30 psychological truths that drive agile adoption and its failure

30 psychological truths that
drive agile adoption and its
failure
(and maybe its success)

This is a quick moving presentation
1) I am not a psychologist. So if you think I
am wrong you're probably right
2) If you don’t catch it all - don’t worry*
*see end of presentation

A note on the truths
These are verified psychological ideas /
theories.

However
People are complex , paradoxical beings.
Each truth is a simplification.

Agile Adoption Agile Failure Agile Recovery

Agile Adoption
Agile Failure
Agile Recovery

Agenda
Agile adoption - why we try
Agile failure - why it's hard
Agile recovery - why we should try again

Agile Adoption
Agile has become the safe choice.
How did it conquer the methodology space ?

It is aspirational, It inspires
● Individuals and
interactions over
processes and
tools
● Working software
over
comprehensive
documentation
● Customer
collaboration over
contract
negotiation
● Responding to
change over
following a plan
● Our highest priority is to
satisfy the customer
through early and
continuous delivery of
valuable software.
● Welcome changing
requirements, even late in
development. Agile
processes harness change
for the customer's
competitive advantage.
● Deliver working software
frequently, from a couple of
weeks to a couple of
months, with a preference
to the shorter timescale.
● Business people and
developers must work
together daily throughout
the project.
● Build projects around
motivated individuals. Give
them the environment and
support they need, and trust
them to get the job done.
● The most efficient and
effective method of
conveying information to
and within a development
team is face-to-face
conversation.
● Working software is the
primary measure of
progress.
● Agile processes promote
sustainable development.
The sponsors, developers,
and users should be able to
maintain a constant pace
indefinitely.
● Continuous attention to
technical excellence and
good design enhances
agility.
● Simplicity--the art of
maximizing the amount of
work not done--is essential.
● The best architectures,
requirements, and designs
emerge from self-organizing
teams.
● At regular intervals, the
team reflects on how to
become more effective,
then tunes and adjusts its
behavior accordingly.

Psychological truth Number 1
The Social proof
(Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D., & Akert, A.M)
AKA Lots of people are doing it so should I.

Once tried / understood
There are several reasons why people become agile
enthusiasts
Lets look into what agile is

Agile manifesto and principles
● Individuals and
interactions over
processes and
tools
● Working software
over
comprehensive
documentation
● Customer
collaboration over
contract
negotiation
● Responding to
change over
following a plan
● Our highest priority is to
satisfy the customer
through early and
continuous delivery of
valuable software.
● Welcome changing
requirements, even late in
development. Agile
processes harness change
for the customer's
competitive advantage.
● Deliver working software
frequently, from a couple of
weeks to a couple of
months, with a preference
to the shorter timescale.
● Business people and
developers must work
together daily throughout
the project.
● Build projects around
motivated individuals. Give
them the environment and
support they need, and trust
them to get the job done.
● The most efficient and
effective method of
conveying information to
and within a development
team is face-to-face
conversation.
● Working software is the
primary measure of
progress.
● Agile processes promote
sustainable development.
The sponsors, developers,
and users should be able to
maintain a constant pace
indefinitely.
● Continuous attention to
technical excellence and
good design enhances
agility.
● Simplicity--the art of
maximizing the amount of
work not done--is essential.
● The best architectures,
requirements, and designs
emerge from self-organizing
teams.
● At regular intervals, the
team reflects on how to
become more effective,
then tunes and adjusts its
behavior accordingly.

Still Too Long
Individuals and interactions over processes
and tools
Working software over comprehensive
documentation
Customer collaboration over contract
negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

Individuals and Interactions
Customer collaboration
Working software
Responding to change
Closer but not there yet

Social engagement
Individuals and Interactions (being social)
Customer collaboration (common goal)
Measurement
Working software (what we measure)
Responding to change (why we measure)

3 words -much better
Social engagement
Measurement

Social Engagement
Why does a focus on social engagement cause people
to love agile?

What a man can be , he must be
(Maslow)
AKA Fulfilment requires other people

Happy people are extremely social
(Seligman)
AKA Happiness cannot be achieved without social relationships

Three key motivations drive performance
(McClelland)
AKA People are motivated by more than one thing

The need for affiliation The 2nd need The 3rd need

Measurement
Why does a focus on measurement cause people to
love agile ?

Team Performance
Team morale
Code quality
Innovation
Customer Engagement
Improved cost effective
Cycle time

The truth can only be tolerated if you discover it yourself
(Perls)
AKA Only when you connect the dots , does it look like a christmas tree

Suffering ceases to be suffering the moment it finds a
meaning
(Frankl)
AKA If you see improvement , the effort is worth it.

