Learning is key to agile successbuilding a learning culture on your agile teamDeclan Whelan

Overview

Agile ManifestoWe 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.Kent Beck, Mike Beedle, Arie van Bennekum, Alistair Cockburn, Ward Cunningham, Martin Fowler, James Grenning, Jim Highsmith, Andrew Hunt, Ron Jeffries, Jon Kern, Brian Marick, Robert C. Martin, Steve Mellor, Ken Schwaber, Jeff Sutherland. Dave Thomas© 2001, the above authors this declaration may be freely copied in any form, but only in its entirety through this notice.

Satir Change ModelLearningSource: http://www.stevenmsmith.com/my-articles/article/the-satir-change-model.html

Continuous Learning

LearningValue

Learning studyaccumulateknowledgebird leavingnestchild indoorwayyouthpractice continuously

CultureLanguageArts & sciencesThoughtSpiritualitySocial activityInteraction

Learning Culture“ … where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to learntogether”Peter SengeThe Fifth Discipline

Why do We Learn?Maslow'sHierarchyof NeedsSource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Maslow

What do We Need to Learn?

How do We Learn?AuditoryKinestheticVisual

How Do We Learn?

L Brain R BrainLogicalSequential RationalAnalyticalObjectiveLooks at partsRandom IntuitiveHolisticSynthesizingSubjectiveLooks at wholes

When Do We Learn?StandupsProject CharteringRetrospectivesDailyWorkPlanning MeetingsDemos

Dreyfus Skill’s AcquisitionExpertProficientCompetentAdvancedBeginnerNoviceSource: Andy Hunt (2008), Pragmatic Thinking & Learning: Refactor Your Wetware

Skills Distribution

Shu Ha RiFollowingBreaking AwayFluentSource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuhari

Beginner’s Mind“In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, in the expert's mind there are few.”Shunryu Suzuki

The Learning Organization

Competence & skillsPersonal growth & learningCommitment to truthCommitment to the wholeCompassionContinually:Clarifying what is importantLearning how to see reality more clearlyPersonal Mastery

The Cave

The Learning Organization

The Learning Organization

The Learning Organization

Team Learning

Team Learning

DiscussionDialog

The Learning Organization

DefensivenessCurrent understandingand behaviourPerceived needfor new understandingand behaviourDefensiveroutineLearning gapDelayNeed for inquiryand changeThreat

Domain of ActionGuiding ideasOrganizational structureTheory, methods & toolsInnovations in infrastructure

Domain of Enduring ChangeSkills & capabilitiesAwareness & sensibilitiesDeep learning cycleAttitudes & beliefs

Guiding IdeasStarts withVisionValuePurposeNot “maximizing shareholder value”Ongoing process … Three key ideasPrimacy of the wholeCommunity nature of the selfGenerative power of language

Theory, Methods & ToolsTheoriesAgile, lean principles, 5 disciplinesMethods & ToolsAgile, lean practices & toolsApplies self-referentially to 5 disciplines

Innovations in InfrastructureTeam structuresWhole teamColocation etc.Scrum of scrumsHR evaluation and compensationExplicit infrastructure to support learningPractice fields

ResultsGuiding ideasSkills & capabilitiesAwareness & sensibilitiesOrganizational structureDeep learning cycleTheory, methods & toolsInnovations in infrastructureAttitudes & beliefsImplicit order

CuriosityWonderExperimentalism

Learning Culture Map Intentional Incrementalaccumulateknowledgebird leavingnestchild indoorwayyouthInfrastructureIndividual Safety

Learning Culture Map

Intentional

Retrospectives

Prime Directive“Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills and abilities, the resources available, and the situation at hand.”

Retrospective FormatSet the stageGather dataGenerate insightsDecide what to doClose

Set the stage

Gather data

Generate insights

Decide what to do

Close

Exercise the R BrainInspired by Mike Russell @ Agile2009 "Face Culture or Face Failure"

CoachSource: (2009) Rachel Davies, Liz Sedley

Teach“Teachers are architects building concepts and ideas into the minds of their listeners”Phil Geldart, Eagles FlightSource: Phil Geldhart, “In Your Hands”

Infrastructure

Integrate Learning and WorkingPairingPlanning SessionsStandupsDemos

Create Practice FieldsInitial trainingSimulationsGames

Create Learning SessionsBrown bagsStudy groupsEtudesRoad trips

Create Learning WorkspaceBig Visible ChartsInformation RadiatorsIn Your Spacee-Forum

Accommodate Learning StylesAuditoryKinestheticVisual

Incremental

Individual Safety

“Gleeful calamity”"Success is in the doing and failures are celebrated and analyzed. Problems become puzzles and obstacles disappear“"Nothing ever turns out as planned ... ever“"Decoration of the unfinished project is a kind of conceptual incubation. From these interludes come deep insights and amazing new approaches"GeverTulley video on tinkering school:Chaordic Learning: Tinkeringhttp://www.ted.com/talks/gever_tulley_s_tinkering_school_in_action.html

Individual Safety

Virginia Satir“Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible - the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.”

Building Safety and Trustcompetence, reliability, forthrightness, mutual regardcontext sensitiveself-disclosuretimeSource: George Dinwiddie: http://blog.gdinwiddie.com/2008/12/03/aye-2008-the-magic-chemistry-of-teams

Personal History Exercise

Summary

“Our tendency is to be interested in something that is growing in the garden, not in the bare soil itself. But if you want to have a good harvest, the most important thing is to make the soil rich and cultivate it well.”Shunryu Suzuki

Thanks!What did you like best?What suggestions do you have?What questions do you have?Declan Whelandpwhelan@dpwhelan.comTwitter: dwhelanhttp://www.dpwhelan.com/blog