/5081186618/
Essentials of Self-organizing Teams
Competency: Individuals competent for the job
at hand. Result: confidence in their work and no need for
direction from above.
Collaboration: They work as a team rather
than as a group of individuals. Teamwork is encouraged.
Motivation: Team members are focused and
interested in their work.
Trust and respect: Team members trust and
respect each other. They believe in collective code ownership
and are ready to go the extra mile to help each other resolve
issues. No “Blame-Game” .
Continuity: The team stay together for a
reasonable duration; changing its composition every now and
then doesn't help.

Agile Team Building – Cross Functional Teams
Jeremy Keith, https://www.flickr.com/photos/adactio/16214923873/
Cross-Functional Teams
• There are the right people (skill set) on
the team to do the job.
• They are led from within the team, not
managed.
• They understand their mission.
• They communicate and collaborate
continuously.
• They are accountable for their results.
Cross-Functional Teams ≠ Cross-
Functional People
• cross-functional people do not possess
every required skill set
• experts in the individual skill sets
required who can complement and work
well with the rest of the team.

What Drives People? – 3 Pillars of Intrinsic Motivation!
specchio.nero, https://www.flickr.com/photos/65242918@N05/8703538435/, george erws, https://www.flickr.com/photos/erwss/3129884643/,
Gene Kogan, https://www.flickr.com/photos/genekogan/15090583026/
Mastery
Purpose
Autonomy
Daniel Pink: Drive.
The Surprising Truth What Motivates Us.

Agile Leadership – No Silos!
Rex Hammock, https://www.flickr.com/photos/docsearls/5500714140/
Organisational silos:
• Business politics: “Turf-wars” between departments /
sites
• Organisational Department Boundaries (Matrix-
Organisation)
• Multiple Tools, or Formats to store Information

The biggest Threat to Innovation
July 2016 Gartner Financial Services Innovation Survey, via @ValaAfshar, pic.twitter.com/CHsF3dyHlD

Paul Keller, https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulk/5131407407/

Q: Five birds are sitting on a wire. Four decide to jump off.
How many birds are left on the wire?
killabodhi, https://www.flickr.com/photos/23200601@N05/2222767202/

Q: Five birds are sitting on a wire. Four decide to jump off.
How many birds are left on the wire?
killabodhi, https://www.flickr.com/photos/23200601@N05/2222767202/
A: Five, because deciding and doing are not the same thing.

Agile Mindset For Executives

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