Key takeaways from 8 years scrum coaching and consulting

1. Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
Dr. Andreas Wintersteiger
andreas.wintersteiger@objectbay.com

2. Agile Transformation
Key Takeaways from 8 years of Scrum
Coaching
Dr. Andreas Wintersteiger
Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
andreas.wintersteiger@objectbay.com

3. © 2012 Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
I could see
SOME CHANGES
in companies going on...
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4. 4
WORKPLACE

5. PEOPLE
• Motivation
• Energy
• Relaxation
• Appraisals
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6. 6
PROCESSES

7. PHENOMENA
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• Open Source
• Crowd sourcing
• Startups as game changers
• War for Talents
OTHER

8. © 2012 Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
This is not going to work for us!
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9. © 2012 Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
RESISTANCE 9

10. © 2012 Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
But why?
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Let’s have a look at
where we’ve come from ...

11. © 2012 Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
Industrial Age
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•Humans - manual labour
•Muscle Power
•Minor parts of brain wanted
•No creativity desired
•Management control

12. © 2012 Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
Scientific Management
(1911)
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•Separation of Planning and Execution
•Norming of Work
•Selection and Instruction
•Targets & Incentivation
•Multiple Levels of Management
Frederick Winslow Taylor

13. © 2012 Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
The Age of Information
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•Humans produce Information
•Humans consume Information
•We are Knowledge Workers
•Work: Leverage the Brain

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Leveraging
brains?
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No Download! Communication

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100 %
Economies of Scale
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5x = 500 %
5x = ?

16. © 2012 Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
Last Century’s
Management Principles ...
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17. SELF ORGANIZING
TEAMS
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LESS MANAGEMENT
REQUIRED

18. Knowledge Work is different
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• Economies of Scale: only with Teamwork
• Working together
• Communication is KEY
• Demand controlled management of workload (PULL)
• Process Ownership, Instant Processes

19. Motivation
• Autonomy
• Mastery
• Purpose
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Dan Pink - The surprising truth about what motivates us

20. You think Agile is just another
PROCESS?

21. © 2012 Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
The
WORKPLACE
Revolution
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22. Biggest Blockages in Agile
Transformations seen so far
...
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• Self Organization not allowed
• Organizational & Management Structures can’t be
changed
• Communication Structures
• Transparency not wanted
• Certified Processes established & must-been-followed
• Low Standards Attitude

23. Is Agile the root cause?

24. Agile Transformation
Establishing a Vision
Dr. Andreas Wintersteiger
Objectbay Software & Consulting GmbH
andreas.wintersteiger@objectbay.com

25. Starting at the Team Level
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• Self-organizing Scrum
Teams
• cross-functional
• Scrum Master as Team
Coach
• Transparency
• Inspection & Adaption
• Process Ownership
• Empowerment
• Trust
• Learning
• Reliable Deliveries
• Less Defects
• Better Architecture

26. Team Coaching intensity
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get the team ready
to start
get the team trained
and started
get the team confident let the team do it
let the team
do it alone.
return visit
1 2 3 4 5 6

27. Start with pioneer teams
• Trailblazers showcase, win & create more demand
• Do not go halfway, keep improving
• Keep touch base
• Do not create heavyweight processes & structure
• Trust the team and show you do!
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28. Scale one level at a time
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29. Product Owners define
success
• Feature Backlog
• P.O.s form a Scrum Team
• and need a Scrum Master, too!
• P.O.’s have their Meetings
• ... and they ship the product
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30. Each P.O. is in two “teams”
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31. Feature
Backlog• Bad: Layer Teams
• Better: Component Teams
• Tricky: Platform Teams
• Best: Feature Teams
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Dependency Management

32. Communities of Practice
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33. Scrum Of Scrums
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34. The Big Picture
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35. Agile Transition Team
• Organizational Impediments become highly visible
• “Scrum Master Force” - Agents for the change
• Organizational Change controlled by Management
• Strategy
• Transition Backlog to drive change
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36. Transition Team
• Setup and made up of Senior Management
• Define Vision and Strategy
• Drive the Change
• Act on organizational Problems surfacing through Scrum
• HACK THE CORPORATE CULTURE
• Fearless Change (John Kotter)
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37. Impressions seen
• Lack of Stakeholder Involvement
• Technical Skills & Expertise at
Team Level
• Continuous Integration
• Test Automation
• Quality Attitude
• Teamwork, Lonely Warriors and
Communication issues
• “Disturbance from Production”
• No Collective Ownership,
Responsibility
• Bollywood Scrum
• Waterfall Sprints
• Late Acceptance
• No Release Cadence
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38. Quick Fixes
• Ensure Stakeholder/Management Involvement
• Team Level Intensive Care, Principles over Practices
• Empowerment on Team Level, Coaching, Transparency
• Agile Transition and Rollout Team
• Company Heartbeat: Synchronized Sprints
• Surface and manage Dependencies: Scrum Of Scrums
• Release Cadence: Agile Release Train
• Technical Excellence: Agile Developer Skills / Agile Engineering Practices
• Manage Culture Hacking
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