The Anatomy of an Agile Organization

agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

The Anatomy of an Agile OrganizationBecoming Agile: starting from a team and ending to a whole organization!


Andrea Tomasini

Agile Coach & Trainer [email protected]

@tumma72@agile42/coaches

mailto:[email protected]


How much spicy do you want it?


Why an Agile Organization?


CorporateHi

erar

chy

Compliance

Individ

ual


We change the structure ...

... every 6-9 months


We expect to gain

more


Chaos Dispirit Demotivation


Why?

Symptom ≠ Problem


Agile Pilot Success! Teams demonstrated that Agile can deliver value faster, higher quality, and is motivating

Organizations are pressed into Agile, as they can’t seem to find a way back...


Fear of a Revolution, pushes companies to impose old structures and control systems on

Agile Teams...


And the carousel starts again...1.Enforce Rules & define KPIs 2.Measure individual performance/compliance 3.Focus on accountability not value 4.Get it right the first time...


What makes a team Agile?


1. Agile Values & PrinciplesAgile Values & Principles are supporting teams developing the right attitude to enable continuos and regular value delivering to the client, while continuously improving


Individuals & interactions

Working software

Customer collaboration

Responding to change

Processes & tools

Comprehensive documentation

Contract negotiation

Following a plan

o v e r

We recognize the value here...We value

this more….


2. Empirical Process ControlSwitching from measuring compliance to measuring outcome


Defined Process ControlThe time required to complete a repeatable action is a valid proxy to predict time to complete


68!

10s 20s5s 15s

20

19

38 5280? 76? 69?


Empirical Process ControlEvery step performed while creating a new product is unique, only outcome can be trusted


3. Iterative and incrementalStop assuming you already know what the client wants and discover it while building it together

agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

I need to move from A to B faster, and avoid traffic…


I am not that good at stating in equilibrium I need something more stable…


I am stable now, but not fast as I would like to be, can we go faster?


I figure I am pretty tired in the evening, and though I like sport, I still need to be faster


Inspect the outcome and learn to validate your assumptions & hypothesis

What is this?


4. The power of PullCreating ideal conditions for collaboration and shared responsibility


Push

PullIndividual

Team

Com

pliance

Colla

borati

onCompetition

Focu

s on v

alue


5. Self-OrganizationTeams are organizing and managing themselves, as they are taking responsibility to deliver value and maximize their effectiveness and efficiency


self-

organi

zed

managed


...all on the same boat...all on the same boat


6. FocusDeliver value, one step at a time by stopping starting new things, and focusing on finishing already started things


Focus: Getting things done, one at a time...


7. Continuous ImprovementOrganization and structures are constantly challenged in order to deliver more value and faster. Teams are empowered to change the way they work and organize themselves, and they do it at regular intervals


Ove

rbur

den

(無理

: mur

i)

do not overload yourPeople


Unnecessary Variations (斑: mura) keep the Flow

Even


Wasteful Activities (無駄: muda)

remove non value adding

Activities


What makes an Organization Agile?


Every Organization is constituted of parts interacting with each other. These aim at moving the whole organization towards fulfilling its vision, by delighting as many customers as possible on the way

Visibility

Vision & Direction

Safety


Steering

&

Control Power

Comfort

… and under the hood some more important things


1. Agile Values & PrinciplesAgile Values & Principles are bringing within an organization a culture of collaboration and cultivation, focusing on customer delight


Cultivation Competence

Control

Peopl

eIm

personal

Actuality

Possibility

Collaboration

William Schneider - The four Core Cultures

Agile Values & Principles


Experiences

Pyramid of Results

Beliefs

Actions

Results

CultureMan

age

Lead

The “Results Pyramid” is copyright of Partners in Leadership LLC

shift

the

balanc

e

coaching is an ongoing long term investment


2. Empirical Process ControlAs we want to improve continuously, we need to establish ways to control the processes, which are not bound to the processes but to the outcome...


Costs

Sc

opeT

ime


Break the

Iron

Triangle!

Stop using vanity metrics

and KPIs measuring the

process


Share a clear

Vision and set

a common

direction...


Share a strategy and validate

the path while you go...


Inspect the outcome and learn to validate your assumptions & hypothesis

What is this?


3. Iterative & IncrementalStop dreaming to get the 100% perfect results at the first time. It is not going to happen, and even if, would simply cost too much...


People will fear to change, unless it feels safe to fail...


Experiments don’t have to be perfect, they need to allow you to validate

changes incrementally


4. The power of PullNurture a Pull environment where people can take responsibility and ownership of their actions. Delegate capacity management within the teams, and prepare just enough things to pull as needed, or will be waste...


By preparing enough “items” to be worked on, you allow your teams to pull just as much work as they think they can deliver...


… so yo

u will

maximize

your

capacit

y, and

use all

the

horse-

power

you hav

e!


5. Self-OrganizationMake it easy and comfortable for teams to exchange experience and collaborate. Allow the teams to determine which structures are better suited to achieve a given goal...


Allow to retrospect often


Encourage

forming

Community

of Practice


6. FocusDeliver value, one step at a time by stopping starting new things, and focusing on finishing already started things


Maximize your cash-

flow by delivering what

you have started, before

starting something

new...


7. Continuous ImprovementOrganization and structures are constantly challenged in order to deliver more value and faster. Teams are empowered to change the way they work and organize themselves, an organization needs to focus on optimizing the whole...


You can upgrade your

engine, with more Agile

Teams...


And you may succeed fitting it into the existing structure...


But probably you will challenge the structure and think it anew...


So let your organization evolve through validated learning...


… faster feedback loops are necessary to be faster on the road to success...


… the instruments of control that you successfully used so far...


… need to be updated with new metrics to measure the outcome in detail...


A static strategy might not be

suited for the new speed...


You might need a more dynamic and adaptive way of directing your company, to reflect changes rapidly...


Finally, you will need to develop internal leadership and coaching capabilities, to allow your organization to adapt rapidly and continuously to changes!


1. There is no blueprint for an Agile Organization, as from the moment you’ll try to define one, it won’t be Agile anymore!


2. Build the Organization around your Teams, and allow for maximum value delivery. Subordinate any structure to the purpose of delivering value faster (emergent design)


3. Becoming an Agile organization it is not a goal, it is a conscious decision to embrace a journey towards continuous improvement


4. Becoming Agile starts from changing your mindset, and that requires openness, respect, focus, commitment and courage!


Thank

You!


More food for thought...

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The Anatomy of an Agile Organization

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