product owner decision games - scrum · april 19, 2016. first game ... product backlog items –...
TRANSCRIPT
PRODUCTOWNERDECISIONGAMESScrumGatheringOrlando2016
April19,2016
FirstGame
YouareaProductOwneratAwesomeSoft foratypicalScrumTeamwithaScrumMasterand7Development Teammembers.
Youhaveahealthyprioritizedbacklog.YourScrumTeamspendsadaytoplanareleaseonceaquarter.
YouarehalfwaythroughSprint3andyoujustleftameetingwithyourmanagerwhotoldyouthattheCEOmetwithsixstrategiccustomersatanexecutiveevent lastweekandthatthereisavital,newfeaturethatmustbereleasedthisquarter.
Whatdoyoudo?
1. Explainwhatyouwilldoyourself.2. Explainyourinteractionswithyourteam.3. Explainyourinteractionswithstakeholders.
Youhave5minutes.Youcanworkaloneorinsmallgroups.
TacticalDecisionGames
› Role-playingexercisestopracticedecision-makingprocessandpracticecommunicatingdecisionstoothers› ConceptdatestoGreekGeneralPhilopoemen inroughly200BC,PrussianGeneralStaffin1800s,USArmy1975,USMarines1982› Simple,adaptable, effectivemethodtorepeatedly challengeplayerswithsituationsthatincludelimitationsoftimeandinformation› Byrequiringasolutionandabilitytocommunicate itintheformofclearinstructions,playergainsexperience andskillinactualdecision-making
TacticalDecisionGames
SecondGame
“Whyissprintplanningalwayssohard,”youthinktoyourself.“Angelaisagreatbusinessanalystbutwecan’tseemtogetonthesamepage.”
YouaretheProductOwnerforaScrumTeam,withaScrumMasterandaDevelopmentTeamofsevenpeople.Angela isontheDevelopment Team.Forthepastfewmonths,AngelahasrepeatedlygiventheDevelopmentTeamcontradictoryguidancetocompleteproductbacklogitems– differentdesignguidance,changingacceptancecriteriaandreprioritizingitems. Insprintplanningtoday,shespent15minutesarguingabasicpointaboutoneofthebacklogitems.
Whatdoyoudo?
1. Explainwhatyouwilldoyourself.2. Explainyourinteractionswithyourteam.3. Explainyourinteractionswithstakeholders.
Youhave4minutes.Youcanworkaloneorinsmallgroups.
HowDecisionGamesWork
› Simple§ Role-playing
• Leader– PO• Givensituationandresources
§ Limitedinformation• Uncertainty,confusionandcomplications=basiccharacteristicsoftacticaldecision-making(andarguablycoreofScrum– inspectandadapt)
§ Faceadilemma• Sometypeofdecision– aproblemrequiringasolution• Despiteabovelimitations,mustcomeupwithaworkablesolution
› GameObjectives§ Exercisedecision-makingskillsincontext§ Practicecommunicatingdecisions§ Providevicariousexperiencetodeveloppatternrecognitionskills
› AdditionalBenefits§ Illustratevariousconcepts§ Developimplicitunderstanding
3Rules
› Timelimit§ Essential§ Feellikelesstimethanneeded
› Communicatedecisions§ ”Cleartext”§ Briefing§ Encouragesdecisivenessfollowedbyreallifecommunicationmethods
› No”School”or“Facilitator”solutions§ Numberofwaystosolve§ Whatplayerdecidesislessimportantthanwhy§ Unusualsolutionsencouraged§ LikeHBScasestudies,whatreallyhappenedissometimesofferedwithsolutions…unless
gamesare‘madeup’
ThirdGame
YourScrumTeamformedtwomonthsagoandisinthemiddleofSprint5andtheyhavebeenmakinggoodprogress.You’vebeenworkingreallyhardtobeavailablefortheteam– atplanning,backlogrefinement,reviews,retrospectivesandatleastafewhourseverydayduringeachSprint.
Youjustfinishedmeetingyourbossforcoffeewherehetoldyouthatheandmarketingfinallylinedupfourofyourcompany’sbiggestcustomersforyoutovisit forthecustomerinterviewsthatyouhavebeenseekingforthepasttwoquarters.Thetripwilltakefourdays.Andallofthemeetings arescheduled atthesametimeastheendofSprint5andthebeginningofSprint6.
Whatdoyoudo?
1. Explainwhatyouwilldoyourself.2. Explainyourinteractionswithyourteam.3. Explainyourinteractionswithstakeholders.
Youhave3minutes.Youcanworkaloneorinsmallgroups.
DesigningYourOwnGames– 1of2
1. DecisionGamesasaStorya. Shortactionstories– Setthestage,introcharacters,addmoreandmoreinfo(some
confusing)andbuildtoaproblemthatbegsforasolution.Stopattheclimacticmomentandrequiretheplayertofinishthestory.
b. Exploredifferenttechniques
2. FormattheDecisionGamea. Describethescenario.Gofromgeneraltospecific.b. Givetheplayerstheinformationneededtomakethenecessarydecisionsforthegiven
situation,butdon’tmaketheirdecisionforthem.c. Describeeventschronologically.Thelast‘thing’makesclearthatadecisionshouldbe
made.
3. Sourcesa. Historyb. Experiencec. Createadilemma.Startwithacommonproblem.Fillinthesituation.
DesigningYourOwnGames– 2of2
4. BasicTypesofGamesa. “Hereisthegoal.”Providesituation.Theobjectthenbecomestodevelopaplanto
accomplishthegoal.b. ”Nowwhat?”Astheplayerbeginstoexecutetheplan,someunforeseeneventoccursthat
changesthewholescenario.Theobjectistoreacttothenewsituation.
5. DesignaProblem,NotaSolutiona. Startwithaproblme inmind.b. Createuncertainty– Lackofinformation,Ambiguityc. Createfriction–Murphy’sLaw.
6. InspectandAdapt
LastGame…ifwehavetime
YoujustlefttheSprintReviewwhereyouandtheteaminformedthestakeholders thatnoworkingsoftwarewasproducedintheSprint.Yourbosscornersyouandhe’sfurious.
Whatdoyousaytoyourboss?Youhave2minutes.Youcanworkaloneorinsmallgroups.
What’sNext?
› Depending onresponsetothisquestion…Ifyoucould playanewgameabouteverymonth, andsee
multiplesolutions, howlikelywouldyouparticipate?1– Absolutelynot2– Probablynot3– Maybe4– Almostcertainly5– Absolutely!
› OnlineAgiledecisiongamesdeliveredonsometypeoffrequency› Moreinformationonhowtofacilitate(Responsibilities,Traits,Howto,Techniques)
› Whatever elseisneededonthebacklog.J