The need for affiliation The need for Accomplishment The 3rd need

Agile is the good cop , bad cop of the methodological
landscape

If Agile is so great
Why
a) Does it sometimes suck so hard.
b) Does it sometimes fail.

Social Engagement
You are given the chance to work on green fields
projects.
All your dreams come true

However - is it really green field ?

Emotions are a runaway train
(Ekman)
AKA When we act , we are acting with emotion

Toxic people cause others to become toxic
(Kusy & Holloway)
AKA
People fight fire with fire

Three key motivations drive performance
(McCelland)
AKA
Turns out people have more that one thing that drives them

The need for affiliation The need for Accomplishment The need for power

It gets worse
Bad Eggs are viral

What happens when you put good people in an evil place
(Zimbardo)
AKA
When in a context , you are less moral than you think you will be

How strong is the urge to social conformity
(Asch)
AKA
If you are in a group , groupthink is in effect

People do what they are told to do
(Milgram)
AKA
When asked , You will obey

Most human behaviour is learnt through modeling
(Bandura)
AKA
Monkey see , monkey do

Obedience
People
behave
poorly
Bad
Egg
Bad
Egg

Obedience
Conformity
People
behave
poorly
Bad
Egg
Bad
Egg
Bad
Egg

Learn By Modelling Obedience
Conformity
People
behave
poorly
Bad
Egg
Bad
Egg
Bad
Egg
Bad
Egg

It gets worse
Organizational culture can also be bad

Profitless acts are stamped out
(Throndike)
AKA If you gain no value , you will stop trying

Behaviour is shaped by positive and negative
reinforcement
(Skinner)
AKA Your environment will change who you are

You cannot understand a system until you try and change
it
(Lewin)
AKA Only when you push , do you feel resistance

It gets worse
When we chose truthiness

The seven sins of memory
(Schacter)
AKA If you're remembering it , you're remembering it wrong

Memories Fade Over
Time
We only remember what
we notice
Sometimes our memory
is blocked
Other people's stories
can become part of our
memory of events
Each time we remember
a memory we can change
it
We remember what we
want to be true
Sometimes we can’t
forget

How you
remember your
first kiss
Your first kiss

Emotion and memory are stored together
(Seligman)
AKA When you remember something your emotional state can be altered

We are constantly on the lookout for causal connections
(kahneman)
AKA When you break a mirror that 7 years bad luck

Emphasied
Emphasied
Made weaker
Made weaker

It gets worse
When we measure our KPI

Demand characteristics
(Orne)
AKA You will get what you measure not what you want

The Higher this is ,
the better. It is your
measure

It gets worse
We look at the data

Insight may cause blindness
(Watzlawick)
AKA Sometimes you double down

Agile Recovery
What can we do ?

There is more to the surface than meets the eye
(Beck)
AKA You must deal with what you see

It is notoriously inadequate to take an adopted child into
your house and love it
(Winnicott)
AKA Tolerance only gets you so far

Sometimes you have to coach , sometimes you have to
challenge.
What you can’t do is ignore toxic behaviour.
You will be doing you and them a disservice.

What about the damage …
People might need a push to try again ...

Reciprocation
(Regan , many others)
AKA
People will give a lot if you give a little.

Consistency of self
(Festinger)
AKA Actions taken change beliefs

People are influenced by people they like
(Thorndike , various)
AKA
If someone likes you , you are already influencing them

People hate to lose
(Hobfoll)
AKA
Abundance is nice , loss is unbearable

Rational Beliefs create healthy Emotional Consequences
(Ellis)
AKA If what you expect is achievable , then you stand more chance of happiness

The good life is a process , not a state of being
(Rodgers)
AKA
Happiness is making choices

The Power of small wins
(Amabile , Kramer)
AKA A small win is still a win

People working towards common goals bond
(Aronson)
AKA To support is to be supported

Our history does not determine our destiny
(Cyrulnik)
AKA change is always possible

It will take hard
work
We might
occasionally fail
The team will hold
you to account

We must be accountable and constantly prove
ourselves.

What we believe in our hearts is not necessarily the truth
(Loftus)
AKA You might be wrong

I had told you earlier not to be too worried about not
taking it all in .

Your forget ⅔ of everything your hear within 24 hours
AKA focus hard on the ⅓ you want to remember

You get no marks for
adherence to
prescribed set of
practices or
behaviours.
The agile manifesto
describes a mindset
not a blueprint.

You will have to deal with bad
eggs.
Don’t be surprised when it
happens.
Bad
Egg

Your mantra must be
Adopt
Inspect
Improve

Email : caoilte.dunne@dius.com.au

30 psychological truths that drive agile adoption and its failure

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