Collaborating
                               with
                          Stakeholders


Tuesday, November 1, 11
•      Stuart Turner

                   •      Originally from England

                   •      Lives in Singapore

                   •      Works for Odd-e

                   •      Agile coach, SW developer

                   •      Experience with startups and
                          Financial Institutions

                   •      Java, Low-latency Trading
                          Systems, Operational Risk




Tuesday, November 1, 11
Why not just consider the
                         Customer?



Tuesday, November 1, 11
What is a stakeholder?
                   A person, group, organization or system
                    which affects or can be affected by an
                            organization's actions




Tuesday, November 1, 11
Why do we need
                           Collaboration?


Tuesday, November 1, 11
• Most modern software is complex
                    • Numerous and varied skill sets are required
                    • A team is the basic unit necessary



Tuesday, November 1, 11
But we’re agile!

                    • Yes, it helps to remove BDUF
                    • Yes, it brings people to work as teams
                    • Focuses on building things better, not
                          necessarily building the right things




Tuesday, November 1, 11
“There is nothing so useless
            as doing efficiently that which
              should not be done at all.”
                                      Peter Drucker




Tuesday, November 1, 11
64          %
                              of software
                          features are rarely
                            or never used!
Tuesday, November 1, 11
Why do we build things
                 we don’t really need?


Tuesday, November 1, 11
Confirmation Bias



Tuesday, November 1, 11
Tuesday, November 1, 11
• PO, customer, users just want what
                          someone else has
                    • Ticks more boxes
                    • Might be a language, framework, library or
                          design patterns
                    • New buzz words
                    • The latest ‘cool’ technology
                    • Your manager’s pet project

Tuesday, November 1, 11
Implementation team(s)
                  are too far removed
                    • Large organization
                    • Departmentalized specialization
                    • Local optimization
                    • ‘Broken telephone’
                    • Jerry Maguire

Tuesday, November 1, 11
Language

                    • Ambiguous
                    • Insufficient or incapable
                    • Lengthy
                    • Unsuitable

Tuesday, November 1, 11
User Stories
                    • User story for a user
                    • User story for a product owner
                    • User story for a developer
                    • No business value or benefit to the
                          customer
                    • No acceptance criteria
                                                     Krystian Kaczor


Tuesday, November 1, 11
We introduce
                               complications
                    • We want to use a tool
                    • We are able to work remotely

                    • Just because we can doesn’t mean we
                          should



Tuesday, November 1, 11
It’s not technology...


                    • Software is complex but not complicated
                    • The technical problems have almost
                          certainly been solved before




Tuesday, November 1, 11
• Most problems are caused by...




Tuesday, November 1, 11
Miscommunication



Tuesday, November 1, 11
Tuesday, November 1, 11
Tuesday, November 1, 11
The unknown is
                                unknown
                    • Each individual has their own view
                    • We don’t know if our views are the same
                    • If often appears our views are the same
                    • Customers sometimes don’t know what
                          they want
                    • They often don’t know what’s possible
Tuesday, November 1, 11
Solutions are often
                 conceived before we’ve
                    understood the
                        problem!

Tuesday, November 1, 11
Established Application

                    • Developed over the past ten years by an
                          average of 100 developers
                    • How do you tell if features are no longer
                          useful?
                    • Should you REMOVE some or all of those
                          features?



Tuesday, November 1, 11
Collaboration helps to
                  expand our knowledge and
                        understanding



Tuesday, November 1, 11
How do we collaborate
                  more effectively?


Tuesday, November 1, 11
Tuesday, November 1, 11
• Go and see
                    • More direct feedback
                    • Simple interaction
                    • Knowing what your work means to the
                          customer




Tuesday, November 1, 11
It’s complex



Tuesday, November 1, 11
Collaboration
Tuesday, November 1, 11
Collaboration


                    • Bring together all stakeholders
                    • Share the vision and goal


Tuesday, November 1, 11
Shared Mental Models



Tuesday, November 1, 11
Establish a shared
                          understanding of the
                               problem



Tuesday, November 1, 11
The problem isn’t the
                           problem!


Tuesday, November 1, 11
Overcoming the
                           problem is the
                             problem!


Tuesday, November 1, 11
With direct feedback
                   from all stakeholders
                  you realize you’re not
                  delivering a product or
                          a service

Tuesday, November 1, 11
You’re providing an
                              Experience



Tuesday, November 1, 11
Experiences

                    • Usage of delivered software
                    • Engagement and interaction
                    • Empathy and understanding
                    • Enthusiasm

Tuesday, November 1, 11
“We act as though comfort
                  and luxury were the chief
                     requirements of life.
                  All that we need to make
                  us happy is something to
                   be enthusiastic about.”
                                       Albert Einstein




Tuesday, November 1, 11
You’re able to delight
                           your stakeholders


Tuesday, November 1, 11
Tuesday, November 1, 11
How do we
                          achieve this?


