The document discusses the concept of 'cargo cult' in the context of agile transformations, highlighting that mere imitation of agile processes without understanding underlying principles results in failure. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on customer delivery, team empowerment, and continuous improvement rather than just following established processes. The author advocates for a deeper understanding of agile principles to avoid pitfalls and achieve successful outcomes in software development.

1. Understanding
How to Truly
Benefit From
an Agile
Transformation
presented by:
in partnership with:
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2. Introductions
Bill Gaiennie
Agile Trainer
Trained over 5,000 people in Agile methods
over the last 5 years
Personally coached 80 different teams in various industries to
Agile Coach successfully transition to an Agile approach
Davisbase Consulting Developing People Who Develop Software.
Website: davisbase.org Agile Blog: theagileadvisors.com Email: bill@davisbase.org
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3. What is a “Cargo Cult”?
United States
World War II, Melanesian Islands Cargo Drops
Japan
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4. What is a “Cargo Cult”?
“We did everything that they did, so where’s our cargo?”
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5. What is a “Cargo Cult”?
rg e
Ca r Mo
o
No
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6. A Cargo Cult Assumes...
‣ Imitating actions alone produces desired results
‣ Process is more important than the underlying
principles
‣ Discipline to process alone is paramount for
success
‣ The need to know “why” is not valuable
‣ Style over substance
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7. Cargo Cult Agile Teams
‣ Simply replace one prescriptive process for
development and delivery with another.
‣ Invest more energy in duplicating others’ processes
rather than creating their own.
‣ Fail to effectively communicate the
principles upon which their process
should be based.
‣ Lack discipline in maintaining sight
of their most important mandate.
‣ Care more about appearances than
results.
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8. Cargo Cults Produce Few Results
Re al
“We did everything
they did,
where are
our results?”
“I knew Agile wouldn’t work.
We did everything we
were supposed to,
but it only seemed to
cause problems!”
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9. The Agile Manifesto
We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and
helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value:
Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Value Value Value Value
Value Value Value Value
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value Value
That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more.
http://agilemanifesto.org/
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10. What Are We Here For?
We
are
here
to
develop
AND
deliver
great
working
products
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11. Complicated Vs. Complex
Watch Making Weather
Developing Software
Is a Complex
Endeavor
‣ Thousands of parts, hundreds of steps to ‣ Difficulty to predict details about behavior or
assemble outcomes
‣ Intricate, delicate work, difficult to complete ‣ Outcomes are results of many variables
‣ Must work in specific order ‣ Variables that affect outcomes are difficult to
‣ In order for watch to work, the final build impossible to predict reliably
should reflect the original plan. ‣ Plans expect variability and deviation, then
‣ Deviation from plan is considered a defect. account for this in the plan
Complicated, but not complex Complex
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12. The Cone of Vs. Complex
Complicated Uncertainty
+
= Variable
In a Software
Waterfall Complete
Estimate Variability
project, this is where
all of the important
project planning
decisions are
made.
- The further out in time
Project something is, the more impaired
Initiation & our ability to accurately predict
Planning
anything about it.
present Time future
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13. So Bill, What Should We Focus On?
Customer
Improvement
Delivery
The Team
Serve your Note: Every project and product has a
customer customer. Know who your customer is!
‣ Listento your ‣A successful project
customers, even when must have a delighted
they are not happy customer
‣ It’s not ‘Us vs. Them’ ‣ Seek to serve more
than just your contract
‣ Involvethem early,
often, and consistently ‣ Know that your
customer’s wants and
‣ Communicate with needs will evolve with
transparency the product
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14. So Bill, What Should We Focus On?
Customer Improvement
Delivery
The Team
Deliver
your
product If We Don’t Deliver,
Nothing Else Matters
‣ All processes used by a development team Much
should serve to support their ability to deliver Any process used must be all
their product for their customer. about delivering our product.
