agile tour ottawa 2017 - agility in the face of perplexity (by gunther verheyen)

Gunther Verheyen, Ullizee-IncScrum. Connector, writer, speaker, humaniser.

Agilityin the face of

perplexity

GOAT 2017

20 November 2017

Ottawa (Canada)

2Gunther Verheyen – Ullizee-Inc, 2017 - @Ullizee

Are the days of ‘Agile’ over? 1”

‘Agile’ dates from 2001. How relevant is it today (2017)?

Raise your hand if you feel that:

1. ‘Agile’ is still worthwhile (and even more needed than ever).

2. ‘Agile’ doesn’t need to be renamed (it’s already difficult

enough to explain as it is).

3. ‘Agile’ applies to software development only.


Your company wants to become Agile, too. You are invited to come enlighten your CEO and the Executive Team.The CIO says to already know about this thing called Scrum. The HR Director believes half of the workforce would have to be replaced because of this self-organization.

What is your approach? What do you say?

e.g.

• What is the definition of ‘Agile’ you use?

• How do you relate ‘Agile’ and Scrum?

How do you explain what ‘Agile’ is about? 2”


When asked for a definition (n)

Agile

• The mind-set expressed through the value

statements and the principles of the Agile

Manifesto, http://agilemanifesto.org

Scrum

• A simple framework for complex product

delivery, http://www.scrumguides.org

More: guntherverheyen.com, “Agile and Scrum, actually (2015)”

http://agilemanifesto.org/

http://www.scrumguides.org/

https://guntherverheyen.com/2015/03/12/agile-and-scrum-actually/


Agile is the obvious question. Agility is the actual need.

„agility (noun) /əˈdʒɪlɪti/

1. To be quick and nimble;

The ability to move quickly and easily;

The ability to think and understand quickly.

2. A state of constant flux, evolution, innovation, improvement and re-invention.

The capability to adapt, to swiftly addresschallenges,

to explore and change direction, to take advantage of

the unforeseen.


There may be

many reasons to

pursue agility.

What is your #1

reason?

Does your

management

know/agree?

Start with why for meaningful conversations

• Improved customer relationships

• Higher engagement of co-workers

• Easier to change direction

• Increased productivity and quality

• Taking advantage of market opportunities

• New competitors on your markets

• Early elimination of risk

• Reaching market faster

• Increased Return on Investment

• Reduced Total Cost of Ownership

Agility…

• can’t be planned

• can’t be dictated

• has no end-state

• can’t be copied_

Grow your own model. Use your imagination.

Source: Gunther Verheyen, “Scrum – A Pocket Guide (A Smart Travel Companion)”, 2013

https://guntherverheyen.com/2016/11/14/a-simple-framework-for-complex-product-delivery-in-100-pages/


Still. Exploring new ways to explain ‘Agile’.

“Rather than questioning, doubting and scorning,

I aspire uncovering new ways, new words, to

show the value and the originality of ‘Agile’.

I do it for the purpose of clarity over the essence

of ‘Agile’, to disentangle the clew that ‘Agile’

turned into, to help people thrive in a world of

complexity.”

“Complexity is our world.

Simplicity is our path.”

Gunther Verheyen


Work variables

Complexity is our world

Work spaces


Your iceberg is melting. Your

cheese is being moved. At light

speed.

The balance of society has rapidly

shifted from industrial, often physical,

labor to digital, often virtual, work;

changing the fabric of society and of

our social systems. The industrial

paradigm is rendered useless.

Hence, the value of the Agile

paradigm.

Much work has shifted to the Complex Novelty space


‘Agile’ is more needed than ever

The Agile paradigm defines the new thinking and

behavioral tools to turn around the perplexity

resulting from the ruling complexity.

Acting with agility is key to avoid complexity

turning into perplexity; an inability to act.


Patterns that (might) work in the

Ordered Stability space:

• Governance controlled separation of

skills, functions and positions, and

other forms of micro-management

• Predictive plans and other pre-

empted scenarios based on the belief

in linearity

• Direction-less task assignment and

other forms of utilization-focused

approaches to keep people busy

What the industrial plague left us with

Governance

Functions

Business IT

Executives


Probably the most

unfit approach for

thriving in the

Complex Novelty

space. Ever.

Main expressions of the industrial paradigm

Governance

UtilizationPlans


(Collaboractive) People

Value(for a

Purpose)

(Deliberate) Emergence

The Agile paradigm. Simplicity is our path.

Who

How

Why

The Prime Agile Tenets


The Prime Agile Tenets – Collaboractive People

The days of super heroism are over. People are in a continual

state of ability and willingness to act in concerted ways, to

actively engage in collaboration when needed, regardless

position, title, hierarchy, or function.

• Facets of “Collaboractive People”

– Accountability

– Professionalism

– Teamware


Value(for a

Purpose)


The Prim e Agile Tenets


The Prime Agile Tenets – Deliberate Emergence

More changes than remains stable in the Complex Novelty

space. Predictions don’t work (anymore). Emergence prevails.

Feedback is provoked deliberately. What works today, might not

work tomorrow.

• Facets of “Deliberate Emergence”

– Time-boxing

– Feedback loops

– The iterative-incremental continuum


Value(for a

Purpose)




The Prime Agile Tenets – Value for a Purpose

Success cannot be predicted in big bang deliveries. Value is

continually optimized through the delivery of finished slices of

work. What is important today, might not be tomorrow. Purpose

guides us.

• Facets of “Value for a Purpose”

– Measuring value, measuring agility

– The value in valuation

– Exploratory ownership


Value(for a

Purpose)




Facets of Collaboractive People

• Accountability

• Professionalism

• Teamware

What does ‘professionalism’ mean?

e.g. Does getting paid for work make a person a ‘professional’?

Why is ‘professionalism’ important in the Complex Novelty space?

Are we skilled for the Complex Novelty space? 2”


Thoughts on professionalism from my personal life

Professionalism encompasses technical and behavioral credibility;

people that combine technical craftspersonship and personal

integrity.


Complex Novelty work requires Agile Professionals

• Craftspersonalities

– Technical mastery (a craftsperson)

– Behavioral integrity (e.g. a collaboractive stance)

• Not misrepresenting complexity as ordered and predictable.

– Promising certainty where there is none.

– Not pretending being able to predict the inherently unpredictable.

– Presenting simple rules to emerge complex patterns, not misrepresent the nature of the problem as simple (which is simplistic).

• Focusing on the path (enacting the Prime Agile Tenets). Allowing the destination to unravel.

A lack of professionalism is a major root cause of perplexity.


Growth in the Complex Novelty space

Growth can be benign or

malignant. Consider how to

spend energy and resources in

the Complex Novelty space.

• Facets of “Growth”

– Servant Management

– Team of Teams

– The extreme org

“The future of Agile is in the small.

Adaptiveness comes through small,

networked communities and

ecosystems collaborating.”

Source: Gunther Verheyen, “The future of Agile (is actually in the small)”, 2017

https://guntherverheyen.com/2017/08/22/the-future-of-agile-is-in-the-small/


About

Gunther VerheyenIndependent Scrum Caretaker

• eXtreme Programming and Scrum since 2003

• Professional Scrum Trainer

• Shepherded Professional Scrum and co-created Agility

Path, EBMgt, the Nexus framework for Scaled

Professional Scrum

• Author of “Scrum – A Pocket Guide” (“Scrum

Wegwijzer”, “Scrum Taschenbuch”)

Mail [email protected]

Twitter @Ullizee

Blog http://guntherverheyen.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://twitter.com/

http://guntherverheyen.com/