Tuesday, November 1, 11
Large brained animals
                    perform better when
                 they’re enjoying themselves
                                       Nancy Frishberg




Tuesday, November 1, 11
Tuesday, November 1, 11
Bring people together




Tuesday, November 1, 11
Tuesday, November 1, 11
Tuesday, November 1, 11
Tuesday, November 1, 11
Overcoming the
                             problem
                    • Games and role playing really help
                    • Use physical and interactive media
                    • Act out different scenarios
                    • Prototype solutions
                    • Gauge stakeholder feedback

Tuesday, November 1, 11
Capture the
                          important details

                    • Use drawings and physical models
                    • Stakeholder value and acceptance criteria
                    • Automated acceptance tests


Tuesday, November 1, 11
I’m always doing things I
                                   can’t do.
                            That’s how I get to do
                                    them.        Pablo Picasso




Tuesday, November 1, 11
Future Experiences
                    • How are you going to delight your
                          stakeholders?
                    • How are you going to improve your own
                          working experience?


                    • One small thing...

Tuesday, November 1, 11

Collaborating with Stakeholders

  • 1.
    Collaborating with Stakeholders Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 2.
    Stuart Turner • Originally from England • Lives in Singapore • Works for Odd-e • Agile coach, SW developer • Experience with startups and Financial Institutions • Java, Low-latency Trading Systems, Operational Risk Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 3.
    Why not justconsider the Customer? Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 4.
    What is astakeholder? A person, group, organization or system which affects or can be affected by an organization's actions Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 5.
    Why do weneed Collaboration? Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 6.
    • Most modernsoftware is complex • Numerous and varied skill sets are required • A team is the basic unit necessary Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 7.
    But we’re agile! • Yes, it helps to remove BDUF • Yes, it brings people to work as teams • Focuses on building things better, not necessarily building the right things Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 8.
    “There is nothingso useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.” Peter Drucker Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 9.
    64 % of software features are rarely or never used! Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 10.
    Why do webuild things we don’t really need? Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 11.
  • 12.
  • 13.
    • PO, customer,users just want what someone else has • Ticks more boxes • Might be a language, framework, library or design patterns • New buzz words • The latest ‘cool’ technology • Your manager’s pet project Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 14.
    Implementation team(s) are too far removed • Large organization • Departmentalized specialization • Local optimization • ‘Broken telephone’ • Jerry Maguire Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 15.
    Language • Ambiguous • Insufficient or incapable • Lengthy • Unsuitable Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 16.
    User Stories • User story for a user • User story for a product owner • User story for a developer • No business value or benefit to the customer • No acceptance criteria Krystian Kaczor Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 17.
    We introduce complications • We want to use a tool • We are able to work remotely • Just because we can doesn’t mean we should Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 18.
    It’s not technology... • Software is complex but not complicated • The technical problems have almost certainly been solved before Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 19.
    • Most problemsare caused by... Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 20.
  • 21.
  • 22.
  • 23.
    The unknown is unknown • Each individual has their own view • We don’t know if our views are the same • If often appears our views are the same • Customers sometimes don’t know what they want • They often don’t know what’s possible Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 24.
    Solutions are often conceived before we’ve understood the problem! Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 25.
    Established Application • Developed over the past ten years by an average of 100 developers • How do you tell if features are no longer useful? • Should you REMOVE some or all of those features? Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 26.
    Collaboration helps to expand our knowledge and understanding Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 27.
    How do wecollaborate more effectively? Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 28.
  • 29.
    • Go andsee • More direct feedback • Simple interaction • Knowing what your work means to the customer Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 30.
  • 31.
  • 32.
    Collaboration • Bring together all stakeholders • Share the vision and goal Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 33.
  • 34.
    Establish a shared understanding of the problem Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 35.
    The problem isn’tthe problem! Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 36.
    Overcoming the problem is the problem! Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 37.
    With direct feedback from all stakeholders you realize you’re not delivering a product or a service Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 38.
    You’re providing an Experience Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 39.
    Experiences • Usage of delivered software • Engagement and interaction • Empathy and understanding • Enthusiasm Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 40.
    “We act asthough comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life. All that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.” Albert Einstein Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 41.
    You’re able todelight your stakeholders Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 42.
  • 43.
    How do we achieve this? Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 44.
    Large brained animals perform better when they’re enjoying themselves Nancy Frishberg Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 45.
  • 46.
  • 47.
  • 48.
  • 49.
  • 50.
    Overcoming the problem • Games and role playing really help • Use physical and interactive media • Act out different scenarios • Prototype solutions • Gauge stakeholder feedback Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 51.
    Capture the important details • Use drawings and physical models • Stakeholder value and acceptance criteria • Automated acceptance tests Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 52.
    I’m always doingthings I can’t do. That’s how I get to do them. Pablo Picasso Tuesday, November 1, 11
  • 53.
    Future Experiences • How are you going to delight your stakeholders? • How are you going to improve your own working experience? • One small thing... Tuesday, November 1, 11