1 / 26

Agile Adoption

Agile Adoption. A Corporate Retrospective Alan J. Bartnik – The Vanguard Group Inc. Why Agile?. Continuous improvement DMAIC (Process Measurement & Optimization) Innovation Market forces Time-to-Market Speed of Change Build & Deploy Highest Value Features Workforce Demands

fulton-gibbs
Download Presentation

Agile Adoption

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Agile Adoption A Corporate Retrospective Alan J. Bartnik – The Vanguard Group Inc.

  2. Why Agile? Continuous improvement • DMAIC (Process Measurement & Optimization) • Innovation Market forces • Time-to-Market • Speed of Change • Build & Deploy Highest Value Features Workforce Demands • Less micro-management • More flexibility Cost • Pay-as-you go • Pay for what you need; not what you think you want

  3. It’s about being faster It’s about being better It’s about being cheaper …there’s no planning …there’s no control …there’s no managers Agile! The next big thing “Yeah I know about Agile” … It’s about…<insert misconception here>

  4. Agile @ Vanguard The ship turns slowly • Vanguard is an appropriately conservative Organization • Initial Agile success was scrutinized ironicallybecause… Cycle Time decreased dramatically Productivity increased dramatically Quality increased dramatically Crew Morale (never-go-back to waterfall feedback)

  5. Cycle-Time Improvement (≅ 2x)

  6. Productivity Improvement (≅ 2x)

  7. Quality Improvement (≈ 25%)

  8. Crew Morale • Self Organization • Sustainable Pace • Empowerment • Predictability • Accountability • Death Marches • Finger-pointing • NVA Documentation

  9. What’s not to like? Who’s in control? Sponsor Controls Scope! I don’t like the current process; but I know what’s expected Sponsors have to engage – daily!!! No Plan? I don’t have time for a daily meeting!!! No Requirements? Shared Roles? I’m skeptical… No Change Control? Change! Who will tell me what to do? No Schedule? I’m lost I worked hard to become a manager; now managers are not needed? Sustainable Pace? - Right! unless we fall behind I’m confused I’m afraid Self-Organizing Team? If we let employees set the pace… they’ll slack off Sustainable Pace? - Sounds like authorizing laziness Too risky… If we fail we’ll be punished… I’ve worked hard to become a project manager; now project managers are not needed? It’s too loosie-goosie I’m unsure No Status Reports?

  10. The Big challenge… Giving up our Command & Control Infrastructure …Of course - let’s be Agile(but)don’t change our organizational status quo …I’m totally onboardexcept that part about changing “my” process • Sponsor/Product Owner delegation …delegate engages & make daily decisions(sounds good) …I’ll reserve the right to reverse decisions made(now I’m comfortable) • Team Empowerment(walking the walk) …team decides;unless (until?) Leadership disagrees …team decides;but command & control is ready - if the Team might fail • Re-orienting our “best & brightest” …I’m the expertin the current process …I’m skepticalof empowerment …Agile is too riskyfor my comfort level …I’ll become less importantthan I am in the current organization

  11. Agility Risk Zone # of Stakeholders Time Where’s your Organization? Pilot:Resistance is low and decreases as “pilot” team adapts to Agile Rollout: Organizations, People & Processes resist change; try to adapt Agile to existing environment Adoption:Stakeholders embrace the innovative force unleashed; emphasize Agile improvement, team empowerment and maximization of benefits ADOPTION: Organizational Internalization Agile Experience ROLLOUT: Rising change resistance & Organizational Conflict ≈ 2 Years Change Resistance PILOT: Limited Organizational Awareness Vanguard is about here

  12. What are we doing well? People Executive Management Support Business’s eagerness to give Agile a try Supporting Infrastructure Team Adoption Practices Co-Location (effect on Agile Team) Adaptation to Agile: Stories & Front-burner Release-level burn-up: multiple teams Continuous Integration & Regression Automation Outcomes Co-location reduces integration issues Employee Morale - better with Agile Vanguard Retrospective

