Concrete Experimentation in Scrum at Scrum Australia 2014

Scrum Australia 21/10/2014 Bernd Schiffer

ConcreteExperimentation

in Scrum

Moving to Australia

Move to Australia

Is it nice?

Get pregnant

Yes

No Moveback

Planfor OzOur

20%Chance of getting pregnant

per ovulation cycleif absolutely everything’s okay.

Getting pregnant isCOMPLEX(not complicated)

complicated

complex

“Complexity is generally used to characterise something with many parts where those parts interact with each other in multiple ways. […] …even among scientists, there is no unique definition of complexity…”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complexity

A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making

harvard business review • november 2007 page 7

Decisions in Multiple Contexts: A Leader’s Guide

Effective leaders learn to shift their decision-making styles to match changing business environments. Simple, complicated, complex, and chaotic contexts each call for different managerial responses. By correctly identifying the governing context, staying aware of danger signals, and avoiding inappropriate reactions, managers can lead effectively in a variety of situations.

THE CONTEXT’S CHARACTERISTICS THE LEADER’S JOB DANGER SIGNALS

RESPONSE TO DANGER SIGNALS

SIM

PLE

gnitaepeR patterns and consistent events

raelC cause-and-effect relationships evident to every-one; right answer exists

Known knowns

Fact-based management

Sense, categorize, respond

erusnE that proper processes are in place

Delegate

Use best practices

Communicate in clear, direct ways

Understand that extensive interactive communication may not be necessary

Complacency and comfort

eriseD to make complex problems simple

Entrained thinking

No challenge of received wisdom

Overreliance on best practice if context shifts

Create communication channels to challenge orthodoxy

yatS connected without micromanaging

t’noD assume things are simple

Recognize both the value and the limitations of best practice

CO

MP

LIC

AT

ED

trepxE diagnosis required

Cause-and-effect relationships discoverable but not immediately apparent to everyone; more than one right answer possible

Known unknowns

Fact-based management

Sense, analyze, respond

Create panels of experts

Listen to conflicting advice

Experts overconfident in their own solutions or in the efficacy of past solutions

Analysis paralysis

Expert panels

Viewpoints of nonexperts excluded

egaruocnE external and internal stakeholders to challenge expert opinions to combat entrained thinking

esU experiments and games to force people to think outside the familiar

CO

MPL

EX

Flux and unpredictability

No right answers; emergent instructive patterns

Unknown unknowns

Many competing ideas

A need for creative and innova-tive approaches

Pattern-based leadership

Probe, sense, respond

Create environments and experiments that allow patterns to emerge

Increase levels of interaction and communication

esU methods that can help gener-ate ideas: Open up discussion (as through large group methods); set barriers; stimulate attractors; encourage dissent and diversity; and manage starting conditions and monitor for emergence

Temptation to fall back into habitual, command-and-control mode

noitatpmeT to look for facts rather than allowing patterns to emerge

eriseD for accelerated resolution of problems or exploitation of opportunities

Be patient and allow time for reflection

esU approaches that encourage interaction so patterns can emerge

CH

AO

TIC

High turbulence

No clear cause-and-effect rela-tionships, so no point in looking for right answers

Unknowables

Many decisions to make and no time to think

High tension

Pattern-based leadership

Act, sense, respond

kooL for what works instead of seeking right answers

ekaT immediate action to reestablish order (command and control)

edivorP clear, direct communication

gniylppA a command-and-control approach longer than needed

“Cult of the leader”

dessiM opportunity for innovation

Chaos unabated

teS up mechanisms (such as parallel teams) to take advantage of opportunities afforded by a chaotic environment

egaruocnE advisers to challenge your point of view once the crisis has abated

kroW to shift the context from chaotic to complex

A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making

harvard business review • november 2007 page 7

Decisions in Multiple Contexts: A Leader’s Guide

Effective leaders learn to shift their decision-making styles to match changing business environments. Simple, complicated, complex, and chaotic contexts each call for different managerial responses. By correctly identifying the governing context, staying aware of danger signals, and avoiding inappropriate reactions, managers can lead effectively in a variety of situations.

