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Agile and the Bureaucracy

M oving Forward from Existing, to Surviving, to Thriving. Agile and the Bureaucracy. Big Business (any kind) moves slowly That doesn’t make them inherently evil or dim-witted… they just have a lot more layers and priorities to communicate with.

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Agile and the Bureaucracy

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  1. Moving Forward from Existing, to Surviving, to Thriving Agile and the Bureaucracy

  2. Big Business (any kind) moves slowly • That doesn’t make them inherently evil or dim-witted… they just have a lot more layers and priorities to communicate with. • An argument could be made that large businesses have the most to gain… but that doesn’t make it any easier. • The ‘perfect’ team may not survive – agendas and politics to compete with. John Carey - DTMB Reality

  3. Awareness – a few months vs. 2+ years Support – required on many levels on both customer and IT side; (Inherited customer trust) Critical Need – Staff Turnover / Knowledge Silos John Carey - DTMB For example (my world)

  4. Starting Point – ALM Assessment (point out shortcomings, and how Agile best practices can improve them.) Customers don’t really care about Agile – they want to know how you are going to improve their process/software. Constant reaching out – Alex Hutton/TechSmith, Dave Smith/Moblizd, Brendon Thiede/Vertifore/JNL, Gary Smith/Michigan Millers, Jeff Dalton/Broadsword Solutions… (Not even counting DTMB contacts, and these MMAG meetings.) John Carey - DTMB For example (my world) Con’t.

  5. http://anagilestory.com/ Pragilematic The Evolution of Business, Software, Technology & Leadership August Topic was ‘The Agile Management Fad’ – interesting read… Next eight tactics taken freely from the July 20, 2011 article: “Can Agile Work in Big Organizations?” (I KNEW other folks had been through this!) John Carey - DTMB A Great Link

  6. Yes….but you have to be pragmatic.  What I mean is that you’ll need to realize that this bureacracy and the people in it were bequeathed their titles for a reason.  They’re successful, to a certain extent, because they know how to get things done despite all the red tape and foot dragging.  As an agilist, these people are not your enemies despite their gantt charts and stakeholder evaluation matrices.  They’re your allies, your tools to be upwardly managed. John Carey - DTMB Hybridization of Agile:  Pragmagile

  7. 1. Follow the principles of The Pragmatic Manifesto.   Key among these… is embracing everyone…not just the software development team.  See everyone as having value and being able to participate and contribute to your software development process.  Be pragmagile. • 2.  Walk it, don’t talk it.  Show your company agile works.   Don’t go around preaching it and extolling its virtues when you haven’t even delivered one project yet.  You might even want to avoid the word ‘agile’ altogether and just say this is how I like to work:  meet every two weeks, go over any changes, hedge the risk that we don’t understand, and adjust project course as needed. John Carey - DTMB eIGHT Tactics

  8. 3.  Help your project sponsor help you.   Your project sponsor in a large corporation is likely a veteran of the company.  Don’t discount this as ‘stuck in the old  ways’.  They know stuff you don’t and they can help you stay in good graces with all the red tape barrons.   Keep a solid, open and agreeable relationship with your project sponsor. John Carey - DTMB eIGHT Tactics (con’t.)

  9. 4.  Give a little, get a little.  Another way of saying this…….don’t be dogmatic.  If someone doesn’t like some aspect of your agile approach don’t automatically write them off.  They may have good reasons for their objection, and by showing your concern and willingness to adjust…..you’re demonstrating a core tenant of agility.    If stand-ups are hard for people with back issues, then try a 15 minute conf call.   If the customer just can’t meet every two weeks, then try every month or on a more lucid schedule.  But above all…….be flexible John Carey - DTMB eIGHT Tactics (con’t.)

  10. 5.  Focus on the goal.  Delivery of your project/product is what you’re after.  Not agile adoption by your company.  Maybe you’ll get this as a side effect, but honestly…….you probably weren’t hired to evangelize the enterprise. Furthermore…you can’t do it on your own.  Put your accounting hat on and think hard-ball.  Git-her-done. (so you can start with a particular best practice that really helps the customer) John Carey - DTMB eIGHT Tactics (con’t.)

  11. 6.  Seek to understand the culture and the history behind it.   Maybe your company doesn’t move fast on this software project because your building something that its enormously complex and could kill someone if not done right.  There may be very good reasons for stifling rules and countless reviews/approvals.  Work with the grain of the wood…not against it. (a lot of rules are open to interpretation) John Carey - DTMB eIGHT Tactics (con’t.)

  12. 7.  Stop assuming everyone wants to be agile.   Worse yet, stop assuming everyone knows what it is.  They may have heard about it and chalked it up to no  more than a new process.  But those of us who’ve lived it know that the real change is cultural.  It’s a tough shift and it won’t happen overnight.  Be patient with those around you.  They’re trying to learn and you’re there to help them along.  Be prepared for the guy who says “Agile sucks and here’s why…”.  He may have valid reasons for his opinion and discounting him will only deepen his view. (encourage them to roll their own Agile – it’s awesome! They are just as smart as you are) John Carey - DTMB eIGHT Tactics (con’t.)

  13. 8.  Figure out the commitment level up front.  I wrote about this in another article:  Are You Committed?   But, essentially the team is supposed to commit to the iteration at hand.  But….what does that really mean?  Commitment is one word with many different interpretations.  Don’t assume you know how much the team is willing to commit and don’t assume that the companies HR policies and benefits jive with the agile philosophy. (Commitment ebbs and flows too) John Carey - DTMB eIGHT Tactics (con’t.)

  14. Be tenacious (in the nicest possible way) Network !! – Inside and Out It may take multiple attempts before Agile ‘sticks’ – leverage/learn from the prior efforts; The Same Everywhere – No substitute for ‘hard’ IT skillsets; Communication is a ‘hard’ skill. Ask any P.M. if you don’t believe me! John Carey - DTMB Summary

  15. http://www.allaboutagile.com/5-reasons-why-agile-development-must-be-driven-from-the-top/http://www.allaboutagile.com/5-reasons-why-agile-development-must-be-driven-from-the-top/ (February, 2010 article) – All About Agile With respect to large organizations, I say ‘yes, eventually.’ ‘The Top’ will want to see some evidence of success before they get behind it… you would be well served to line up a small success first – but that is an art in itself. John Carey - DTMB Reference

  16. Questions? Thank-You! careyj@michigan.gov John Carey - DTMB conclusion

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