The document discusses implementing agile methodologies in an organization. It describes the basics of agile, including the agile manifesto and common agile methods. It then discusses how to properly implement agile in stages, including forming, storming, norming, and performing based on Tuckman's model of team development. Key steps outlined for each stage include focusing on teaching, observing, establishing daily stand-ups, choosing tools, implementing metrics and retrospectives, and gradually shifting to a coaching role. The document stresses that agile implementation is an incremental process and takes time for a team to fully transition.
2. About Me
• Jessie Link
• Senior Manager, Software
Development at Lookingglass
Cyber Solutions
• 12 years experience doing
software development
• Certified Scrum Master, PMP
• Agile Enthusiast
• Served 6 years USAF
Hello!Hello!
3. Should I Stay or Should I Go?
What this presentation
contains:
• Discussion of how to
implement agile
practices in your
organization
• How to refine/improve
your agile techniques
• Real world examples of
agile in practice
This is not for you if:
•You are an agile expert already
•You expect to learn about
Scrum for the first time
•You realize you’re in the wrong
session
5. Agile Manifesto
• Individuals and interactions over
processes and tools
• Working software over
comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over
contract negotiation
• Responding to change over
following a plan
* http://agilemanifesto.org/
6. Types of Agile Methods
* http://www.versionone.com/state_of_agile_development_survey/11/
7. What can Agile do for you?
Benefits of Agile:
• Faster time to delivery
• QA involved up front
• Flexible to fit your needs
• Highly disciplined
9. Okay, so how do I implement
Agile in my organization?
10. The Wrong Way
Hey team!Hey team!
YesYes
boss?boss?
Did you enjoy that 2Did you enjoy that 2
day Scrum Masterday Scrum Master
class I sent you toclass I sent you to
last week?last week?
Sure.Sure.
So you’re allSo you’re all
experts at agileexperts at agile
now, right?now, right?
Uhhh.....Uhhh.....
Glad to hear! I can’tGlad to hear! I can’t
wait to see howwait to see how
productivity jumpsproductivity jumps
100% by next week.100% by next week.
Wait aWait a
sec.....sec.....
So, where’s yourSo, where’s your
burndown chart? Andburndown chart? And
your backlog? Whenyour backlog? When
can I see the newcan I see the new
software?software?
Burndown chart? Backlog?Burndown chart? Backlog?
Um... does anyoneUm... does anyone
remember how to do those?remember how to do those?
Where’s that binder theWhere’s that binder the
instructor gave us.....instructor gave us.....
AGILE DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHTAGILE DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT
11. Be Agile About Going Agile
• Agile takes time to put into
placeImplementing Agile is an
incremental processNot all agile
practices are created
equalSwitching a team to Agile is a
lot like standing up a team from
scratch
13. Forming Stage
• Team comes together - the “getting to know you” stage
• Team may be motivated but are usually relatively uninformed
of the issues and objectives of the team
• People tend to avoid conflict in this stage
19. Things to focus on in Forming
Key Team Members
• This is Robb
• Every team should have a Robb
• You also need:
• Scrum Master
• Product Owner
• Test Lead
20. Tuckman’s Stages
of Team Development
of Team Development
FormingForming StormingStorming
NormingNormingPerformingPerforming
21. Storming Stage
• This stage involves conflict
• Team will challenge each other’s
ideas and perspectives -
including yours
• This is normal - it’s part of the
team figuring out how they will
work together, what problems
they want to solve.
• Most risky stage.
25. Things to focus on in Storming
There Are No Sacred Cows
Implement Retrospectives
26. Tuckman’s Stages
of Team Development
of Team Development
FormingForming StormingStorming
NormingNormingPerformingPerforming
27. Norming Stage
• Team has one goal
• Team members willing to put
their own ideas aside for the
greater good of the team
• All team members take
responsibility for success of
team goals
31. Tuckman’s Stages
of Team Development
of Team Development
FormingForming StormingStorming
NormingNormingPerformingPerforming
32. Performing Stage
• High performing
• Team is autonomous and
self-directing
• Team is motivated and
knowledgeable
• Conflict is easy handled within
team
• Best. Stage. Ever. (Assuming you can
reach it)
33. Things to focus on in Performing
Be an invisible presence at stand up
38. Remember
• Agile does not happen overnight
• Be disciplined enough to stick to the processes you have
• Be flexible enough to know when to change the processes that
aren’t working for you
• Don’t be scared of conflict - this is a normal part of team
evolution and transition into Agile
• Know when to apply and emphasize each process or technique
as your team progresses through the stages of Team
Development
39. Always Be Learning
• Conferences
• Meetups
• http://www.meetup.com/DC-Scrum/
• Training
• Books
• “The Agile Samurai” by Jonathan Rasmusson
(http://pragprog.com/book/jtrap/the-agile-samurai)
• Other agile practitioners
40. Thank You!
• Please come chat with me
afterwards
• jlink555@gmail.com
• Lookingglass is hiring!