THE CONTEXT’S CHARACTERISTICS THE LEADER’S JOB DANGER SIGNALS

RESPONSE TO DANGER SIGNALS

SIM

PLE

gnitaepeR patterns and consistent events

raelC cause-and-effect relationships evident to every-one; right answer exists

Known knowns

Fact-based management

Sense, categorize, respond

erusnE that proper processes are in place

Delegate

Use best practices

Communicate in clear, direct ways

Understand that extensive interactive communication may not be necessary

Complacency and comfort

eriseD to make complex problems simple

Entrained thinking

No challenge of received wisdom

Overreliance on best practice if context shifts

Create communication channels to challenge orthodoxy

yatS connected without micromanaging

t’noD assume things are simple

Recognize both the value and the limitations of best practice

CO

MP

LIC

AT

ED

trepxE diagnosis required

Cause-and-effect relationships discoverable but not immediately apparent to everyone; more than one right answer possible

Known unknowns

Fact-based management

Sense, analyze, respond

Create panels of experts

Listen to conflicting advice

Experts overconfident in their own solutions or in the efficacy of past solutions

Analysis paralysis

Expert panels

Viewpoints of nonexperts excluded

egaruocnE external and internal stakeholders to challenge expert opinions to combat entrained thinking

esU experiments and games to force people to think outside the familiar

CO

MPL

EX

Flux and unpredictability

No right answers; emergent instructive patterns

Unknown unknowns

Many competing ideas

A need for creative and innova-tive approaches

Pattern-based leadership

Probe, sense, respond

Create environments and experiments that allow patterns to emerge

Increase levels of interaction and communication

esU methods that can help gener-ate ideas: Open up discussion (as through large group methods); set barriers; stimulate attractors; encourage dissent and diversity; and manage starting conditions and monitor for emergence

Temptation to fall back into habitual, command-and-control mode

noitatpmeT to look for facts rather than allowing patterns to emerge

eriseD for accelerated resolution of problems or exploitation of opportunities

Be patient and allow time for reflection

esU approaches that encourage interaction so patterns can emerge

CH

AO

TIC

High turbulence

No clear cause-and-effect rela-tionships, so no point in looking for right answers

Unknowables

Many decisions to make and no time to think

High tension

Pattern-based leadership

Act, sense, respond

kooL for what works instead of seeking right answers

ekaT immediate action to reestablish order (command and control)

edivorP clear, direct communication

gniylppA a command-and-control approach longer than needed

“Cult of the leader”

dessiM opportunity for innovation

Chaos unabated

teS up mechanisms (such as parallel teams) to take advantage of opportunities afforded by a chaotic environment

egaruocnE advisers to challenge your point of view once the crisis has abated

kroW to shift the context from chaotic to complex

A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making by David J. Snowden and Mary E. Boone in Harvard Business Review (11.2007)EXP

ERIM

ENT

S

So, experimenting…

Not our own chart!

Preferences over Plans

CAT SHOE, SIC!clear goal arranged trackable through metrics small has due date out in the open

evalutated through hypothesis safe-to-fail

impelled by champions communicated before start

Thus!

Another example

Fix It or Trash It

Clear GoalStop piling up bugs.

Arranged

cf. ”How We Deal With Software Defects in Production" by Oliver Lorenz (10.09.2013, http://www.technology-ebay.de/the-teams/mobile-de/blog/how-we-deal-with-software-defects-in-production.html )

Trackable Through Metrics

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

#bug

s

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

week-8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6

bugs raised bugs fixed and trashedExperiment starts here

Small“Only” 6 weeks. Only one team.

small

Has a Due DateAfter 6 weeks, incl. presentation of final results after standup scheduled in advance.

Out in the

Todo Arrange Experi-menting

Ready for Reflection Done

3

Smaller Teams

Hire internal Coach

First Open Space

Fix It or Trash It

Happi-ness Index

cf. “7 Steps to Build a Kanban Board for a Scrum Team’s Impediments” by Bernd Schiffer (05/09/2011, http://agiletrail.com/2011/09/05/7-steps-to-build-a-kanban-board-for-a-scrum-teams-impediments )

Open

Yes, that’s a Kanban board.

Evaluated through Hypothesis

h = We can handle more or equal amount of bugs than currently coming in.

h0 = The amount of bugs keeps increasing.

Safe-to-Fail

Source: http://thinkvitamin.com/design/backstage-star-wars-photos/

Impelled by Champions

Communicated before Start

CAT SHOE, SIC!clear goal arranged trackable through metrics small has due date out in the open

evalutated through hypothesis safe-to-fail

impelled by champions communicated before start

Thus!

Tip 1: Do Retrospectives

Treat every action as an experiment.

Tip 2: Uncover What’s Really

Going on

http://thechive.com/2014/04/23/this-will-get-your-ocd-boiling-27-photos/funny-ocd-17/ http://www.jokideo.com/ocd-overdrive/

http://www.clickypix.com/funny-ocd-pictures-drive-crazy/funny-ocd-pictures-26/

Tip 3: Don’t Be Perfect

http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/4044631/Ocd+20/

OurExperi-

ment’sOutcome

Result ofOur Experiment’s Outcome

Concrete Experimen-

tation in Scrum

Bernd SchifferScrum Australia 21/10/2014

‣@berndschiffer‣@bold_mover‣ [email protected]

‣ http://slideshare.net/berndschiffer‣ http://berndschiffer.com‣ http://boldmover.com‣ http://agiletrail.com

Thank you!