12 Agile Adoption Failure Modes

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TWELVE Agile Adoption Failure Modes

Barry Mullan, Rally Software

About Me

http://bit.ly/12-failure-modes

A Better Approach

WAY

12 Agile Adoption Failure Modes

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WASTEREDUCE

ELIMINATE

PRODUCTIONAlways, 7%

Often, 13%

Sometimes,

16%

Rarely

Used, 19%

Never

Used, 45%

UNECESSARY

Standish Group Study, reported by CEO Jim Johnson, XP2002

64% of Product

Features Never or

Rarely Used

WAITING

PROCESSING STEP

FOR THE

NEXT

ATTACK

POOR

QUALITY

12 Agile Adoption Failure Modes

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AVOIDCONTEXT

SWITCHING

ERADICATEPROJECT

RISKS

DELIVER

HIGHEST VALUE FIRST

RELEASEEARLY AND OFTEN

12 Agile Adoption Failure Modes

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MEASUREOUTCOMESNOT OUTPUTS

FASTFAIL

Failure Mode

#1

12 Agile Adoption Failure Modes

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checkbookcommitments

unengaged

JUST DO IT!

immediateRESULTS

Organizational

Change

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samemetrics

Failure Mode

#2

Culture that doesn’tSupport CHANGE

FOLLOWthe PLAN

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ENFORCEDStandard of Work

Governance = Conformance

Standard of Work is static

Cross-organizational uniform

Detailed documentation

PMO as enforcers

Failure Mode

#3

RetrospectivesIneffective use of

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Retrospectiveswhat we mean by

NONE

Ignored

There is

absolutely

nothing

wrong!

NOAction

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Failure Mode

#4

ignore needed

INFRASTRUCTURE

StableEnvironment?

TANSTAAFL

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Failure Mode

#5

lack of fullplanning participation

why?

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who can commit?

waiting for decisions =

WASTE

conversation

more INSIGHTS

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commitment

Failure Mode

#6

unavailableproduct owner

too manyproduct owners

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AGILE asksA LOT of

Product Owners

communicatingtoo busy for all the

AGREEMENT

on Priorities

commitment

with team

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Failure Mode

#7

bad scrum masters

COMMANDCONTROL

an

d

low moraleLower IQs

an

d

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serve andfacilitate

removeimpediments

Cleanmesses

up

Failure Mode

#8

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not having anonsite evangelist

whocares?

wholistens?

remoteroadkill?

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advise, motivate protect and serve

Failure Mode

#9

team lackingauthority

red tapedecisions

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No forming, storming, norming,

performing

empowered teamsamplify learning

inspect and adapt

deliver

high performing

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Failure Mode

#10

not pulledtesting

FORWARD

pushdeliver

to

pileddebt

up

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pileddebt

up

STOPtheLINE

Failure Mode

#11

traditionalperformanceappraisals

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manager’s yearlyevaluation

individualheroicsrewarded

frequent teamevaluation

team contributionrewarded

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Failure Mode

#12

REVERTINGto form

CHANGE is HARD

What now?

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12 Adoption Failure Modes

• “Checkbook commitments” from executive management

• A culture that does not support learning

• Ineffective use of the retrospective

• Failure to pay attention to the infrastructure required

• Inability to get everyone in the planning meetings

• Unavailable product owner, or too many product owners who can’t agree

• Bad ScrumMasters

• Not having an onsite evangelist for remote locations

• Teams lacking authority and decision-making ability

• Not pulling Testing forward into Definition of “Done”

• Continuing to rely on a performance appraisal system

• Reverting to form, embracing the evil we know

CALLACTION

Think about the 12 Agile Adoption Failure Modes

What ONE failure mode are you PREPARED to ATTACK?

Create an ACTION PLAN

Hold a SELF-RETROSPECTIVE 30 days from now

Put the date in your Blackberry RIGHT NOW!

TO This Way

To

Agile

Success

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