AGILE SUCCESSAgile and the Nature of Culture Change
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Jared D. Lock, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, Convergent, LLC
918-808-5451
The Presenter
Jared D. Lock, Ph.D. – Co-Founder, Convergent, LLC• Licensed Industrial/Organizational psychologist
• 25 years of practical experience as a Businessman
• Owner and President of 3 different organizations with year-over-year
double digit growth and profitability
• President of International test publisher
• Both internal corporate and external consulting experience
• 5 years management consulting
• 2 years internally for Fortune 50
• 25 years of project management design and implementation
• Key research scientist in terms of organizational culture and change
• Expert on corporate values in terms of research, practice, coaching, and
selecting towards/away from tendencies
• Over 60 book chapters, papers, and presentations
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Who is Convergent?
• Convergent, LLC is a partnership aiming to combine thought leaders from organizational psychology, business, and IT to help organizations with all aspects of their business processes by:
• Accurately predicting the speed, impediments, and likely success of identified strategic plans, projects, and opportunities via a proprietary process
• Creating accurate and focused strategies that drive solid plans, actions, and outcomes from a host of full consulting capabilities
• Harnessing the organization’s people power in a unified direction creating and solidifying the culture along the way
• Incisively measuring results with quick feedback loops and smart, data-driven adjustments
Convergent Backdrop
• People Are The Most Dangerous, Consequential Forces on Earth!
• The Real Issue is Group Effectiveness.
• You cannot be successful without knowing what is going on in the group
• People -- Shouldn’t We Know Something About Them?
Agenda
• Provide background concerning Agile as seen through the lens of historical PMO Models
• Identify the nature of these changes and why PM’s are being asked to move in this direction
• Provide a model of Workplace Cultural Values to describe and understand the difficulty with change
• Discuss what to do about it
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Key Features of Agile
• Continuous Delivery of Value
• Dynamic and Empirical Process Control -- Plan small
amount of work, then use experience to plan future
components
• Feedback throughout for mid-course correction
• Focus on small, deliverable chunks of work
• Developers and customers work together throughout
• Open to changes at any point, as prioritized by customers
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Agile Origins
• History of lightweight software development models since
1990s
• 2001: 17 developers met to discuss lightweight
development methods.
• Published the Manifesto for Agile Software Development:We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and
helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on
the left more.
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Project ManagementA Paradigm Shift
Traditional Project Management
• Process
• Tools
• Procedures
• Control
• What to do and how to do it
• Planning and Organizing
• Attention to Details
• Logical/Rational/Analytical
Agile Focus
• People
• Culture
• Interactions
• Harnessing resources and
engaging people
• Interpersonal Skills
• Cultural Awareness
• Engaging and Flexible
Keys to Success with Agile
Mindset shift in
planning – dynamic
process control
Product Owner, Scrum Master, and team create a
detailed plan only for the current iteration and use
experience to plan for future iterations
Greater disciplineTo effectively deliver every two to four weeks requires
a high degree of self discipline
Continually deliver
incremental scope
• Agile success hinges on incremental completion of
scope throughout the project
• Define – exit criteria for each work unit (story) in
order to attain closure on work in progress
Heightened focus on
testing
• Testing is no longer relegated to the last third of
the project
• Testing must be automated
Testing is as important as development and takes
• as much time to get right
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Keys to Success with Agile
• 6 Required Behaviors for Success
• Shift from ‘command and control’ management to servant leadership
• Commitment to heightened transparency
• Information sharing, not hoarding
• True team collaboration
• Honest and constructive debate/discussions to address
issues/behaviors head on
• Flexibility – inspect and adapt is a foundational piece of successful
agile teams
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Keys to Failure with Agile
• The number one reason for Agile adoption failures is People.
• Empire building
• Lack of transparency – discomfort with people knowing everything that is going on in area and true status of each project
• Information hoarding
• Turf wars (lack of collaboration)
• Passive Aggressiveness/Conflict avoidance – inability to address issues/behaviors head on
• Lack of flexibility – inspect and adapt is a foundational piece of successful agile teams
• Bonus Behavior: Viewing quality as an add-on not something that is built into the process
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
As We Move Towards Agile
THE PEOPLE PROCESS
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
People and Processes ConvergeThe Cookie Cutter Conundrum
• Even as the industry has moved towards Agile, we have
traditionally placed an emphasis on the process being
adopted and not on the people adopting it
• This is predominantly because there is more value placed
on the work being performed over those performing it
• Unfortunately, this results in ‘standardized’ approaches to
transformation, metrics and transparency. These
approaches often don’t fit every company, situation, or
culture which results in failure
People and Processes ConvergeThe Cookie Cutter Conundrum (continued)
• Most transformations ignore culture (corporate and personal) at their own peril
• Agile has been around for more than a decade and while it is an improved methodology it follows previous methodologies in sanitizing humans from hard systems
• As far back as the early 1990’s, when Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge was published, the industry has been warned that psychology cannot be excised from the system
• Companies continue to ignore the human component and opt instead to force them into the process instead of molding a flexible process around people and cultures
People and Processes ConvergeAgile, Lean, People, and Culture
• While Agile discusses people, in practice we only debate
the items on the left, remaining stereotypically silent about
the people aspects
“Individuals and interactions over processes and tools”
• Lean Principles discuss people but in practice this is often
treated as an obligatory corporate value – an afterthought
which can be ignored while we focus attention on metrics
“Respect for people”
• The number one reason for Agile and Lean adoption
failures is People.
