Brief analysis of US Special Operations Command experience in deploying cross-functional self-organized teams to perform high-impact operations in chaotic environment.

1. Lightweight teams in heavyweight organizations
Agile Special Forces
Sergey Prokhorenko
Luxoft Agile Practice
18 May 2014

2. 2
Clients’ Perception of Agile
18 May 2014
Fixing issues
• Doing right things
• Doing things right
• Clear progress
• Change for free
Traditional restrictions
• Cost reduction
• Budget commitments
• Zero tolerance for failures
• Shareholders’ pressure

3. 3
Clash of Management Theories

4. 4
Traditional Hierarchy
Commander-
in-Chief
US Army
10 active
divisions
4 regiments
and BCTs
Special
Operations
Command
USMC USN USAF USCG
SecDef CJCS

5. 5
US Army Special Operations Command
Special Forces
(“green
berets”)
CAG aka Delta
Force
(classified anti-
terrorist unit)
75th Rangers
Regiment (elite
strike force)
Various
support and
logistics units
“Operations conducted by,
with, or through irregular
forces in support of a
resistance movement, an
insurgency, or conventional
military operations.”
FM 3-05.201, (S/NF) Special Forces
Unconventional Warfare (U)
28 September 2007

6. 6
Challenges UW ConceptUSAF
OEF-A Context (2001)
 Abandoned since
1991
 Almost no presence
of CIA
 Landlocked country
 No up-to-date
invasion plan
 Six months estimate
for planning phase
 Massive bombing of
key targets
 Engaging targets from
high altitude due to
AA emplacements
 Flying from Oman or
Indian ocean
 No real results
 “True Believers”
 Deploy to Uzbekistan
as CSAR teams
 Infiltrate Afghanistan
 Help USAF with air
control
 Train local forces and
prepare for full-scale
invasion

7. 7
Cross-Functional Teams
Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) structure
FM 3-21.20 (7-20), The Infantry Battalion
13 December 2006

8. 8
Case Study: ODA 574
Challenge for US SF:
– Support Hamid Karzai (future president of Afghanistan) in heading anti-Taliban
movement in southeastern Afghanistan (Oct-Dec 2001)

9. 9
Case Study: ODA 574
Responding to change

10. 10
Case Study: ODA 574 – Analysis
Mission Accomplished
Motivation
Autonomy
Mastery
Purpose
Resources
USAF
bombers
Supply drops
Money
Infrastructure
CCT
Satellite links
Equipment

11. 11
More Peaceful – Marshmallow Challenge
 18 minutes
 Teams of four
 Tallest freestanding structure
 Marshmallow has to be on top

12. 12
Lessons Learned
 Kindergarten graduates perform better than business school graduates
 Prototyping matters
 Diverse skills matter
 Incentives + low skills = failure
 Incentives + skills = success
Does Agile approach fit any activity?

13. 13
Back to ODA Structure
 “Truck number” ≥ 2
 “Split team” concept
 Fully cross-component
 Able to operate independently in
a hostile environment
 Highly skilled professionals (rank
is SSG and higher)
 No novices – at all
 Typical career path: regular
Army or Rangers, then SF
 Often teamed up with USAF
combat controllers

14. 14
Big Question Marks
 Which projects can leverage
junior team members in self-
organized teams?
 Is Agile really a silver bullet?
 How to train juniors for large
business-critical Agile projects?

15. 15
Case Study: Battle of Tora Bora
Challenge for CAG (aka Delta Force):
– Kill or capture Osama bin Laden in Tora Bora cave complex (Dec 2001)

16. 16
Case Study: Battle of Tora Bora
Failure to
kill or
capture
OBL
Victory
• Tora Bora
complex
captured
• Taliban
presence
eliminated

17. 17
Case Study: Battle of Tora Bora – Analysis
Mission Failed
Motivation
Autonomy
Mastery
Purpose
Resources
USAF
bombers
Area blocking
Money
Infrastructure
CCT
Satellite links
Equipment

18. 18
Lessons to Learn
 One of the best operators in the world
 Best equipment
 All might of the US Air Force
vs
 Allies not seeing clear purpose
 Risk-averse approach
 Political issues
 Lack of support from SF and Rangers
Would conventional (non-Agile) approach fit better?

19. 1918 May 2014
Cynefin Framework

20. 20
Agile Principle #5
Autonomy
Mastery
PurposeEnvironment
Support

21. 21
Team Development
18 May 2014
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
Shu
Ha
Ri
Successful Agile teams are as valuable outcome of the
project as the product itself

22. 22
Easy Scaling?

23. 23
Organizational Culture
Theory X
• Thorough planning
• Resource-based organization
• Strict hierarchy
• Easy scaling
• Good for keeping up
Theory Y
• Responding to change
• Team-based organization
• Steep learning curve
• Good for rapid engagements

24. 24
What’s Next?
 Unconventional Development?
– Means for Agile teams to find a place in large enterprise organizations
– Leading the way in challenging projects
– Opportunity for most skilled people
– “Bootcamps” and qualification courses for the rest of organization
 Clear grading system to identify missing skills
 Quantity to quality
– Organizational transformation
– Education and coaching at senior levels

25. 25
Personal Development Opportunities
18 May 2014

26. 26
Further Reading

27. Your
QR Code
Thank you!
14 March 2014
Sergey Prokhorenko
Luxoft
sprokhorenko@luxoft.com
ua.linkedin.com/in/sergeyprokhorenko