  13. What’s gone well? Leadership & Organization • Executive Leadership sees the value and supports adoption • Support infrastructure: Process Owner, Expert, and Advocate, Consulting Coaches • Most Teams quickly adopt Agile Business Receptiveness: • Some very real buy-in on the business side • Some very engaged in Sprint 0, Sprint Planning, eager to try and succeed • Some have: set-up war rooms, co-located teams, manage a front-burner with stories and tasks via stories, use SCRUM, etc. Agile Practices • Co-location is the initial “bitter pill” for team members; fades within a sprint or two • After initial “hunting & pecking” for their “type” of task, team learns to move L2R • Initial pilot efforts toward Automated Testing and Continuous Integration

  14. What could be better? People Departmental & Line Manager Adaptation “Team” mentality; not fired up to achieve sprint goals Practices Sponsor & Business Partner Education Debunking Agile Myths & Water-fallacies Providing adoption flexibility; adhering to the Manifesto Busting Organizational Impediments; Managing Up Infrastructure (Environments, CI & Test Automation) Adoption of XP / LEAN practices Target Outcomes Less “work as usual”; Team view rather than individual view Eliminate (impact on) “sub-contractors” Highly responsive IT; enabling business to meet Client’s Needs and Exceed expectations Vanguard Retrospective

  15. What can we do better? Leadership & Teams • Prevent adaptation of Agile to current Process (redefine Agile NOT embrace Manifesto) • Overcome resistance of leaders who perceive Agile as a threat(use transparency) • Decrease time required for teams to “gel”; (not every PM is a born Scrum Master) • Reduce Business Sponsor micromanagement (educate and build trust) Operational Impediments • Vanguard faces headwinds providing UNIX DEV environments; impedance when migrating from windows to UNIX; causes friction in release process (need more?) • Test Automation is making progress locally (federate to scale) • Role-aligned delivery model is not XP & Lean friendly; limit flexibility and productivity potential of our crew (paradigm shift, HR involvement) • Cross-skilled crew are less common than we’d like; many get conflicting direction from management: stick to their role tasks NOT become adept at any task (paradigm shift) • Not enough TDD (training and paradigm shift) • Teams don't really “get” XP, LEAN enough to try radical things (training) “I've had to make it a personal objective for everyone on my team (to "drive” them) to think / act innovatively when it comes to doing their work in the Agile Framework”

  16. Where are we Headed? How? • Track Results • Respond to Feedback • Apply Lessons Learned • Inventory & Share “Best Practices” • Manage “Up” • Foster Lean Principles • Implement Lean Practices • Trust & Support the “Team” What? • Internalize Skills • Realize Benefits • Adapt & Improve • repeat steps (1 – 3)

  17. Isn’t Resistance futile? Why do people (and Organizations) resist? Can resistance be avoided? Can active resistance be overcome? Change Resistance Group discussion topics

  18. Top-down “They said so …we have to comply” Bottom-up “They demand it … we have to comply” Is Resistance Futile?

  19. Isn’t resistance futile? Why do people (and Organizations) resist? Can resistance be avoided? Can active resistance be overcome? Change Resistance

  20. The algebra of change resistance…. A = B = C Change = Risk Risk = Survival Threat Change = Survival Threat!!! Logically - Why Resist?

  21. Isn’t resistance futile? Why do people (and Organizations) resist? Can resistance be avoided? Can active resistance be overcome? Change Resistance

  22. Can we talk? If people know – they fear less If people understand – they can make informed decisions How (do we) educate? Agile Manifesto → Sponsor/Product Owner buy-in Co-locate Business & Technical (paired-learning) Avoiding Resistance

  23. Isn’t resistance futile? Why do people (and Organizations) resist? Can resistance be avoided? Can active resistance be overcome? Change Resistance

  24. It’s cliché…WIIFM Emphasize and quantify the benefits to those affected Business Outcomes (time-to-market, customization) Technical Growth (learning, versatility, satisfaction) Results Count Perseverance and determination through challenges Let the results speak for themselves Conscript “antis” as “scorekeepers” Overcoming Resistance

  25. Isn’t resistance futile? Why do people (and Organizations) resist? Can resistance be avoided? Can active resistance be overcome? Change Resistance

  26. Comments, Observations, Questions

More Related