The document discusses the application of systems thinking in Scrum, emphasizing the importance of understanding organizations as interconnected systems rather than just individual agile teams. It highlights the pitfalls of agile transformations and suggests that systemic views and leverage points can help address challenges. Additionally, the document contains a cautionary note on forward-looking statements from Royal Dutch Shell regarding their business operations and the inherent uncertainties involved.

1. Applying Systems Thinking
In Scrum
Ranan Bhattacharya
Co-Author: Prince Kumar Mishra
1st – 3rd December, 2017 | Westin, Hyderabad, INDIA

2. Royal Dutch Shell plc
Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in
more than 100 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of Liquefied Natural Gas and Gas to Liquids; manufacturing, marketing and
shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. For further information, visit http://www.shell.com
Disclaimer statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are,
or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include,
among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing management’s expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and
assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as ‘‘anticipate’’, ‘‘believe’’, ‘‘could’’, ‘‘estimate’’, ‘‘expect’’, ‘‘intend’’, ‘‘may’’, ‘‘plan’’, ‘‘objectives’’, ‘‘outlook’’,
‘‘probably’’, ‘‘project’’, ‘‘will’’, ‘‘seek’’, ‘‘target’’, ‘‘risks’’, ‘‘goals’’, ‘‘should’’ and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause
those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this Report, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in
demand for the Group’s products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserve estimates; (f) loss of market and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks
associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and
countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including potential litigation and regulatory effects arising from recategorisation of reserves; (k) economic and
financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, project delay or advancement, approvals and cost estimates; and (m) changes in trading conditions. All forward-looking statements
contained in this presentation are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this document, 1st December 2017. Neither Royal Dutch Shell nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking
statements contained in this document.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permits oil and gas companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only proved reserves that a company has demonstrated by actual
production or conclusive formation tests to be economically and legally producible under existing economic and operating conditions. We use certain terms in this presentation, such as “oil in place" that the
SEC's guidelines strictly prohibit us from including in filings with the SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575 and disclosure in our Forms 6-K file
No, 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov. You can also obtain these forms from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330.
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this presentation belong solely to the author,
and not necessarily to the author’s employer, organization, committee or other group or individual

3. A system must be managed. It will not manage
itself. Left to themselves, components become
selfish, competitive. We can not afford the
destructive effect of competition.”
―W. Edwards Deming

4. Next 45 minutes….
What is a System?A
Collection or System?B
How to identify a System?C
System DiversityD
System ThinkingE
What plagues an Agile TransformationF

5. What is a System?

6. Collection or a System?
Build an Agile Organization and NOT a bunch of Agile teams

7. How to identify a System?
Inter-
connection
Inter-
dependent
Parts
Purpose
Whole is
more than
Parts
Parts
attempt to
stabilize by
giving
feedbacks

8. Structure
(Capabilityto
understand) Complicated
Simplifytomakethe
modelunderstandable
Simple
Ordered Complex Chaotic
Behaviour
(Capability to predict)
System is a way of looking at the World

9. What is System Thinking?
System
Archetypes
System
Structure

10. System in context

11. A System must be thought considering
Tightly coupled Everything may influence
everything.
Multi dynamics Changes may occur at many scales
and levels.
Counterintuitive Cause and effect may be distant in
time and/or space.
Policy resistant Obvious solutions to problems fail or
actually worsen the situation.
Non-linear Long term behaviour is often
different from short term behaviour.

12. Examples of Non System Thinking
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?”
H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.
“I think that the world market for computers is may be of
five machines”.
Thomas Watson, president at IBM. 1943
“TV is not going to be in the market for more than
six months. People will be bored of looking at the
same box all nights”
Darryl F. Zanuck. General Manager at 20th Century
Fox. 1946
"The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We
have plenty of messenger boys.”
Sir William Preece, chief engineer of the British Post Office, 1876.
“There is no reason to think that people wants to
have a computer at home”
Ken Olson, founder of Digital Equipment. 1977

13. System Thinking Tools

14. Basic processes
• Reinforcing process (the engines of growth and
feedback): Positive feedback Successive changes
add to the previous changes and keep the change
going in the same direction
• Balancing process (stabilizing, goal seeking):
Accounts for the constancy in the system. They
continually try to keep the system at a desired level
of performance.

15. System Archetypes

16. What plagues Agile Transformation
We are
doing Agile,
so don’t
need to take
decisions
HR, Finance,
Purchase…..
are not
Agile!!
I can’t deploy
your code as
that’s 10th in
my priority
list
Your request for
Workflow change
will be discussed
in monthly CRB
meeting
We are
Agile!! The
Customer is
NOT 

17. Pitfalls

18. How to break the Juggernaut
Take a Systemic view
Look out for Leverage Points
Identify the System Archetype
Look at Organization as a system
Revisit the System structure
Change the Reward systems

19. Ranan Bhattacharya
Senior Agile Coach
9980936123
rananb@gmail.com
https://in.linkedin.com/in/rananbhattacharya
Thank You