‣ The longer a product is in development, the more
at risk it is of failing to meet market expectations.
‣ Teams must embrace uncertainty, or else they
run the risk of being adversely affected by it.
‣ Agile teams must always ask “Is what I am doing
adding value to the product we are delivering for
our customer?”
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15. So Bill, What Should We Focus On?
Customer Delivery Improvement
The Team
Your
people are
important
AGILE PRINCIPLE ‣ Agile teams are empowered to
Build projects around make decisions that support their short
motivated individuals.
term iteration goals.
Give them the
environment and ‣ The Agile team owns the responsibility
support they need, of meeting the customer’s expectations
and trust them to get
the job done.
and their own team commitments
Provide your team the
AGILE PRINCIPLE
mechanisms to
At regular intervals, ‣ Agile teams meet at the end of each allow for improvement.
the team reflects on iteration to examine the past iteration to
how to become more When your team is
effective, then tunes determine where improvements can be
made, then plans accordingly. happy they produce
and adjusts its
better products.
behavior accordingly.
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16. So Bill, What Should We Focus On?
Customer Delivery The Team Improvement
You’re
never done
“I welcome failure, improving
not because I desire it as an ultimate end,
but because I recognize that any true success
must be born through
some amount of failure.
And because of this allowance,
I expect my team to be
better next year
than they are
today.”
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17. The Antithesis of a Cargo Cult
What They Faced What They Did
‣ 2 brothers ‣ Started small, but stayed focused
‣ A large governmental agency (600 ‣ Always did a ‘sanity check’
developers) ‣ Reviewed what they did
‣ Entrenched development process ‣ Shared what they learned
‣ No allowance for deviation
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18. What You Need to Remember
‣ Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery,
but it is a poor foundation for your development
approach
‣ Always seek clearly what value you expect to
create with any process, product, meeting,
team, etc.
‣ Ensure shared, team ownership of any initiative
‣ Pay closer consideration to the best product
outcome, rather than simple adherence to your
original plan
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19. Avoid the Pitfalls That Can Create a
Cargo Cult Agile Team
‣ Ensure the organization understands the principles that
Agile seeks to serve
‣ Provide the proper training to ensure that every team
member is an “owner” of the approach
‣ Don’t assume that a failure in development is a failure
of your approach
‣ Provide the teams the tools
and assistance that they need
‣ Seek continuous improvement
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20. Your Call To Action
‣ Find experts that can point
you in the right direction.
‣ Recognize that training is the
proper foundation on which
team’s build.
‣ It takes time to get good at
anything, Agile is no
exception, but the rewards
are well worth it.
‣ Getting started is easier than
you might think.
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21. Your Questions, My Answers
Note: For those questions we do not have time to answer during the
webinar, I will be providing a written response.
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22. How to Claim Your PDU
‣ Go to ccrs.pmi.org
‣ Search for ASPE as a Registered Education Provider.
Our number is 2161.
‣ At the bottom of our details page, select
“See Provider’s Activities”
‣ Find the activity and code stated by the ASPE
moderator during the seminar
‣ The seminars are typically a Category 3 for one PDU
Webinar Code:
WSCARGOAGILE
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23. Meeting Close
‣ Thank you.
‣ Bill Gaiennie, Davisbase Consulting
‣ bill@davisbase.org
‣ http://www.davisbase.org
‣ (949) 303-9109
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24. About Davisbase Consulting
‣ A leading, national provider of Agile training and coaching
services.
‣ Since 2007, over 300 classes taught to over 5000 people nationwide.
‣ Training, coaching, and consulting work for over 50 Fortune 500 Clients.
‣ Experienced. “In the trenches” doing what we teach
‣ Extensive experience with all aspects of software development and project
lifecycle across multiple industries and verticals.
‣ Every title and role from Developer, QA, Project Manager through Sr.
Leadership.
‣ Average of 15+ years of applied IT Leadership experience.
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