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Ben Linders Advies

Valuable Agile Retrospectives: The Making of

XP Days Benelux, November 27, 2014Ben Linders Advies

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Ben Linders Advies

The Making of …A journey about writing and self-publicing books.

• How it all started• Writing the book … remotely• Tools for collaboration and communication• Translating withs worldwide teams• What we learned

Book about Valuable Agile Retrospectives

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Ben Linders Advies

Agile, Lean, Quality & Continuous Improvement

Retrospectives Facilitator, Agile Coach/MentorCMMI & People-CMM Assessor

Freelance Editor on Enterprise Agile for InfoQ.com

Who is Ben Linders?

Co-Author Getting Value out of Agile Retrospectives Dutch French Japanese Spanish Italian Chinese

Author: What Drives Quality

eBook: Download from InfoQ or LeanpubPrint: Buy on Amazon or Lulu

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Ben Linders Advies

Travel PartnerMeet Luis Gonçalves

Agile Coach, Co-Author, Speaker & Blogger

lmsgoncalves.com

@lgoncalves1979

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Ben Linders Advies

Publishing Partner InfoQ.com

Facilitating the spread of knowledge and innovation in enterprise development

Minibooks

Editor on Agile

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Ben Linders Advies

Toolbox of Retrospective Exercises

• Teams are different• Needs vary in time• Deliver more value for Teams

You can plan a retrospective meeting, and think about the technique that you want to use, but be open to change it on the spot whenever needed.

Toolbox of Retrospective Techniques

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Ben Linders Advies

Retrospectives BookGetting Value out of Agile RetrospectivesBy Luis Gonçalves & Ben Linders

1st edition: December 19, 2013: eBook on Leanpub & InfoQ

2nd edition: July 10, 2014: paperback on Amazon, Lulu, etc

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Ben Linders Advies

Book FactsLeanpub subscribers: 500 in 3 months, 1000 in 5 months, now 1691

InfoQ downloads: > 5500++

Reviews: Goodreads 4,06 Amazon 4.8

Bestseller: #7 on Agile #3 on Business & Economics

Languages: English Nederlands  Español  FrancaisJapanese  Italiano  Chinese

Interviews: SPaMCAST Collaboration Superpowers

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Ben Linders Advies

How I met Luis

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Ben Linders Advies

Getting to Know Each OtherConnecting via Twitter, LinkedIn, email, and Skype

Our goals• Share experiences with Retrospective• Connect with peers all around the world• Learn and discover new things and WoW• Have fun

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Ben Linders Advies

Plan & ContractMinibook proposal:• Target Audience• What will the book bring them?• Draft outline & blog posts• Book Properties• Author Bio’s

• Ok from InfoQ• Memorandum of Understanding

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Ben Linders Advies

TimelineJan 2013: First ideas on writing a bookFeb 2013: Book proposalMar 2013: Proposal accepted, gathering blog postsApr-Jul 2013: Writing new blog postsAug 2013: Announcing book

converting blog posts to book chaptersSep 2013: Book cover, writing supporting chaptersOct 2013: Foreword, book reviewNov 2013: Rework based on review, foreword by

Esther Derby, final reviewsDec 2013: Publication

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Ben Linders Advies

Writing Tools• Leanpub: Book generation & publishing• MarkdownPad 2: Editing• Dropbox: Manuscript sharing• Google Docs, Sheets: DoD, Terminology, etc

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Ben Linders Advies

Remote Collaboration• Trello taskboard• Asynchrone communication,

mostly email & Google docs• Skype calls• Trigger if something is urgent• Inform if (un)available

Luis and I met face 2 face only two times, first time was 3 months after book was published!

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Ben Linders Advies

What makes it work?• Trust• Openness• Discipline• Respect• Gratitude• Perseverance• Value

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TranslationsHelp teams all around the world to do

Valuable Agile Retrospectives

Available in:• Nederlands: Waardevolle Agile Retrospectives• Español: Obteniendo valor de las Retrospectivas ágiles• Francais: Tirer profit des rétrospectives agiles• Japanese:  アジャイルふりかえりから価値を生み出す 日本語版• Italiana: Ottieni il meglio dalle tue Retrospettive Agili• Chinese: 从敏捷回顾中收获价值

Ongoing and future translations: Deutsch,  русский and Português

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Ben Linders Advies

Translation Teams• Volunteering professionals• Self-organized (agile)• Distributed – Remote working

