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Agile Schmagile -- Jon Kern

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Jon Kern
Jon Kern

The document discusses whether Agile practices are effective or not. It questions if the reader's team is performing well with Agile and what practices may have failed. It acknowledges that while Agile can be problematic, the principles may not be the root cause and introspection is needed. The document advocates focusing on people, processes, and tools holistically. It suggests educating oneself on successful teams and reflecting on one's own practices rather than blindly following Agile. Overall, it argues that Agile success depends more on individuals' mindsets and adaptiveness than any defined processes.

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Agile SchmagileDoes Agile Stink, or is it Just Me?Jon Kern
Questions!
Are You Agile?
Peak PerformanceDo you work on a high-performing team?How can you be sure?
Abysmal PerformanceHave you been disappointedby Agile?What practice has failed you/your team?
Grade From Your Stakeholders/Clients?✔
Grade From Yourself?✔✔✔✔
Agile Stinks! Or Does it?No escaping that Agile can be a BAD word100,000+ CSMs could be a good thing, or notHow can we tell what we should be doing?
(Re-)Connect With Agile!
Recipe For Agile SuccessKiller App Software ProductIngredients:1.2.3.
Recipe For Agile SuccessKiller App Software ProductPEOPLE!Ingredients:1. 2.3.Ingredients:1. PEOPLE!2.3.
Recipe For Agile SuccessKiller App Software ProductIngredients:1. PEOPLE!2. Process3. Tools
Being Able to Reason is KeyEducate yourself about the agile practicesLearn about successful project teamsEngage in observation – Cause and EffectReason about what you do as a teamReflect & Adapt
The Manifesto Reveals TruthsIndividuals and interactions over processes and toolsWorking software over comprehensive documentationCustomer collaboration over contract negotiationResponding to change over following a plan
Agile Practices Demand HolismConsider the project to be a systemSynergies of PracticesHolistic Approaches
Agile is Simple
And Yet… AGILE IS HARD!
Let’s Turn the World Upside Down
The Anti-Agile ManifestoWe are uncovering better ways to provide the illusion of developing software by listening to others talk about watching people try. Through this (dare I call it?) work, we have come to value:Dogmatic process and CASE-tool-like automation over inspiring quality individuals to interact with the team and the clientsSufficient up-front comprehensive design specifications over seeing frequent, tangible, working results.Writing detailed Statements of Work and negotiating changes over collaborating to do our collective best with the time and money at handDriving toward the original project plan over accommodating the client changing their mind, or a path turning into a dead end
So “What’s It GonnaBe?”Agile Manifesto?Bizarro Manifesto?
How Do We Start?
It Starts With You!
Change is HardEspecially because it starts with you!I needtrainingWe only work on COMPLEX projectsWe’re stuck with legacy codeThe QA Dept does all of our testingAgile isa FadTight DeadlinesTDD takes too much timeManagement doesn’t care about qualityWe’ve never done it that way beforeWe need full requirements up front
Be… a Craftsman
Be… a Professional
Be… Impatient
Be… BalancedTreat software holistically, as a closed-loop system
Be… Lazy
Be… Inquisitive
Be… BoldQuestion with BOLDNESSAsk Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?
Don’t: Just Do It!Understand why you are doing itObserve, reflect, adapt
You Don’t Do Agile, You Are AgileAgile is first and foremost a personal PRACTICE!As is ballet, yoga, rock climbing…Never a master, always a student
Agile Has Failed Us?Not so much!Return to the founding principlesBe Agile, don’t blindly just DO Agile!Apply common senseAgile problems? First look inward…The Agile Mindset has no agenda, no certificate
Agile Can’t Change the WorldBut…You can be more agileYour team can be more agileYour group can be more agileYour company can be more…
Agile Can’t Change the WorldBut…You can be more agileYour team can be more agileYour group can be more agileYour company can be more… Maybe agile CAN impact the world after all!Agile SchmagileDoes Agile Stink, or is it Just Me?Jon Kernjkern@lightshipinc.comjkern@axialexchange.comhttp://TechnicalDebt.comThank you!
Agile Schmagile -- Jon Kern

