In the ScrumMaster training, I include a diagram that has a simple idea: to map the areas of complexity in a problem based on two dimensions: Agreement and Certainty. This diagram is an adaptation of the diagram by Ralph Stacey found in this article called Aides for Complexity by Brenda Zimmerman. This diagram or model can be used to help us understand where and how agile methods can be applied.
Christopher Avery, who has written a book about teams called “Teamwork is an Individual Skill”, has a good reference page on his web site about teams. From his FAQ, here is his definition of “team”:
A team is a group of people whose personal outcomes are obviously linked to a collective outcome — such as a successful project — and who work together to maximize collective and individual outcomes. “Team” also refers to the quality of group relationships that allows ordinary individuals to achieve extraordinary results together — such as a project that surpasses its goals.
Bas Vodde has published a good article about making goal oriented action plans for agile projects. It is a nice piece of the puzzle on how to do effective retrospectives. It also nicely ties into the “Learning Circle” Reflection/Learning/Planning/Action steps.
Lisa Crispin has written an excellent article about defect tracking in agile environments. The article is a couple of months old now, but if you haven’t read it yet, you definitely should! I particularly like the perspective that Mary Poppendieck offers in the article…
Last week I taught an introductory course on Agile Work. Normally this is pretty easy stuff. However, I was teaching this course in Bucharest, Romania (cool), and I have come across a substantial, strong and vigorous objection to agile (also cool, but challenging too). Several people in my class are asserting that agile is just like communism and since communism failed, agile is not likely to succeed either. I’m looking for help on this!
This is cool… my friend and co-worker Deborah Hartmann pointed me to this Talking Chair technique for organizing discussions in an Open Space environment.
I’m always interested in new ways to “Reflect” (from the Learning Circle) since this is often an overlooked aspect of learning. As Diana Larsen mentions in her blog entry about FRequency and IMpact, we often jump right into analysis (Learning). I haven’t tried this method yet, but I can see it coming in very handy.
Last night I had a great conversation with a friend and co-worker, David Chilcott. He told me about the Ladder of Inference. This model is a way of taking the Agile Axiom that Reality is Perceived and building a model around that axiom. Here is another good link about the Ladder of Inference that provides some insight as to how to use it as a tool in communication.
Quite some time ago, I wrote an article for InfoQ called “What is Agility and Why Should You Care?” That article has been translated into Chinese:
“What is Agility and Why Should You Care? (Chinese)”
Back in the early 90s, my father let me watch a series of training videos by Lawrence Miller. At the time, I was in my late teens. I was very excited by the discussion regarding management, helping customers etc. I see now that he is also dealing with organizations, lean and topics of interest to me now! I haven’t read any of his books, but I’m pretty sure that they would all be very interesting.
From George Dinwiddie (interesting blog, BTW) on the ScrumDevelopment list comes this great article: Resistance as a Resource by Dale H. Emery.
From the article:
You gather your courage, call people together, and make your proposal. From your right, Charlie says, “But we tried that before, and it didn’t work.” To your left, Pam says, “But we’ve never done that before.” Right in front of you, Lee says, “But that’s no different form what we’re doing now.” From the back of the room, you hear a rising chorus of, “But we don’t have time!”
You don’t really have to imagine this scene, do you? You’ve lived it. Perhaps you’re living it right now. You’re getting resistance. Now what do you do?
An interesting article called Credibility Crisis is worth while reading. I would like to point out two factual errors. Despite the errors, the author’s concerns are well-taken. Here are the errors:
1) The average price per CSM is much less than US$1500. Your “conservative estimate” is not conservative at all. For quite some time, the average was less than $1000 in fact. As a scrum trainer, I know that the people that I have certified have averaged about US$750. I suspect this is true for most of the trainers, and it accounts for volume discounts when doing training in a corporate setting, doing pro-bono training, doing training in countries with lower costs and training that is done by CSTs that are employees of large companies such as Microsoft and British Telecom where the “industry” sees no revenue.
2) “Well planned marketing” Ha!!! That’s a good one! There has been exactly one advertisement issued by the ScrumAlliance (in Dr. Dobbs Journal), and all other advertising and promotion is done hodge-podge by the individual CSTs or the companies they work for. The only coordination point is the web site where all the CSTs are required to list their public courses. Ken Schwaber and Mike Cohn, as the most well-read authors in the Scrum community get a large bulk of the _interest_ in the training (I’m not sure what their actual numbers are for # of CSMs).
Those two errors undermine the author’s argument in the article, but don’t completely invalidate it.
It’s new! It’s exciting! It’s the new Agile Job Finder web site! Search for agile jobs, register and post your jobs! Fun for everyone!
Jeffrey Pfeffer Testifies to Congress About Evidence-Based Practices. Here’s a good couple excerpts (thanks Esther!):
“The idea that financial incentives are the way to solve organizational
performance and service problems is one of the most dangerous “half-truths”
of management. The evidence for widespread dissatisfaction with such pay
plans is pervasive. Both employee and company survey data suggest that the
likelihood of success is low and the odds of problems and dissatisfaction
are high.”“Although the list of high commitment or high performance work practices
differs slightly among authors and studies, most such lists include: a)
sustained investment in training and development, including job rotation,
both formal and on-the-job training, and a tendency to promote from within
as a consequence of the successful internal development of skill and people;
b) an egalitarian culture in which formal status distinctions are
downplayed, salary differences across levels are less than in the general
economy, and in which people feel as if their contributions are important
and valued; c) delegation of decision making responsibility so that skilled
and developed people can actually use their gifts and skills to make real
decisions; d) high pay to reduce turnover and attract the best people,
coupled with rewards that share organizational success with its members; and
e) employment security and a policy of mutual commitment, so that the
workforce does not fear for the outcomes of events over which it has no
control and instead, feels reciprocally committed to the employer.”
A new blog has been started called “Agile & Business” by agile coach Joe Little. I have worked with Joe and I believe that he has excellent insight into human nature and the application of agile methods. The first few articles he has written are an excellent starting point including a look at metaphors we use in Scrum (chickens, pigs and dogs), and a look at the idea of business value.