Simple exercise for gaining a common understanding and consensus about what it means to you, the team and the organization to be Agile. The Challenge The modern world of Agile systems-software product development and delivery presupposes we work faster and better, do more with less, change continuously, and invent new ways of working. The modern formula for work appears to be: More Success + Greater Speed + Fewer Resources + Constant Uncertainty + Increased Competition + Quicker Time to Market. Peoples beliefs, understanding and perspectives as well as their willingness and ability to change makes being Agile hard. Contributing to this challenge is a proliferation of new vocabulary, new terms, old terms having new meaning, guidance, books and articles on the subject and ones interpretation of what it means to be Agile. Goal of the exercise Minimize frustration and waste usually associated with gaining consensus on what it means to an individual, team and organization to “be Agile”; as they work through the forming, storming, norming and performing stages of team development. Objective Early adoption of what it means to the individual, team, and organization to be Agile; the results of which will minimize frustration and waste.

1. Simple exercise for gaining a common understanding and consensus about what it means to
you, the team and the organization to be Agile.
The Challenge
The modern world of Agile systems-software product development and delivery presupposes we
work faster and better, do more with less, change continuously, and invent new ways of working.
The modern formula for work appears to be:
More Success + Greater Speed + Fewer Resources + Constant Uncertainty +
Increased Competition + Quicker Time to Market.
Peoples beliefs, understanding and perspectives as well as their willingness and ability to change
makes being Agile hard.
Contributing to this challenge is a proliferation of new vocabulary, new terms, old terms having
new meaning, guidance, books and articles on the subject and ones interpretation of what it
means to be Agile as depicted below.
Copyright© Russell Pannone 2008 - rpannone@WeBeAgile.com Page 1 of 5

2. Goal of the exercise
Minimize frustration and waste usually associated with gaining consensus on what it means to an
individual, team and organization to “be Agile”; as they work through the forming, storming,
norming and performing stages of team development.
Objective
Early adoption of what it means to the individual, team, and organization to be Agile; the results
of which will minimize frustration and waste.
Instructions:
1. Break up into teams and if there are:
a. 2-3 people work independently
b. 4-5 people break into 2 teams
c. 6 or more people go for a maximum size of 3 people per team
d. Do not distribute any handouts yet
2. Have teams draw a tree that has at least 4 roots, a trunk, at least 6 branches and leaves on
the branches. Let 5 minutes pass and then distribute Handout-1. Once there is a lull in
drawing go to next step.
3. Have the team make a list of what they feel makes up being Agile; seed their list with:
iterative and incremental development, scrum, Agile values, concurrent testing and
continuous integration. Instruct the teams to document their compromises, negotiations
and tradeoffs.
4. Have them put their list of elements aside for the time being. Give the teams the list of
items contained in Handout-2 to match to one of the four parts of their tree. Once again
instruct the teams to document their compromises, negotiations and tradeoffs. Do not
show Handout-3 to teams yet.
5. Distribute Handout-3 and get back together as a group and have individuals share and
discuss as an entire group the differences.
a. Place the trees the teams drew in plain site for all to see
b. Have a group discussion first about the differences between Handout-3 and their
tree.
c. Next compare and discuss list of elements from Step 3 and the list of items on
Handout-2 and depicted on Handout-3.
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3. Handout-1
Significance of Roots
They provide a solid foundation that will nourish and support the tree. In the case of being
Agile and creative Agile thinking they represent the key foundational elements of being
Agile.
Significance of Trunk
The roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil, which are then transported up the tree
trunk. Just like the trunk is the part of a tree that connects the leafy crown with its roots
people with their depth of knowledge and specific skill levels connects the fundamentals of
what it means to be Agile to the actual doing the work and delivering commercial or
operational value.
Significance of Branches
The branches represent common approaches/practices or key building blocks for doing
something with a specific purpose in mind. An ordered set of assembled practices is a
practice pattern (dare I say process).
Significance of Leaves
The leaves obtain water and nutrients from the roots through the trunk that are necessary for
the manufacture of food from light energy (photosynthesis). Food made in the leaves is then
transported down to the roots and to other parts of the tree for growth. The leaves represent
results and the symbiotic relation between practices, people and the key elements of being
Agile.
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4. Handout-2
 Iterative and Incremental Development
 Continuous Integration
 Agile Manifesto: Values and Principles
 Concurrent Testing
 Test Driven Development
 Leading Change
 Scrum
 Commercial or Operational Value Added
 Lean
 People (Team/Individual)
 Four Level Planning
 Acceptance Test Driven Development
 Visual Modeling
 Daily Stand-Up
 Sprint Review
 Sprint Retrospective
 User Story Empowered Development
 Product Backlog
 Inspect and Adapt
 Requirements
 Use Cases
 Evolving Architecture s
 Charts: Velocity, Burn-up, Burn-down
 Evolving Architecture
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5. Handout-3
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