At Redgate we've identified six key principles for great product development teams and unleashed our Fantastic Beasts to help our teams explore them!

1. FANTASTIC BEASTS
AND WHERE TO IMPROVE THEM
Chris Smith
@cj_smithy
Lean Agile Scotland, 3rd October 2018

2. In this workshop…
Some context about Redgate and our quest
for more autonomous teams.
Find out about our Fantastic Beasts; why
they exist, what they represent and how we
use them.
Explore what the Beasts mean to you and
take away the means to unleash them in your
habitat.

4. Introductions

6. We believe the best way to
make software is by engaging
teams empowered with
freedom to act, clear purpose
and a drive to learn

7. We do our best
work in empowered
teams

8. Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose

9. We had the right conditions

10. A story about a horse…

11. SRS Story

12. Turn the Ship Around!

13. What we wanted
Push authority to the information, not
information to the authority
More engaged and motivated people
Increased personal growth
Alignment with our vision for great product
development teams

14. Building Our Dev Team Vision

15. Sticky principles
We needed something:
• Memorable and fun
• We could use as an internal brand
• Encouraged us to think differently
Introducing the Fantastic Beasts…

16. Here comes an interactive bit…

17. The Forced Analogy Game
1. Get into groups of 5 to 8
2. Grab an index card and a pen.
3. Draw an inanimate object. You have 1 minute.
4. Each group put their cards together and shuffle them
5. Each person take a card.
6. Think about how your team are like that object. Yes,
really. You have 1 minute.
7. Go around the table and share. You have 5 minutes.

18. The Forced Analogy Game

19. FANTASTIC BEASTS
AND WHERE TO
IMPROVE THEM

20. Porpoise
We deliberately focus on
our purpose
Every team member knows why
their team exists; their mission
and why it’s important.
Teams have a plan for their
upcoming work.
Teams know the benefit they
hope their work will deliver and
how it contributes to their
mission.

21. Jellyfish
We are honest and
transparent
Everyone is able to see a
team’s aims, plans and
progress without having to
ask.
Teams are honest and open
about failures and
successes; asking for help
when they need it, and
celebrating achievements.

22. Chameleon
We inspect & adapt
Teams ship frequently, deliver
value in thin slices and use
feedback to guide their
solutions.
Teams take time and space to
think deeply about the important
challenges they face.
Teams continuously improve,
shaping their processes and
practices so they work better for
them.

23. Owl
We learn about the users of
our products
Team members engage with our
users and strive to learn about
them and their world.
Team members understand the
domain in which their products
exists.
Teams use this knowledge to
make critical decisions and build
software that our customers love.

24. Meerkat
We collaborate and listen
Team members work together
more often than they work apart.
Team members engage in open,
honest debate and really listen to
each other.
Teams think about how their
work affects others and often go
out their way to help.

25. Koala
We deliver
sustainable quality
Teams balance technical
excellence with the drive to
deliver valuable work to users.
Neither one overwhelms the
other.
Teams care about the products
they create, the code they
engineer and the service they
provide to their customers.

26. How we use the Beasts

27. Here comes an interactive bit…

28. How does your team score
against the Beasts?
Groups of 5 to 8
Each person needs a scorecard, two pens
(different colours) and a few post-its
You are going to score your team against
each beast…

29. Porpoise
We deliberately focus on our purpose

30. Jellyfish
We are honest and transparent

31. Development teams at Redgate enjoy delivering valuable, ingeniously simple
solutions with the help of six Fantastic Beasts
FANTASTIC BEASTS
With the power of the Porpoise
we stay focused on our
purpose
The agile Chameleon reminds
us to adapt as we frequently
inspect feedback and learn
from our situation
The transparency of the
Jellyfish keeps us open and
honest
The wise Owl focusses us on
learning about our users and their
world
The collaborative Meerkat
encourages us to listen and
be mindful of others
The proud Koala
maintains a healthy
balance between delivery
and quality

32. How does your team score
against the Beasts?
Show your group your card
Discuss; what is interesting, what patterns
are there, what questions do you have?
Choose two animals for the group to spend
more time on.

33. How does your team score
against the Beasts?
Share why is your score X and not zero? Stay
positive. You have 5 minutes.
Think about what you could do to make your
score one better. Write it on a post-it.
Share your “one better” ideas in your group.
You have 5 minutes.
Push your group mates for concrete actions.

34. Development teams at Redgate enjoy delivering valuable, ingeniously simple
solutions with the help of six Fantastic Beasts
FANTASTIC BEASTS
With the power of the Porpoise
we stay focused on our
purpose
The agile Chameleon reminds
us to adapt as we frequently
inspect feedback and learn
from our situation
The transparency of the
Jellyfish keeps us open and
honest
The wise Owl focusses us on
learning about our users and their
world
The collaborative Meerkat
encourages us to listen and
be mindful of others
The proud Koala
maintains a healthy
balance between delivery
and quality

35. How does your team score
against the Beasts?
Share why is your score X and not zero? Stay
positive. You have 5 minutes.
Think about what you could do to make your
score one better. Write it on a post-it.
Share your “one better” ideas in your group.
You have 5 minutes.
Push your group mates for concrete actions.

36. How we use the Beasts
Retrospective session
Use scaling technique to
assess each beast
Discuss recent improvements
Brainstorm how team could +1
on score
Highlight patterns and themes
Decide what to do

37. Are the Beasts working?

39. The Lost Beasts

46. [insert “collaborative” 80’s movie
villain here]
@cj_smithy

47. It’s OK, it’s nearly lunch…

48. In this workshop…
Some context about Redgate and our quest
for more autonomous teams.
Find out about our Fantastic Beasts; why
they exist, what they represent and how we
use them.
Explore what the Beasts mean to you and
take away the means to unleash them in your
habitat.

49. Development teams at Redgate enjoy delivering valuable, ingeniously simple
solutions with the help of six Fantastic Beasts
FANTASTIC BEASTS
With the power of the Porpoise
we stay focused on our
purpose
The agile Chameleon reminds
us to adapt as we frequently
inspect feedback and learn
from our situation
The transparency of the
Jellyfish keeps us open and
honest
The wise Owl focusses us on
learning about our users and their
world
The collaborative Meerkat
encourages us to listen and
be mindful of others
The proud Koala
maintains a healthy
balance between delivery
and quality

50. References
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What
Motivates Us
Dan Pink
Gamestorming: A Playbook for Innovators,
Rulebreakers, and Changemakers
Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James Macanufo
Turn the Ship Around!
L. David Marquet
www.ingeniouslysimple.com

51. THANK YOU!
Chris Smith
chris.smith@red-gate.com
@cj_smithy