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Agile Schmagile -- Jon Kern

  • 1. Agile SchmagileDoes Agile Stink, or is it Just Me?Jon Kern
  • 4. Peak PerformanceDo you work on a high-performing team?How can you be sure?
  • 5. Abysmal PerformanceHave you been disappointedby Agile?What practice has failed you/your team?
  • 6. Grade From Your Stakeholders/Clients?✔
  • 8. Agile Stinks! Or Does it?No escaping that Agile can be a BAD word100,000+ CSMs could be a good thing, or notHow can we tell what we should be doing?
  • 10. Recipe For Agile SuccessKiller App Software ProductIngredients:1.2.3.
  • 11. Recipe For Agile SuccessKiller App Software ProductPEOPLE!Ingredients:1. 2.3.Ingredients:1. PEOPLE!2.3.
  • 12. Recipe For Agile SuccessKiller App Software ProductIngredients:1. PEOPLE!2. Process3. Tools
  • 13. Being Able to Reason is KeyEducate yourself about the agile practicesLearn about successful project teamsEngage in observation – Cause and EffectReason about what you do as a teamReflect & Adapt
  • 14. The Manifesto Reveals TruthsIndividuals and interactions over processes and toolsWorking software over comprehensive documentationCustomer collaboration over contract negotiationResponding to change over following a plan
  • 15. Agile Practices Demand HolismConsider the project to be a systemSynergies of PracticesHolistic Approaches
  • 17. And Yet… AGILE IS HARD!
  • 18. Let’s Turn the World Upside Down
  • 19. The Anti-Agile ManifestoWe are uncovering better ways to provide the illusion of developing software by listening to others talk about watching people try. Through this (dare I call it?) work, we have come to value:Dogmatic process and CASE-tool-like automation over inspiring quality individuals to interact with the team and the clientsSufficient up-front comprehensive design specifications over seeing frequent, tangible, working results.Writing detailed Statements of Work and negotiating changes over collaborating to do our collective best with the time and money at handDriving toward the original project plan over accommodating the client changing their mind, or a path turning into a dead end
  • 20. So “What’s It GonnaBe?”Agile Manifesto?Bizarro Manifesto?
  • 21. How Do We Start?
  • 23. Change is HardEspecially because it starts with you!I needtrainingWe only work on COMPLEX projectsWe’re stuck with legacy codeThe QA Dept does all of our testingAgile isa FadTight DeadlinesTDD takes too much timeManagement doesn’t care about qualityWe’ve never done it that way beforeWe need full requirements up front
  • 27. Be… BalancedTreat software holistically, as a closed-loop system
  • 30. Be… BoldQuestion with BOLDNESSAsk Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?
  • 31. Don’t: Just Do It!Understand why you are doing itObserve, reflect, adapt
  • 32. You Don’t Do Agile, You Are AgileAgile is first and foremost a personal PRACTICE!As is ballet, yoga, rock climbing…Never a master, always a student
  • 33. Agile Has Failed Us?Not so much!Return to the founding principlesBe Agile, don’t blindly just DO Agile!Apply common senseAgile problems? First look inward…The Agile Mindset has no agenda, no certificate
  • 34. Agile Can’t Change the WorldBut…You can be more agileYour team can be more agileYour group can be more agileYour company can be more…
  • 35. Agile Can’t Change the WorldBut…You can be more agileYour team can be more agileYour group can be more agileYour company can be more… Maybe agile CAN impact the world after all!Agile SchmagileDoes Agile Stink, or is it Just Me?Jon Kernjkern@lightshipinc.comjkern@axialexchange.comhttp://TechnicalDebt.comThank you!

Editor's Notes

  1. Hah, let’s reverse the typical talk format that does Q&A as a last slide <evil grin>I want to start out by setting the stage to have the audience reflect on their current agile experience from their current frame of reference.Then I want to deliver a quasi-interactive talk to have them reflect on the “true” meaning of Agile.I will then help folks RE-CONNECT to the agile principles.Conclude with a call to action at the individual level.And I’ll return to asking them again about their “Agile Practice” and just how good it really is.
  2. Can you go at full speed and stop on a dime?
  3. A rare treat in a career
  4. How would your stakeholder and/or clients grade your team?
  5. How would your stakeholder and/or clients grade your team?
  6. Show a mass of soldiers marching in lock-step (like North Korea or China or Russia)
  7. Of course, this implies having been connected in the first place. Hmmm. Might have to rethink <g>.
  8. What is the #1 ingredient to be successful at an Agile project?
  9. What is the #1 ingredient to be successful at an Agile project?
  10. What is the #1 ingredient to be successful at an Agile project? #2 & #3 are also important!
  11. Show a stack of books, historical documents…
  12. Like the Laws of Physics…The tenets distill the immutable motive forces behind delivering software
  13. Think of some sort of closed-loop image. A system of systems. An energy cycle. Weather cycle, or the photosynthesis cycle.The beauty and challenge of Agile methods is the holistic nature that must be grasped.Much like the human body, or in engineering a system (for example an aircraft), many of the pieces affect other parts of the puzzle.So it goes with Agile and Software Development projects.
  14. The techniques and ideas behind agile are not rocket science
  15. Yet, it is hard to continuously be perfect at agile.
  16. Cover each manifesto point as if we lived on the Planet Bizarro.
  17. Ask… How will you Get Started?Do any of you feel like you are in Camp Bizarro?
  18. Nothing beats self-gratification.Oh, but wait, this isn’t that!
  19. Photo from http://sourcesofinsight.com/2010/04/22/change-is-hard-because-self-control-wears-you-out/
  20. From our ballerina daughter, magnets on the refrigerator
  21. Agile practices are all about reducing the gap in time between an action and it’s result.
  22. Show something off-balance and out of whack.Too much emphasis on any one thing leads to imbalance and disharmony.Images like the proverbial aircraft designed by separate disciplines… Propulsion group wants giant engines, Aero group wants needle-like fuselage with no drag, etc.
  23. Image: big question mark? Scratching head? Head surrounded by 5 question marks?Try it… ask about something and keep going for 4 or 5 levels deep. Good luck getting that far. And if you do, it’s a great thing!
  24. Show digging a ditch and filling it back in.
  25. Add yoga-esque imagesGurus/yogis sitting cross-legged, or crazy pose…
  26. Inverted pyramid leading to YOU
  27. Inverted pyramid leading to YOU