The Agile Strategy Map is used to help leadership teams provide direction to the organization using agile practices.

1. The Agile Strategy Map
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2. Agile Strategy Mapping guides effective action
• Broadens scope for multiple
strategic relationships
• Generates teamwork and shared
outcome ownership
• Allows for outcome-driven control of
effort (just enough effort)
• Holistic perspective allows for
responsive action
vs.
• Shape defines strategic relationships
• Leads to independent actions
• Weak control mechanisms
• Lacks holistic perspective
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

3. Starting with a shared, well-understood objective
Strategic Objective(s)
Description of a desired outcome with
At least one product line key differentiators
is able to deliver potentially
shippable product at the
end of every Sprint
Possible Success Factors
Brainstorm as many possible factors
that will contribute to successfully
delivering the objective.
Factors may include:
‣ Skills or Capabilities
‣ Relationships or Interactions
‣ Constraints or Targets
Necessary Conditions
Minimum actions or deliverables
needed to deliver just enough of a PSF.
May contain nested NCs until an
actionable backlog items are identified.
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

4. Success Factors will help deliver the objective
Dedicated X- Common understanding
functional teams, spanning of Potentially Shippable
the entire product stack Product
Tools that enable Strategic Objective(s)
Separation of Sprint
emerging processes, not activities from Release
shape them Description of a desired outcome with
activities
At least one product line key differentiators
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
knowledge building and
is able to deliver potentially Quality System for the
shippable product at the
experience sharing
end of every Sprint
Possible Success Factors
whole Scrum Team
Teams focusing on
Brainstorm as many possible factors
Teams understand
delivery customer value that will contribute to successfully
and practice continuous
together improvement
delivering the objective.
Well groomed Product Empirical Process Factors may include:
Backlog with sufficient
look-ahead
Control, Iterative &
Incremental ‣ Skills or Capabilities
‣ Relationships or Interactions
‣ Constraints or Targets
Necessary Conditions
Minimum actions or deliverables
needed to deliver just enough of a PSF.
May contain nested NCs until an
actionable backlog items are identified.
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

5. Success Factors will help deliver the objective
Dedicated X- Common understanding
functional teams, spanning of Potentially Shippable
the entire product stack Product
Tools that enable Separation of Sprint
emerging processes, not activities from Release
shape them activities
At least one product line
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
knowledge building and
is able to deliver potentially Quality System for the
experience sharing shippable product at the whole Scrum Team
end of every Sprint
Teams focusing on Teams understand
delivery customer value and practice continuous
together improvement
Well groomed Product Empirical Process
Backlog with sufficient Control, Iterative &
look-ahead Incremental
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

6. Shared Story Definition
Dedicated Scrum Master of Done through Product
Realistic Commitment without conflicting Stack Stable Velocity for each
responsibilities team at a sustainable pace
Shared Release Definition of
Dedicated Product Owner Done
Reach a sustainable pace
giving clear direction
Team focused on Sprint goal
Shared & Emerging Release
Plan
Valuable and inclusive Dedicated X- Common understanding
functional teams, spanning of Potentially Shippable Defined and Shared
way to work with distributed
the entire product stack Product Release Cycle
Awareness on possible teams
model to distribute and scale
Tools that enable Strategic Objective(s)
Separation of Sprint Defined and
emerging processes, not activities from Release automatically tested
Established onsite agile
shape them Description of a desired outcome with
activities interfaces with depts
corners/cafes
At least one product line key differentiators
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
knowledge building and
is able to deliver potentially Quality System for the
Feature value comes with
shippable product at the clean code
Established CoP for Scrum
Roles
experience sharing
end of every Sprint
Possible Success Factors
whole Scrum Team
Teams focusing on
Brainstorm as many possible factors
Teams understand
Teams dependencies
delivery customer value that will contribute to successfully
and practice continuous
Automated Acceptance
Criteria Testing
together improvement
aligned with customer value delivering the objective.
Clear defined priorities
Well groomed Product Empirical Process Factors may include:
for different external
Release Burndown Chart
shared across the Product
Backlog with sufficient
look-ahead
Control, Iterative &
Incremental ‣ Skills or Capabilities
Teams control their practices Recognise good agile/
customer req Scrum behaviours
Stack
‣ Relationships or Interactions
& changes to them
‣ Constraints or Targets
Enable transparency across Definition of Ready Scrum Master can remove
boundaries Shared across the whole impediments quickly
Necessary Conditions
Product Stack
Product Management can
plan value incrementally
Minimum actions or deliverables their
Encourage decision Teams are managing
Product Backlog is DEEP
making at team needed to deliver just enough of a PSF.
level vs. Active Learning Cycle
Product Owners know tools escalation
for effective PBIs May contain nested NCs until an
Ability to prioritise PBIs Awareness on actionable backloga items are identified.
building motivating
across all dependent RVs dysfunctions by measuring working environment
metrics
Each Success Factor has a set of necessary actions
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