Agile and Value Systems
• People have values
• Our IT Philosophies also have values (e.g., Scrum, Lean)
• These values describe an Aspirational State
• Sometimes values are placed behind process
• Sometimes people do not follow the values
• Our current culture then, is made up of
• What we value, and where that aligns (and misaligns) with our
peers, managers, leadership, and customers
• What behaviors our organization tolerates
• The sum values of the collective good can be assessed,
computed, and help predict current/future state
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Agile Versus Waterfall
Convergent’s Approach To Projects
• All change requires three things – People, Tools, and Process
• With every new approach, technique, tool, or process, people have to decide to do things differently • This involves their values, personal characteristics, and how they solve
problems, make decisions, and use their judgment (i.e., “Whole Person”)
• Linking “Whole Person” to specific change and performance outcomes for over 20 years • 500,000 person database
• 25,000 Director-level and above
• 25,000 in Project Management Scenarios
• 25,000 in IT Sector
• Unique and proprietary ability to predict future outcomes and impact them (a) before the project starts, (b) as the project is being rolled out, (c) when the project hits rough patches, and (d) after implementation when backsliding is likely to occur
Agile Into a PMO Culture
People Can Be Measured ScientificallyComprehensive Assessment Model
Motives and Values
Technical Skills
Degrees
Training
Job skills
Personality
Initiative
Diligence
Integrity
Mischief
Dependence
Hostility
Development
Culture Fit
Values
Motivation
Drivers
Judgment
Cognitive
Prob. Solving
Decisions
Two Groups – An Example
Traditional PMO Agile Group
Power
Commercial
Security (+)
Bold
Diligent
Ambition
Process-driven
Analytical
Affiliation
Security (-)
Altruism
Self-disciplined
Interpersonal
Strategic
Reserved
Cautious
Action
Interpersonal
Industry
Specific
Industry
Specific
Personal AlignmentAgile Example
Values
Positive
Negative
Judgment
Aligned Not Aligned
I am willing to try
something and see
I care for
others
I am outgoing
I have good IP
Skills
I am not
reserved
I drive to
common goals
I understand
politics
I focus on my goals
I dislike
change
I am driven
I have poor IP
Skills
I am very
confidentI do not move
from (my) rules
Data drive all
decisions
With Measurement Comes PredictionThe People Component – 30-30-30
• In any project/change initiative, regardless of direction, culture, CEO alignment, leader support, finances • 30% will fully embrace idea with little need for additional motivation
• 30% will somewhat embrace idea but could be made to embrace it more with a little push and motivation
• 30% will reject, ignore, limit, or work against idea regardless of effort
• Accurate prediction of likely project adoption and success leads to business discussions that impact project focus and planning
Measurement + Database = Prediction
Individuals/Interactions
Working Software
Collaboration
Process/Tools
Documentation
Negotiation
VALUES EXPLAINED
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Values Interpretation• The kind of environment in which an employee wants to work
• The kind of environment an employee creates for his/her subordinates/team members
• How an organization can motivate an employee to perform more productively
• Employees prefer to work with others who share their values, dislike those who don’t
• Employees are happiest working in environments that are consistent with their values
• Values measures permit an evaluation of the fit between an individual and the organizational culture / new direction
Values Interpretation
• Provide insight regarding:
• How an employee gains satisfaction & attains
motivation
• What an employee values
• Interpretation guidelines – Three ways values impact work
• True drivers
• “Nice to haves”
• Indifference but not de-motivation
Values DefinedValue Scores suggest valuing and motivation via…
Recognition Public acknowledgement & “pats on back”
Power Being in charge & being perceived as influential
Hedonism Fun, lighthearted, & open-minded work environments
Altruistic Actively helping others & providing excellent customer service
Affiliation Networking, building relationships, & belonging to work group
Tradition Consistent org. cultures & personal-workplace values match
Security Secure, predictable, and risk-free work environments
Commerce Making and saving money; involvement in org. finances
Aesthetics Focusing on quality & product “look & feel”
Science Analytic problem solving & working with technology
Values – Performance Implications
Recognition
Power
Hedonism
Altruistic
Affiliation
Tradition
Security
Commerce
Aesthetics
Science
Achievement Motivation
Social Interests
Entrepreneurial Values
Decision Making Style
WHAT TO DO
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Things to Consider
• What is the role you expect of an executive champion in your projects?
• What is the most frustrating thing about your projects that is outside your
control that others can do for you?
• When defining end state after project, how does the business culture
impact the definition and how do you make sure the business culture is
part of the equation?
• How do you recognize that the project isn't being accepted or going well
while attempting to implement?
• Data suggest that 30% of end users won't want, or will slow down your
project. What initiatives can be put in place to address that group?
• How do you engage the more reluctant line managers?
Convergent Research on PM Success
• Clarity -- Vision / Support / Communication
• Simplicity -- Business-Focused / Time appropriate / Sell appropriate
• Plan -- Plan Size / Plan Management / Plan Successes
• PM Success = Organizational x People x Plan interaction
Things to Remember
• If you lean on your credential, you will be the only person in the room that feels the need to do so
• If you must lean on the champion to get things done, benefits have not been sold to participants
• If you lean on Plans and Processes as ways to motivate people, you will miss the boat
• Expectations and service levels are two way streets
• Always measure to define your pilot
• Short and quick wins with celebration
Department Level = Pilot Participants
Team = Pilot and Training Participants
Visual Progress Assessments
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Thoughts for Moving Forward• We all have values
• Awareness is key to managing projects
• Validate hunches by linking values to outcomes
• Manage low spots by recognizing triggers, structuring
work, and inviting feedback
• Use data to guide 30-30-30
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
QUESTIONS?
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
AGILE SUCCESSAgile and the Nature of Culture Change
© 2014 Convergent, LLC
Jared D. Lock, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, Convergent, LLC
918-808-5451