Scrum Gathering South Africa 2013 Keynote

The Magic of Agile Development

Geoff Watts

First of all...

...some appreciation

mason cooley

“To make people disappear, ask them to fulfil their promises”

The Grandmother’s necklace

“A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician”

Robert-Houdin

why magic???

Magic as a bad analogy

Manipulation

Deception

Sleight Of HandTrickery

Fooling The Audience No Such Thing

Overtaken by science

Magic as a bad analogy

Let me see if I can prove a point

Houdini

How is magic relevant?

People are left thinking “how the..?!” as a result of something very simple

Agile done well is simple & can feel like magic

My Magic Journeyis like

An Agile Journey

peopleover

process

principles of magic

“Continuous attention to technical excellence and simple trick design enhances ability”

people over process

Will it make the boat go faster?

collaborationover

contracts

principles of magic

“Entertainers and producers must work closely together to ensure that all aspects of the

performance deliver delight”

principles of magic

“Good entertainers set out to please, not to fool their audience. Treat volunteers with courtesy and

humour, do not make fun of them”

collaboration over contracts

softwareover

documentation

Magic has had to evolve

“Our highest priority is to entertain the audience through thought provoking and continuous

surprises”

software over documentation

“The secret impresses no-one, the trick you use it for is everything”

- The Prestige

GUARDING AN EMPTY SAFE

It’s pointless

beware...

RESPONDING TO CHANGEover

FOLLOWING A PLAN

principles of magic

“At regular intervals, the magician reflects on how to become more entertaining, then adjusts and

tests the presentation accordingly”

RESponding to change over following a plan

principles matter

“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle stand like a rock”

- Thomas Jefferson

Abstraction

TECHNOLOGY

Technology has led to great opportunity

But also greater skepticism

Same with tools?

A Little BIT about greatness

some things look magical but aren’t

some things look magical but aren’t

Some times it’s the little things

A good ScrumMaster says what needs to be said

A great ScrumMaster knows the power of silence

WHAT IS impossible?

A good magician can take a simple principle and wow the crowd

A great magician can seemingly achieve the impossible

WHAT IS impossible?

A good Scrum team can take a simple principle and wow management

A great Scrum team can seemingly achieve the impossible

WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE?

Magicians think of something completely impossible, then figure out a way to APPARENTLY accomplish it

You need to figure out ways of actually accomplishing things that are SEEMINGLY impossible

limiting beliefs

LOcus of control

“Most of what happens in life is controlled by forces that we don’t understand and are outside of

our control”

Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

1 2 3 4

LOcus of control

“Success hinges on being in the right place at the right time”

Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

1 2 3 4

LOcus of control

“Whether I work hard or not, it won’t affect how people assess my performance”

Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

1 2 3 4

LOcus of control

“Leaders are born and not made”

Strongly Agree Strongly Disagree

1 2 3 4

LOcus of control

4 - 7 High External Locus of Control

8 - 12 Variable Locus of Control

13 - 16 High Internal Locus of Control

limiting beliefs

Cliff Jones

61 year old toothless sheep farmer

1981 Sydney to Melbourne Ultra-marathon (544 miles)

150 world class, trained athletes

Conventional wisdom = 18/6

The “Cliff Shuffle”

Broke the record by 9 hours

Who are you?

I am the kind of person who takes the stairs instead of the elevator

I am the kind of person who asks the team a question instead of giving an answer

I am the kind of person who sets off ten minutes early so I get places on time

I am the kind of person who finds practical and useful nuggets from every session I go to

J.K.Rowling

“We do not need magic to transform our world. We carry all of the power we need inside

ourselves already.”

terry pratchett

“Scientists have calculated that the chances of something so patently absurd actually existing

are millions to one.

But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.”

Johann von goethe

“Magic is believing in yourself. If you can do that, you can make anything happen.”

ONE LAST TRICK

THANK YOU!

[email protected]

@geoffcwatts

+44 7717 11 11 99