7. Shared Story Definition
Dedicated Scrum Master of Done through Product
Realistic Commitment without conflicting Stack Stable Velocity for each
responsibilities team at a sustainable pace
Shared Release Definition of
Dedicated Product Owner Done
Reach a sustainable pace
giving clear direction
Team focused on Sprint goal
Shared & Emerging Release
Plan
Valuable and inclusive Dedicated X- Common understanding
functional teams, spanning of Potentially Shippable Defined and Shared
way to work with distributed
the entire product stack Product Release Cycle
Awareness on possible teams
model to distribute and scale
Tools that enable Separation of Sprint Defined and
emerging processes, not activities from Release automatically tested
shape them activities interfaces with depts
Established onsite agile
corners/cafes
At least one product line
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
knowledge building and
is able to deliver potentially Quality System for the
Feature value comes with
shippable product at the clean code
Established CoP for Scrum experience sharing whole Scrum Team
Roles end of every Sprint
Teams focusing on Teams understand
Automated Acceptance
delivery customer value and practice continuous
Teams dependencies Criteria Testing
together improvement
aligned with customer value
Well groomed Product Empirical Process
Clear defined priorities Release Burndown Chart Backlog with sufficient Control, Iterative &
for different external Teams control their practices Recognise good agile/
shared across the Product look-ahead Incremental
customer req & changes to them Scrum behaviours
Stack
Enable transparency across Definition of Ready Scrum Master can remove
boundaries Shared across the whole impediments quickly
Product Stack
Product Management can
plan value incrementally Encourage decision Teams are managing their
Product Backlog is DEEP
making at team level vs. Active Learning Cycle
Product Owners know tools escalation
for effective PBIs
Ability to prioritise PBIs Awareness on building a motivating
across all dependent RVs dysfunctions by measuring working environment
metrics
Each Success Factor has a set of necessary actions
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

8. Shared Story Definition
Dedicated Scrum Master of Done through Product
Prioritize Possible Success Factors each
Realistic Commitment without conflicting Stack Stable Velocity for
responsibilities team at a sustainable pace
Which Success Factors need the most effort? Which ones
Shared Release Definition of
Team Spend most of Reach a sustainable pace
are most pressing?
Dedicated Product Owner Done
giving clear direction
their time on PBL
development
Defining minimumShared & Emerging Release
actions to deliver prioritized
Plan
Valuable and inclusive Dedicated X-
functional teams, spanning
Success Factors
Common understanding
of Potentially Shippable Defined and Shared
way to work with distributed
Awareness on possible teams the entire product stack Which Necessary Conditions or deliverables are needed to
Product Release Cycle
model to distribute and scale
deliver on the prioritized Success Factor? Look for the
Tools that enable Separation of Sprint Defined and
emerging processes, not minimum setactivities from Release
of deliverables/actions, rather than automatically tested
delivering
all known actions.
shape them activities interfaces with depts
Established onsite agile
corners/cafes
At least one product line
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
is able to deliver potentially Feature value comes with
Established CoP for Scrum
knowledge building and
experience sharing
Creating the Leadership Backlog
shippable product at the
Quality System for the
whole Scrum Team
clean code
Roles Pull the minimum required actions into a Leadership
end of every Sprint
Teams focusing on Backlog, and Teams understand guide strategic work Automated Acceptance
use this to shared
delivery customer value and practice continuous
Teams dependencies together across the leadership team.
improvement
Criteria Testing
aligned with customer value
Well groomed Product Empirical Process
Clear defined priorities Release Burndown Chart Backlog with sufficient Control, Iterative &
for different external Teams control their practices Recognise good agile/
shared across the Product look-ahead Incremental
customer req & changes to them Scrum behaviours
Stack
Enable transparency across Definition of Ready Scrum Master can remove
boundaries Shared across the whole impediments quickly
Product Stack
Product Management can
plan value incrementally Encourage decision Teams are managing their
Product Backlog is DEEP
making at team level vs. Active Learning Cycle
Product Owners know tools escalation
for effective PBIs
Ability to prioritise PBIs Awareness on building a motivating
across all dependent RVs dysfunctions by measuring working environment
metrics
Prioritize Success Factors by current need
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