• Software developers
• Cyber analysts
• UI/UX designers
• www.lgscout.com
Goodbye!Goodbye!
Editor's Notes
Official session description: “Are you familiar with Agile concepts such as Scrum, but unsure how to actually put it into practice? Have you tried to start an agile team but stalled out of the gate after a month or so? High performing agile teams don’t just happen overnight – it takes discipline and a well thought out plan of attack to slowly introduce and integrate good agile practices into your team’s daily workflow. This session will focus on not only how to start the agile transformation, but how to keep iterating and improving over time to achieve long term success.”
If Agile is a philosophy or a mindset, then let’s talk about the different frameworks available that help you realize that philosophy.
Each methodology has its strengths and weaknesses. Scrum is most popular, so that’s what I’ll focus on
Agile has been shown to work at companies both large and small.
It has also been known to fail at companies large and small...
how do we avoid that fate?
I know this sounds like a funny example, but this actually happened to a team I know.
If you can implement every single agile practice on day 1, more power to you. But I believe that there are some practices that are more important than others, and that a phased approach to slowly adding in more process and rigor is the best way to go
Bruce Tuckman’s stages of team development, 1965
phases are all necessary and inevitable in order for the team to grow, to face up to challenges, to tackle problems, to find solutions, to plan work, and to deliver results.
This stage is where you will be teaching the rest of your company about Agile processes. Note: I said company, not just team. It is important that you educate not just your team but the managers as well about what you’re trying to accomplish here.
Observe - be like Jane Goodall
What is daily standup? “What did you do yesterday, what did you do today, is there anything blocking your progress?”
15 minutes or less
Cadence is key - Scrum is all about rhythm
Get them speaking the same language. Define “done”. Define key terms such as “technical debt” - tell story of LG team and how no one could understand why code was having trouble
This is the stage where you need to decide which tools you need to do Agile. Are you a remote team? Are you co-located? That will influence which solutions will work best for you.
Key team members:
Coach, Scrum Master, QA, Product Owner
In Forming, you should be working together to lay groundwork for rest of the team to transition
Some teams never get away from this stage.
In Storming, you will need to be a bit more dictative - you will need to push people to do things, you will need to work with their boss at times to make sure they are compliant
Daily Stand Up is your best friendThis is your best opportunity to correct the team on best practices
You want to start collecting metrics. However, because you are still storming, those metrics will be too all over the place to have much value at first.
Theme: the team may challenge you, but stand fast to the processes you believe in
If you can’t explain why you’re doing a process, then you shouldn’t be doing it
If something isn’t working for the team and is preventing you from moving forward, you need to change it
This is where the retrospective is key <-- most important thing you will do (explain retrospectives briefly)
There are techniques to help you with retrospectives - may feel awkward at first
When you are in norming, you should be able to start gleaning lots of value from your metrics. You can begin to do predictive planning here.
Stories about the power of metrics
The power of agile is hitting the target everytime, versus having wild variations in ability to produce.
-- The story of how my manager tried to set performance goals for me based on speed of delivery
- You want to hit a pace that allows you to accomplish quality. Focusing just on speed can lead to defects and technical debt that kills you later on, if you’re not careful
Hard to get to, hard to maintain
At this stage, the team should understand Agile practices and will be self-directedDaily Stand Up should run itself
Team should feel like they are reporting to each other, not to you
Small changes, not large. You are just refining your process
Want to stay in Performing? Acknowledge that you can always do better. Always be re-evaluating where you are as a team, especially emotionally. Sprint retrospectives are a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of the team, and to ensure you stay in the performing stage
Congrats, you’ve done it!
Now, think about ways to spread the agile goodness. Look at ways that Agile might help other teams, or even management
Be agile about your OWN agile knowledge
Always be looking for ways to improve your agile kung fu