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Whose Line of Code is it Anyway?. ThoughtWorks India Away Day 2006 John Johnston. Improv and Agile. Scripts are the showbiz version of BUFD They can work Sometimes they are really good But sometimes years of preparation and deep thought don’t pay off. There is an alternative
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Whose Line of Code is it Anyway? ThoughtWorks India Away Day 2006 John Johnston
Improv and Agile • Scripts are the showbiz version of BUFD • They can work • Sometimes they are really good • But sometimes years of preparation and deep thought don’t pay off. • There is an alternative • Improv is the agile approach to showbiz • Improv does not mean there is no process or plan • Like Agile, Improv relies on a set of core values and reinforcing practices
Improv Flexibility Offering & Accepting Don’t pre-plan Collaboration Team work Trust Refactoring Be altered Simplicity Be obvious Be boring Agile Flexibility Incremental Design Adaptive planning Collaboration Pairing Conversations Refactoring Embrace change Simplicity Do the simplest thing that could possibly work Complimentary Nuts
Customer Focused • You have an onsite customer – the audience • Their delight and satisfaction is the ultimate goal • Can you align your enjoyment with theirs? • How? • Listen to them • Use your skill and expertise to deliver on your promises • Remember that you are there for them. • Enjoy yourself • Not at the expense of the audience
Improv Spirit! • Offering and Accepting are at the heart of improvisation • What is an Offer? It’s anything you say…. … or anything you do. So long as your partner accepts it YES • Accepting is easy. • It’s all about the magic word.
Bad Medicine • That seems easy enough but sometimes it’s hard to relinquish control • People try to take control by: • Negating offers • Rejecting action • Saying “NO” • This is BLOCKING. It’s real bad. • Being half-hearted is just as bad – WIMPING • For that matter wise-cracking is as bad as blocking. No GAGGING
Be simple, be special • When the going gets tough remember your Improv Spirit. • Keep it simple: • Be obvious • Be ordinary • Be fun (not funny!) • The hardest skill to master • How will I look brilliant?
Enough with the talking… • Jazz hands • Warm – Up • Machines • Tug of war • Three word sentences • Word-at-a-time • Yes and… • Alphabet Game