Whether you are a professional trainer or trying to bring agility to your organization or team, you no doubt have encountered the difficulty in conveying agile values and principles. Learning practices and techniques is easy in comparison; You learn by doing. But how do you teach a philosophy or mindset? How do you 'do' a value? Through trial and error, through hundreds of classes, through training thousands of agile practitioners, we have put together a set of best practices (and not-so-best practices) for delivering powerful agile learning experiences. Participants in this session will walk away with a toolkit they can put to use the next day. The toolkit will include scenario simulations, learning games, discussion generators, reenforcement exercises, student patterns, common pitfalls, and other activities to help you get out of the way and let the learning happen. Links to the activities we did during the presentation: 'What Were They Thinking?' game: http://tastycupcakes.org/2009/06/what-were-they-thinking/ 'Pocket-Sized Principles' activity: http://tastycupcakes.org/2010/01/pocket-sized-principles/ 'Presto Manifesto' activity: http://tastycupcakes.org/2009/06/presto-manifesto/

1. AGILE
LEARNING
Don McGreal
@donmcgreal
linkedin.com/in/donmcgreal

2. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
!

3. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
CHAPTERS
1
2
3
ENVIRONMENT
PROBLEM WITH
PRINCIPLES
RETENTION

4. CHAPTER 1
ENVIRONMENT

5. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
INTRODUCTIONS
Expectations
(be selfish)
Name
Role
Relevant
Experience
Three
Questions

6. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
INTRODUCTIONS
Expectations
(be selfish)
Name
Role
Relevant
Experience
Three
Questions

7. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
THE DETRACTORS
The Terrorist
Use their power for
good instead of evil.
Give them a reason
to be there
The Prisoner

8. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
THE FRIENDLIES
Give them a reason
for being there.
Make it fun.
Use him when
necessary.
The Tourist The Buddy

9. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
THE MONOPOLIZERS
The Glory Hound
Reference them.
Team up with
them.
Connect one-on-one.
Coach.
The Eeyore

10. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
SCRUM AGENDA

11. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
QUESTION BACKLOG
What is the
difference between
Scrum and Agile?
How long should a
Sprint be?
How do I keep my
Daily Scrum to
under 15 minutes?
How do I break
down Epics?
How do I get my
manager to buy-in to
agile?
What do I do when I
have a total a$$ on
the team?
CONSULTING
MENTORING
COACHING

12. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
MAINTAIN A SAFE
ENVIRONMENT
Say their name
Acknowledge their experience
Remember their contributions
No hand-raising
Never say ‘no’
Give them ownership

13. CHAPTER 2
PROBLEM WITH
PRINCIPLES

14. Draw%a%picture%of%‘trust’.

15. Draw%a%picture%of%‘trust’.

16. It%is%very%hard%to%communicate%Values%and%
Principles%without%practice,%shared%experience,%
and%context.

17. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
WHAT ARE THESE?
Individuals%and%interactions%
over%processes%and%tools
Working%software%
over%comprehensive%documentation
Customer%collaboration%
over%contract%negotiation
Responding%to%change%
over%following%a%plan%

18. Games%and%Simulations%provide%a%fun%
and%effective%way%to%communicate%
values%and%principles.
Play%==%Flow

20. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
LEARNING VECTORS
Emotional
Recall or create
an emotional
experience
Impressional
Memory games.
‘Every Good Boy
Deserves Fudge.’
Physical
Doing.
Muscle Memory,
Learning Working

21. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
PLAY
★ Form%Pairs.%One%is%a%Product%Owner,%the%
other%a%Developer.
★ Developers%face%away%from%the%slide.
★ Product%Owners%describe%the%product%
without%saying%the%taboo%words.
★ Developer%draws%the%product.
What%Were%They%Thinking?

22. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
PLAY
★tea
★pot
★short
★stout
★coffee
★water
★heat
Do%not%use%these%words:

23. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
PLAY
★motorcycle
★bike
★camper
★recreational
vehicle%(rv)
★chopper
★harley
Do%not%use%these%words:

24. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
DEBRIEF
★ In%software,%we%are%rarely%creating%
something%that%already%exists,%so…
★ it%is%difficult%to%describe.%Customers%may%not%have%a%
current%vocabulary.
★ we%are%forced%to%communicate%in%imperatives%and%
metaphors%and%much%is%lost%in%translation.
★ Verbal%communication%is%easier%than%
written
★ Using%iterative%development%along%with%
feedback%loops%allow%the%customer%to%
hone%in%on%what%is%really%needed
What%Were%They%Thinking?

25. ValuesValues
Individuals and Interactions
Processes and Tools
Working Software
Comprehensive Documentation
Customer Collaboration
Contract Negotiation
Responding to Change
Following a Plan
What%Were%They%Thinking?

26. CHAPTER 3
RETENTION

27. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
CONE OF LEARNING
(Edgar Dale)
After 2 Weeks,
we tend to remember...
Receiving/
Participating
Doing
Verbal
Receiving
Visual
Receiving

28. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
CREATING CONTENT
(Step 1/5)

29. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
CREATING CONTENT
(Step 2/5)

30. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
CREATING CONTENT
(Step 3/5)

31. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
CREATING CONTENT
(Step 4/5)
Challenge Them
“The things we have to learn before we do them, we learn by doing them.”
- Aristotle

32. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
POCKET-SIZED PRINCIPLES
1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the
customer through early and continuous
delivery of valuable software.
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late
in development. Agile processes harness
change for the customer's competitive
advantage.
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a
couple of weeks to a couple of months, with
a preference to the shorter timescale.
4. Business people and developers must work
together daily throughout the project.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals.
Give them the environment and support
they need, and trust them to get the job
done.
6. The most efficient and effective method of
conveying information to and within a
development team is face-to-face
conversation.
7. Working software is the primary measure
of progress.
8. Agile processes promote sustainable
development. The sponsors, developers,
and users should be able to maintain a
constant pace indefinitely.
9. Continuous attention to technical
excellence and good design enhances
agility.
10.Simplicity--the art of maximizing the
amount of work not done--is essential.
11.The best architectures, requirements,
and designs emerge from self-organizing
teams.
12.At regular intervals, the team reflects on
how to become more effective, then tunes
and adjusts its behavior accordingly.

33. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
POCKET-SIZED PRINCIPLES
Principles
EarlyValue
Welcome Change
Frequent Delivery
Collaborate Daily
Motivation & Trust
Face to Face
Working Software
Sustainable Pace
Technical Excellence
K.I.S.S.
Self-Organize
Reflect and Adjust

34. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
CREATING CONTENT
(Step 5/5)
Teach Each Other
“The best way to learn is to teach.”
- Oppenheimer

35. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
INTERACTIVE SCRUM
DISCOVERY

36. AGILE LEARNING improvingenterprises.com
10/24/7

37. QUESTIONS?
@donmcgreal
linkedin.com/in/donmcgreal

38. THANK YOU
@donmcgreal
linkedin.com/in/donmcgreal