People factor as failure reason of Agile adoption Alimenkou Mikalai 19.09.2009

Background Java Technical Lead/Scrum Master at Zoral Labs 5+ years in software development 3+ years of working by Agile methodologies Expert in Agile engineering practices Agile coach (TDD, Testing, Planning)

Java Technical Lead/Scrum Master at Zoral Labs

5+ years in software development

3+ years of working by Agile methodologies

Expert in Agile engineering practices

Agile coach (TDD, Testing, Planning)

Agenda Introduction Why people are so important in Agile Agile team member responsibilities How people factor causes failures in Agile adoption Ways of preventing failures

Introduction

Why people are so important in Agile

Agile team member responsibilities

How people factor causes failures in Agile adoption

Ways of preventing failures

Some thoughts about Agile… There is no ideal formula of success in software development Agile is not for everybody If you fail with Agile it is not just your failure Why it doesn’t work?

There is no ideal formula of success in software development

Agile is not for everybody

If you fail with Agile it is not just your failure

How to fail fast with Agile? Don’t pay attention to people factor Build Agile team from nothing Choose inappropriate time and conditions Have internal or external resistance Don’t understand Agile values Don’t have Agile leader or coach

Don’t pay attention to people factor

Build Agile team from nothing

Choose inappropriate time and conditions

Have internal or external resistance

Don’t understand Agile values

Don’t have Agile leader or coach

Agile is built around the people Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Build projects around motivated individuals The best architectures, requirements and designs emerge from self-organizing teams Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Build projects around motivated individuals

The best architectures, requirements and designs emerge from self-organizing teams

Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project

Why people are so important?

What is the main goal? How to build right product? How to build product right? Scrum XP

Scrum doesn’t tell us how to ... Write high quality code Deploy the system Test the system Architect the system Support the system Maintain the code base Work with legacy code

Write high quality code

Deploy the system

Test the system

Architect the system

Support the system

Maintain the code base

Work with legacy code

May be try XP? It is so complex …

Ideal Agile developer’s life Communicate! Do pair programming! Do continuous integration! Do unit testing! Do TDD! Do acceptance testing! Make architectural decisions!

Dialog with Agile manager - Who is an architect in your team? - Whole team! - Who is a QA in your team? - Whole team! - Who is a manager of your team? - Whole team!

- Who is an architect in your team?

- Whole team!

- Who is a QA in your team?

- Whole team!

- Who is a manager of your team?

- Whole team!

“ Agile” team behavior “ Architect!” We don’t need upfront design! Nobody like your architectural documents!

Agile team member should … Be ready for self-organizing Have high communication skills Make architectural decisions Build high quality product Have enough technical experience to do engineering practices Have deep understanding of Agile values

Be ready for self-organizing

Have high communication skills

Make architectural decisions

Build high quality product

Have enough technical experience to do engineering practices

Have deep understanding of Agile values

You are lucky if your team is ... Self-organizing High motivated Very efficient Experienced enough Technically skilled Responsive to changes Able to communicate easily and effectively Working together for a long time

Self-organizing

High motivated

Very efficient

Experienced enough

Technically skilled

Responsive to changes

Able to communicate easily and effectively

Working together for a long time

If not so lucky? Developers write bad code QA can’t control quality, but just find bugs Nobody is manageable, chaos in the team Technical dept is coming Communication is very difficult Expectations of the customers are failed Releases and deadlines are missed

Developers write bad code

QA can’t control quality, but just find bugs

Nobody is manageable, chaos in the team

Technical dept is coming

Communication is very difficult

Expectations of the customers are failed

Releases and deadlines are missed

But … If you have a high motivated, self-organizing team of skilled and efficient professionals you don’t need process at all. They will build it themselves!

If you have a high motivated,

self-organizing team of skilled

and efficient professionals

you don’t need process at all.

They will build it themselves!

Why most of us are not lucky? Not all team members may become Agile team member Time and hard work are needed to become an Agile team member Team is just a set of people Lack of self-education Lack of Agile leaders or coaches Misunderstanding of Agile values and approaches

Not all team members may become Agile team member

Time and hard work are needed to become an Agile team member

Team is just a set of people

Lack of self-education

Lack of Agile leaders or coaches

Misunderstanding of Agile values and approaches

You can’t clone people 

Self-education survey How many of you have read at least 3 technical books this year? How many of you have tried at least 3 new frameworks this year? How many of you have visited at least 2 trainings or conferences this year?

How many of you have read at least 3 technical books this year?

How many of you have tried at least 3 new frameworks this year?

How many of you have visited at least 2 trainings or conferences this year?

What to do? Have enough (at least 50%) technically experienced team members Use full set of engineering practices Be patient and give team enough time Prepare comfortable working conditions Improve communication skills Use team building Make sure that everyone understands and commits to Agile values

Have enough (at least 50%) technically experienced team members

Use full set of engineering practices

Be patient and give team enough time

Prepare comfortable working conditions

Improve communication skills

Use team building

Make sure that everyone understands and commits to Agile values

Way of the developer Produce less but high quality code Continuous self-education (books, trainings, blogs and forums, conferences and technical meetings) Improve architectural skills Improve communication skills Share knowledge and experience (pairing, games, brown bags)

Produce less but high quality code

Continuous self-education (books, trainings, blogs and forums, conferences and technical meetings)

Improve architectural skills

Improve communication skills

Share knowledge and experience (pairing, games, brown bags)

Way of the QA Think about QA but not QC Prepare to be a full functional team member Learn new frameworks and approaches Participate in all stages of development Continuous self-education (books, trainings, blogs and forums, conferences and technical meetings) Leave old habits in the past

Think about QA but not QC

Prepare to be a full functional team member

Learn new frameworks and approaches

Participate in all stages of development

Continuous self-education (books, trainings, blogs and forums, conferences and technical meetings)

Leave old habits in the past

Way of the manager Try to build self-organizing team Forget about “command and control” methods Read and analyze full flow of new ideas and approaches Inspect and adapt Motivate people Listen to people and help them to be efficient Help people to improve their skills

Try to build self-organizing team

Forget about “command and control” methods

Read and analyze full flow of new ideas and approaches

Inspect and adapt

Motivate people

Listen to people and help them to be efficient

Help people to improve their skills

And of course… Hire right people!

Conclusion People are the heart of any organization and Agile process, so invest in them and don’t forget about people factor making important decisions …

People are the heart of any organization and

Agile process, so invest in them and don’t

forget about people factor making important

decisions …

Any questions? Email me: [email_address] Read my blog: http://javadevelopmenttips.blogspot.com Visit my website: http://agilecoaching.com.ua