During the Agile Austria Conference 2017 - Presentation: Lost in translation – a case study in mismanaging management expectations by Robert Finan & Gregor Habinger.

1. Hello!
We are Gregor Habinger and Robert Finan
Agile Coaches at ANECON

2. Lost in
Translation
A case study in mismanaging
management

3. “This is based on a
true story”
* Actually several true stories
*

4. 1.
Let’s hear from
the agile coach
first

5. × Nearly 10 years experience with Agile
Methods
× Working for a consulting company
× Initially hardcore, now more pragmatic

6. I had some bad experiences with
management

7. We need to start now, just sign the dotted line!
+10
Confidence

8. Manager took part. Positive feedback
+15
Confidence

9. Team underestimated the setup costs for the project
-5
Team Spirit

10. Great feedback. Loads of new ideas!
+10
Team Spirit

11. Management is not enthusiastic about the new timeline!
-10
Confidence

12. Management resorts to classical tactics!
-10
Team Spirit

13. So proud that it is a team decision!
+5
Team Spirit

14. The loss of a key player and motivator really hurts!
-15
Team Spirit

15. Operations and other dependencies hit our productivity!
-5
Confidence

16. Now the stakeholders can finally work with something!
-25
Confidence

17. Management‘s reaction to the late launch!
-15
Team Spirit

18. Management‘s decision was made without consulting the
teams!
-25
Team Spirit

19. 2.
And now for
something
completely
different

20. × Over 15 years in this company
× Came up through the ranks
× Responsible for software
development

21. Agile will solve my
problems

22. Training was fun but not really relevant to me!
+10
Confidence

23. But I find work for the idle resources!
-5
Confidence

24. Founded at the height of the industrial
revolution by Frederick Winslow Taylor in
the 1880s and '90s in the United States.
Also known as Scientific Management.

25. Boring! Let‘s skip them in the future!
-5
Confidence

26. I hope team events, food, co-location, etc. are worth
it…
-5
Confidence

27. Painful discussions with Legal, Risk and Finance…
-15
Standing

28. Waterfall projects appear economically more
favorable than agile projects.
Traditional projects are capitalized and agile projects
are expensed

29. Legal prefer contracts for work on fixed price
basis due to clear liability and warranty regulations.
Additionally agile projects lack a sustainable
contractual basis for conflicts and disputes.

30. At the moment the implementation risk is on
contractor side.
Agile projects shift risk towards customer.

31. The agile project is screwing up my MbO’s
-5
Confidence

32. Career paths and performance reviews reward
individual performance.
Management‘s job is to come up with appropriate
challenges as extrinsic motivation.

33. I trusted these guys and now I’m in the firing line!
-25
Standing

34. I know the answer: Add more resources to the team!
+5
Confidence

35. I committed this date and now my credibility is shot!
-20
Standing

36. The manager’s credibility with upper management is
judged based on processes such as scope, risk
management, planning and reporting.
With agile projects managers don’t always get the KPI’s
they need to make sound decisions and steer the
business.

37. I demand direct reporting and communication
+5
Confidence

38. I increase pressure to keep the initial deadlines
+5
Standing

40. 3.
So what could
we have done
differently?

43. E need
We need
to talk
KPIs
I’m
listening

47. But so
are you!
Remember,
managers are
human too!

48. THANKS!Any questions?
Contact us at gregor.habinger@anecon.com or
robert.finan@anecon.com