1.
Overcoming DelayHow the Best Developers
Increase Productivity
@paulmgower

2.
Please don’t reuse these
slides without permission
This presentation is copyrighted.

3.
Paul Gower
Maker.
Stakeholder.
@paulmgower

4.
Maker.
Started my journey playing video games.
@paulmgower
I’ve been writing code since 1992.

5.
Stakeholder.
@paulmgower

6.
Bridge
Both maker and stakeholder perspectives
@paulmgower
My leadership style was chaos and the death march
was my methodology.

7.
I needed to find a
better way!
I became a student of Lean and Agile.
@paulmgower

8.
Today’s Big Idea
@paulmgower

9.
Outsmart the instincts that
create delay by mastering flow.
@paulmgower

10.
Kanban
@paulmgower

11.
Kanban is a set of organizing
principles and practices that
clarify how to unhide work
and optimize its flow.
@paulmgower

12.
Kanban Card
A fast way to articulate the work that needs to be done.
As an online banking
customer, I want to
create an account
online so that I can
check my balance.
XL
Paul
Gower8/6
@paulmgower

13.
Kanban Board
A simple way to communicate progress that everyone understands.
To Do Doing Done
@paulmgower

14.
Stakeholders
and
Makers
@paulmgower

15.
How does a team typically
respond when asked to
increase efficiency?
They work harder and longer.
@paulmgower

16.
@paulmgower
Efficiency
1

17.
@paulmgower

18.
What metric could they use to
guide the discretionary time of
their employees to achieve
growth?
@paulmgower

19.
Time in the air.
@paulmgower

20.
What metric could be used
similarly for knowledge
work teams?
@paulmgower

21.
Flow Efficiency.
The percentage of time spent adding value to the work we do.
@paulmgower

22.
Busy means I’m
needed.
2

23.
What is your
association
with busy?

24.
@paulmgower

25.
@paulmgower

26.
To Do Doing Done
@paulmgower

27.
—Greg McKeown
The word priority came into
the English language in the
1400s. It stayed singular
for the next 500 years.
@paulmgower

28.
Limiting Work in Progress
Work that flows consistently produces higher output.
23 4
Options Design Develop Test Release
8
@paulmgower

29.
Little’s Law
If the team isn’t busy, do more.
If the team is overburdened, do less.
In both cases, the team will increase output.
@paulmgower

30.
Outsmart the instincts that
create delay by mastering flow.
@paulmgower

31.
TestDevelop DoneBacklog
@paulmgower

32.
@paulmgower
Push
3

33.
@paulmgower
DriveThe Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
by Daniel Pink

34.
What are the three factors
employers can use to motivate
employees?
@paulmgower

35.
Autonomy.
@paulmgower

36.
Purpose.
@paulmgower

37.
Mastery.
@paulmgower

38.
What is motivating
this developer?
@paulmgower

39.
TestDevelop DoneBacklog
@paulmgower

40.
All makers have
growth-driven
impulses.

41.
What is the primary function
of an automobile?
@paulmgower

42.
—Elon Musk
“Most cars are only in use by
their owners for 5% to
10% of the day.”
@paulmgower

43.
You cannot reduce delay
if you are not actively
measuring it!
@paulmgower

44.
Traditional thinking
recognizes work in three states.
Unstarted.
In Progress.
Done.
@paulmgower

45.
Work actually exists in
four states.
Unstarted.
Underway.
Waiting.
Done.
@paulmgower

46.
TestDevelop DoneOptions
@paulmgower

47.
Work can be assigned to
everyone and owned
by no one.
@paulmgower

48.
One simple
behavior change.
Insert an interrupter to prevent your impulse
to learn and grow from taking over!
@paulmgower

49.
“I’m finished and I’m waiting
for this work to be taken
from me.”
@paulmgower

50.
It’s called a
Pull System.
The only way work moves is if someone pulls it.
Team members are always communicating availability.
Cards are never lost because they always have an advocate.
@paulmgower

51.
A pull system is an ownership-
driven system.
@paulmgower

52.
Outsmart the instincts that
create delay by mastering flow.
@paulmgower

53.
Pull System + WIP Limits
Eliminates overburdening!
@paulmgower

54.
There’s more!
Before pulling new work, insert a second interrupter.
@paulmgower

55.
Look for opportunities to
improve flow.
@paulmgower

56.
DoneOptions TestDevelop
@paulmgower

57.
UXRefine WriteOptions Edit Design Approve Develop Test Accept Done
@paulmgower

58.
Self healing.
A healthy Kanban system preserves itself.
@paulmgower

59.
Recap.
@paulmgower

60.
Instincts.
Spaced repetition yields behavior change.
@paulmgower
‣Efficiency ➜ Flow
‣Busy ➜ Limit WIP
‣Push ➜ Pull

61.
Before starting new work, look for opportunities to
improve flow.
Interrupters.
@paulmgower
“I’m finished and I’m waiting for this work to be taken
from me.”

62.
Outsmart the instincts that
create delay by mastering flow.
@paulmgower

63.
We teach Kanban.
Paul Gower
@paulmgower
paul@huge.io
http://huge.io/