This document discusses company culture and how to introduce agile methodologies. It defines culture as "how we do things in order to succeed." The core of a company's culture is either control, collaboration, competence or cultivation. While changing culture is difficult and takes time, identifying existing "subcultures" aligned with agile and focusing on solving problems can help initiate the transition. Introducing agile practices gradually and getting others involved from the start are also recommended approaches. The overall message is that adopting agile represents a cultural shift for an organization.

1. Company Culture
Workshop
Marco Trincardi
Italian Agile Day 2013
!
@Trink0
marco.trincardi@xpeppers.com

2. Step 1

3. Organization
Organization are community of
people with a mission
Putman 1990

4. Organization
Organization are living
social system

5. Why Culture?
Culture is first barrier in
Agile adoption

6. Culture Definition
“How we do things in
order to succeed”
Schneider ’99

7. Activity 1
Questionnaire

8. Step 2
Culture Definition

9. Schneider Model
CONTENT
what is
II
I
personal
impersonal
PROCESS
IV
III
what could be

10. Four Core Culture
Control
Collaboration
Competence
Cultivation

11. Core Culture
Every company has One Core Culture
Elements of others culture (sub culture) are
present only if they are useful to fullfil the
goal of core culture

12. Activity 2
Culture Features

13. Step 3
Agile Methodologies

14. Manifesto for Agile
Software Development
Individuals and interactions
over processes and tools
Working software
over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration
over contract negotiation
Responding to change
over following a plan
http://agilemanifesto.org

15. Activity 3
Identify Agile Features

16. Agile Culture
Agile is a Culture

17. Introducing Agile
Agile Introduction
=
Change Culture

18. Agile vs Culture
Don’t fight the culture!

19. Beware
The older and more successful the
organization, the stronger its
culture, its nature, its identity
becomes

20. It’s a tough job
Changing Culture is hard
Changing Culture takes time

21. Step 4
Where do we Start?

22. Motivation
Business
is the best motivation
to change

23. 3 Dimensions
You
People
Agile
Company Culture

24. Where do we start?
• Identify “sub cultures” aligned with Agile
culture
• Look at Problems as point of
improvements
• Try two patterns
• “Test the waters”
• “Do it”

25. Rules of thumb
• Don’t try to explain logically why Agile
works
• Practices are a means to an end
• Ask for help
• Iterate and evolve

26. Control Culture
• “Self organizing team” is not appealing
• “Planning” could be a good starting point

27. Collaboration Culture
• It’s easier to deal with :)
• Agile Manifesto values are a good starting
point

28. Next Step
It’s your turn

29. Activity 4
Start your journey!

30. References
Books:
William E. Shneider: “The reengineering alternative”
Linda Rising, Mary Lynn Mans: “Fearless change - Patterns for introducing new ideas”
Ebooks:
M. Sahota: An Agile adoption and transformation survival guide
A. Tommasini, M. Kearns: Agile Transition - What you need to know before start
Articles:
William E. Shneider: “Why good Management ideas Fail” http://www.parshift.com/
Speakers/Speak016.htm

31. Images Credits
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bilal-kamoon/
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99681082@N06/
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonay/
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/npobre/
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geofftrotter/
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sudhamshu/
•
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mukumbura/
•
http://www.bettiniphoto.net/image/2_0010223_1_thumb2.jpg
•
http://www.louisalloro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/76895_10151209479037441_2052877460_n.jpg