Learn retrospective exercisesWork in a distributed agile teamRecognition

Translations of Getting Value out of Agile Retrospective

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Ben Linders Advies

Way of Working• Invite via Social Media• Emails & Skype calls• Agree Conditions• Definition of Done• Trello board• Terminology• Do Retrospectives

Retrospective Findings • Do a Kick-Off• Supply tool info• Start with terminology• Virtual coffee machine

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Ben Linders Advies

Taskboard Translation team

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Ben Linders Advies

Time & Place Dispersed Team• Kanban (no Sprints)• Book author = Product Owner

& Scrum Master/Coach• Members contribute when

they have time/energy• Communication and

teambuilding on Trello board

Core qualities NL team • Helpful• Aim for consensus• Efficient• Structured• Innovative• Service Oriented• Dedicated

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Ben Linders Advies

Self-Publishing our BookGet books into as many channels as possible – eBook and Paperback

• Increased royalties• Have to do your own promotion

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Ben Linders Advies

Book DiscountsGetting Value out of Agile RetrospectivesBy Luis Gonçalves & Ben Linders

bit.ly/RetroValue

40% Discount eBook € 4.49bit.ly/RetroValueNL

bit.ly/RetroValueFR

Paperback: €10,-

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Ben Linders Advies

Questions?Questions?

Ben LindersIndependent Consultant Agile, Lean,Quality & Continuous Improvement

info@BenLinders.cominfo@BenLinders.com @BenLinders www.linkedin.com/in/benlinderswww.linkedin.com/in/benlinders www.facebook.com/BenLindersAdvieswww.facebook.com/BenLindersAdvies www.benlinders.comwww.benlinders.com

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Background Information

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Agile RetrospectivesPractice for teams to reflect on their way of working

and to continuously become better in what they do.

Focus upon• Team• Self organizing• Collaboration• Direct Value

What is an Agile Retrospectives

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Ben Linders Advies

Why Retrospectives?To help teams to solve problems and improve themselves!

• Becoming Agile and Lean• Make existing processes more Agile• Increase Value of Agile• Less resistance to Change

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Capable Retrospective Facilitators

Effective and Efficient Retrospectives:• Vital few improvement actions• Keep the invested time low

Facilitation by capable people:• Qualify and Authorize facilitators• Train: Purpose, techniques, skills Agile Improvement• Mentoring & coaching • Share & discuss retrospective experiences

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Ben Linders Advies

Leading RetrospectivesRoles• Facilitator – Servant Leader• Coach – Support Change• Manager – Arrange for Change

All roles are neededPlay the game togetherAction is in the interaction

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Ben Linders Advies

Expectations for Retrospectives• Effective Teamwork • Better Collaboration• Development Process• Velocity / Productivity• Product Quality• Costs• Lead Time

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Ben Linders Advies

Retrospective Exercises• Asking questions• One-word retrospective• Root Cause Analysis• Timeline• Flow and Energy• Asking Why?• Strenghts (Solution Focused)• Perfection game• Action priorities• Retrospective of Retrospectives• Teams with multiple customers

Book with Agile Retrospective Exercises

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Ben Linders Advies

Dutch Team

Douwe Attema, Berend van Duijvenvoorde, Angelo Hulshout, Sabina Renshof, Jan Toes,

Jacques van Vessem, Jelle de Vries

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Becoming Agile and LeanAsk yourself:• How Agile are you?• Where do you want to become

more Agile, and why?• What can you do next?

Journey to Become Agile and Lean

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Ben Linders Advies

Assessing yourself• Readiness• Agile / Scrum Practices• Culture & Mindset• Agile Fluency• Roadmaps for Adoption• Maturity

Agile Self-Assessment

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Articles on Effective Agile• Self-assessing how Agile you are• Sustainable Improvement through Agile Retrospectives• Working in a Sustainable Pace• Becoming Agile and Lean • Succes Factors for Using Scrum and Getting Benefits• Process Improvement: The Agile Way• Golden Rules for Agile Process Improvement• How to deal with Resistance when Implementing Agile• Managing Projects with Agile Teams• Agile Project Management• Establishing and Maintaining Stable Teams• Getting Business Value out of Agile Retrospectives• Sharing Knowledge is Power• Are your Professionals Empowered?