Group items tagged

ur last two releases have looked like me-too updates, where we are just barely keeping up with our competitors

We’ve been losing market share

If you can refer to a specific business issue and show the linkage, you are much more likely to get a receptive audience.  Here’s an example.

The CFO, developer and QA manager have different roles in the organization and their needs are different.  If you want to enlist their support, be sure you know who you are talking to and what they value.

Use Focused Messages for Key Individuals or Groups

certain volume of people who are enrolled in the idea of Agile before you’ll see adoption start to accelerate,

People have specific needs in their role and they want to understand how Agile will affect and benefit them directly.  

Developers, on the other hand, probably wants to know if they will have interesting work, the opportunity to learn new things and the ability to make an impact on the company’s products.

a QA manager is probably interested in hearing how Agile helps enrich the QA profession.

The focus isn’t on Agile, its on business, as it should be.

The easiest way to find out what interests someone is to ask them.  When you meet, leave plenty of time for talk.  Motoring through a well-rehearsed Agile presentation usually doesn’t work.  A lot of times I’ll have slides with me, but they are a backdrop for the conversation.  I’ll refer to slides when it helps move the conversation along, but otherwise don’t use them.  You might want to forget slides altogether and just draw things on a whiteboard as necessary.  This technique is particularly useful with an individual or a small group.  

Take it One Step Further: Collect Data to Gain Insight

you’ll be most effective tailoring your message if you invest some time conducting data through a series of structured interviews. 

First, you’ll need a small set of questions prepared for the interviews.  Here are some examples. What is working with our current methodology? What’s not working with our current methodology? How do you think Agile would help our organization? What concerns do you have about Agile?

Interview a wide range of people: developers, testers, business analysts, managers, product managers, senior management, project managers and someone from finance. 

When you conduct the interviews, it is good to have one interviewer who has the primary responsibility for talking and the other person who has the primary job of taking notes.  You can switch off roles each interview so no one person gets stuck in either role.  Here’s how I typically start off.  

stories that people tell about the organization and make sure you write them down

I put all of the information we’d gathered into a mind-mapping program (Mindjet) and grouped like things together.

Make sure you keep interesting stories intact.  Specifics will help you make your cases

When there’s numerical data, people engage with a presentation in an entirely different way than they do when there are stories.  I find stories more effective, but do what works for you.

As an Agile evangelist, you job is to get Agile deployed effectively.  Along the way there are many people will be willing to go out of their way to help if you effectively speak to their interests and concerns.

all the people understand and internalize the concepts and ideals behind the Agile movement

translated into concepts that can be widely applied to the many day-to-day decisions each of them will make

internalize and live three principles: making progress with imperfect information; existing in a high trust, high social capital culture; and shortening cycle times. These ideas need to be infused into the workforce at every opportunity.

it should spread virally. It can start with just one manager, who educates his immediate direct reports on the concepts and then takes the time to reflect and show how each decision is aligned the principles

work-in-progress as a liability rather than an asset.

. Every member of the team should be educated to understand it, and to be capable of demonstrating how their decisions and actions are concomitant with it. The Decision Filter is

The Agile Decision Filter

Delivering quickly can provide immediate value while delay can result in obviated functionality of little value or missing a more lucrative opportunity while completing existing work-in-progress

Are we making progress with imperfect information? Or are we trying to be perfect before we start? Does this decision add or maintain trust in our organization and with our partners? Or does it remove trust and breed fear? Are we treating work-in-progress as it if were a liability? Or are we treating it like an asset?

the team can start to modify their practices one decision at a time and drive towards a goal of business agility

The "transition" to Agile will happen slowly, and supporting the change will require training, coaching and tools – but change will be real and long-lasting.

By changing your culture using the simple principles captured in The Agile Decision Filter, teams will adopt Agile. Give it a little time and magic will happen. They will voluntarily change their behaviors and adopt Agile practices. They will behave in a fashion aligned with the principles and values behind The Agile Manifesto. They will not resist because they had a say in the changes, which are tailored specifically to their environment and their needs.

this approach may seem less prescriptive and straightforward than an "Agile Change Initiative" project plan. And yes, taking on a management-led Agile Transition Initiative looks faster and cheaper,

However, it is all wishful thinking, and the only way to get the payoff is to invest the time and show the courage to lead true Agile change. True Agile change requires you to change the culture. To change the culture, teach all your people how to use the Agile Decision Filter and hold them accountable for every decision they make.