You’ve implemented Scrum, you’ve got you your sprints set up, you have a backlog, you have a scrum master, you have 15 extra hours of meetings, and…. You still have very little confidence your team will deliver…. or even struggle to know what they’re doing?
“We’re sort of Agile…” means you’re probably not. I wish my customers would stop saying it. Implementing a framework without the foundation is akin to building a bridge... that no-one knows how to use.
What Agile is Not
Get rid of the thought of software. Agile used to be a software thing, but you can use it anywhere. If you read the Agile Manifesto and Principles replace Software, with something delivered, it could be a task completed, it could be knowledge validated. What we create with Agile, is realised value.
After 20 years of being about, it’s one of the most misunderstood terms I know, which pisses me off, as when it's understood it will benefit every situation.
Don't dump a Framework on your team and expect them to Deliver
If you want to think Agile and don’t know how, then forget about Scrum, Kanban, XP, DSDM, or whatever. Fitting what you're currently doing into a sprint, or a timebox, is unlikely to work, it’s certainly not going to make you faster, or your customer happier.
Think about if your team is doggy paddling across the channel, they’ll eventually make it, they know how to move forward. Implementing a misunderstood framework quickly is like dumping a 100ft sailing yacht flat packed from Ikea on them. It’s too complicated and won’t fit the mould. It’s not going to confidently get them to sunny France unless they float on the boxes with a decent wind backing them... and it'll just piss them off. Think of yourself in that situation, someone tells you to have an extra 2 day of meeting a week, review where you are, plan for hours, commit to things you have not idea of, then start swimming again.
A quick fix framework, dumped in without understanding Agility is about as far from Agile as you can get.
What Agile should be
Agility is a way of thinking, then using that way of thinking to deliver tangible results, frequently. It’s being able to understand what is going to make your customer happy now, creating a short term plan, accepting you may not be 100% right, putting your blinkers on, and delivering on that plan confidently and quickly. Then stopping to breathe.
Agile can get you anywhere
That’s a bold statement, but it’s true.
No matter how complex the problem or challenge is, you and your team will be able to confidently provide value with an Agile mindset.
I've used it in huge multi-national projects, I've used it to fix floundering companies, I used it to fix my broken head after a breakdown, I use it to renovate my house, I use it with my kids... it just works.
The Essence of Agile
Firstly, understand the customer, this can be anyone. Not just the person paying the bills. The customer can be you. This customer is the primary beneficiary of the value.
Secondly, remember the Manifesto is not a set a rules. It is a set of considerations which should be learned, understood, considered, and re-learned. The more Agile you get, the more they mean.
Thirdly, delivered value is the primary metric of success, something complete and able to provide value must be available.
When approaching any problem, or seeking any value you must deliver quickly, completely, with the least amount of effort.
"This is going to take months, how can I deliver it quickly?"
Ask yourself can you get the required value delivered quickly?
Yes or No?
You often cannot deliver exactly what your customer wants quickly!
Usually the answer will be No. Which is great. You can't do it all. Accept it. Embrace it. That's the start of an Agile mindset. Now lets focus on what we can do.
The First Problem when Learning Agility
Breaking something big and complicated, into something small and achievable is a skill that must be learned through practice. This is the most challenging thing when starting out. Truth be told, that big goal that a customer has come up with, is often not what will be delivered.
You can have a goal, somewhere you think you would like to get to. But fixing that as the absolute target will usually fail both in delivery, and in customer satisfaction (the customer always changes their mind!)
Stepping back and understanding what your customer really wants is a skill. Understanding how you can create value in that direction now is key.
Wund'rings?
I don't claim to be an out the box Agile expert, because I'm not, I'm not out of a box. I live and breathe Agile, and I love achieving extraordinary results while avoiding long meetings, ceremonies and wasting time when we can get the same amount, or more done in less time... this is, so I can get out with my kids, or go climbing or surfing.
Strangely something that really helps me, (I'm not religious) is the serenity prayer I learned from being an alcoholic.
"Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."
What this basically means is that there are things that you can do, and there are things that you can't do.
Accept the things you cannot do. You accept they're there, but you don't lose sleep over them.
Focus, on the things you know can do, have the courage to just get them done. It will move you forward.
And have, or gain the wisdom to know the difference.
Do you relate to what I'm saying about Agile? Has it been a massive success for you in life, or work? Or, does it seem like yet another complexity and waste of time on top of all the bullshit you have to get done?
Let me know as I love discussing this stuff :)
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