Agile AdvocacyJIM URE

My background

IT Leadership and Project Leadership

Advocacy is part of both.

Good agile advocacy is important

• It facilitates change.• Agile works best when it is understood & supported.• Advocacy provides a point of alignment.• Advocacy has an impact on adoption. [ + | - ]

Definitions for Advocacy

• To support or urge by argument, especially publically. (Webster’s)

• Wide range of activity conducted to influence decision makers at various levels. (Innovation Network)

• Influencing others to embrace change. [accept]

Characteristics of advocacy• Influence model, not an authority model• Taking a position, not presenting alternatives• Selling the benefits, not the solution• Identify areas of change: new, modified, goes away• Different tactics for each organizational level• Needed more where established process is entrenched• Needed less where change will be readily accepted

Good agile advocacy

• Identifies benefits & challenges together• Identifies change: new, modified, removed• Aware of areas of resistance• Is tailored for each audience

Audiences

• Executive Management• Organizational stakeholders & functional groups• Technical teams

Who is the advocate?

• Development Manager• Project Manager• ScrumMaster, Product Owner• IT Leader• Technical lead

Advocating with Executive Management• Have a Sponsor

• Know exactly what you need: Funding? Support vs. decision? Resource allocation? Change to roles, governance, project management, portfolio mgnt, procurement, etc?

• 1 on 1 first before group meetings

• Know your audience - motivations and pain points

Presenting to Executive Management• Clear, concise, simple, direct

• Generally don’t need to know a lot about methodology

• Cover: Purpose (Why) Alignment with organizational strategy Benefits & Challenges Costs Risks WIFM – Impacts (resources, projects, schedules, etc.) Changes

Executive Management - CAUTION

They also need to know what they AREN’T going to get.• Detailed project plans and Gantt charts won’t be used.

• Status reports will be partially replaced by product demos.

• Scope will be flexible.

• [When outsourcing] Detailed SOWs based on completed requirements and change orders.

Advocacy for other stakeholders

• Focus is on what we need from them: regular involvement, decision making, participation in sprint review sessions, etc.• What has changed from how we used to work.• Benefits & Challenges

Advocacy in the team – different dynamic

• Agile advocates as peers• Socialize vs. evangelize• Identify resistance points & deal with them

Non advocacy – stealth mode

• When team and organization has a high degree of readiness

Advocacy is “done” when:

• Resistance -> acceptance -> embracing -> the norm

• Everyone is an agile advocate & works towards continuous improvement

Pitfall – Not preparing for productivity adoption cycles

Other pitfalls

• Preconceptions: agile means faster, cheaper, right?

• Agile as panacea

Agile Personality Types

Being Agile: Your Roadmap to Successful Adoption of AgileMario Moreira

For more information

Jim Ure

jure@comcast.net