9. Shared Story Definition
Dedicated Scrum Master of Done through Product
Prioritize Possible Success Factors each
Realistic Commitment without conflicting Stack Stable Velocity for
responsibilities team at a sustainable pace
Which Success Factors need the most effort? Which ones
Shared Release Definition of
Team Spend most of Reach a sustainable pace
are most pressing?
Dedicated Product Owner Done
giving clear direction
their time on PBL
development
Defining minimumShared & Emerging Release
actions to deliver prioritized
Plan
Valuable and inclusive Dedicated X-
functional teams, spanning
Success Factors
Common understanding
of Potentially Shippable Defined and Shared
way to work with distributed
Awareness on possible teams the entire product stack Which Necessary Conditions or deliverables are needed to
Product Release Cycle
model to distribute and scale
deliver on the prioritized Success Factor? Look for the
Tools that enable Separation of Sprint Defined and
emerging processes, not minimum setactivities from Release
of deliverables/actions, rather than automatically tested
delivering
all known actions.
shape them activities interfaces with depts
Established onsite agile
corners/cafes
At least one product line
Enterprise-wide Establish accepted
is able to deliver potentially Feature value comes with
Established CoP for Scrum
knowledge building and
experience sharing
Creating the Leadership Backlog
shippable product at the
Quality System for the
whole Scrum Team
clean code
Roles Pull the minimum required actions into a Leadership
end of every Sprint
Teams focusing on Backlog, and Teams understand guide strategic work Automated Acceptance
use this to shared
delivery customer value and practice continuous
Teams dependencies together across the leadership team.
improvement
Criteria Testing
aligned with customer value
Well groomed Product Empirical Process
Clear defined priorities Release Burndown Chart Backlog with sufficient Control, Iterative &
for different external Teams control their practices Recognise good agile/
shared across the Product look-ahead Incremental
customer req & changes to them Scrum behaviours
Stack
Enable transparency across Definition of Ready Scrum Master can remove
boundaries Shared across the whole impediments quickly
Product Stack
Product Management can
plan value incrementally Encourage decision Teams are managing their
Product Backlog is DEEP
making at team level vs. Active Learning Cycle
Product Owners know tools escalation
for effective PBIs
Ability to prioritise PBIs Awareness on building a motivating
across all dependent RVs dysfunctions by measuring working environment
metrics
Identify only the minimum actions required
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

10. Build a backlog from the minimum actions
Leadership
Backlog Prioritize Possible Success Factors
Which Success Factors need the most effort? Which ones
Realistic Commitment are most pressing?
Team Spend most of Defining minimum actions to deliver prioritized
their time on PBL
development Success Factors
Which Necessary Conditions or deliverables are needed to
Awareness on possible
model to distribute and scale
deliver on the prioritized Success Factor? Look for the
minimum set of deliverables/actions, rather than delivering
Teams dependencies all known actions.
aligned with customer value
Creating the Leadership Backlog
Pull the minimum required actions into a Leadership
Recognise good agile/
Scrum behaviours
Backlog, and use this to guide strategic work shared
Scrum Master can remove across the leadership team.
impediments quickly
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.

11. Continually review and refine the Strategy Map
Leadership
Backlog
Realistic Commitment
Team Spend most of their
time on PBL development
Awareness on possible
model to distribute and scale
Teams dependencies
aligned with customer value
The leadership team can continually review and refine Recognise good agile/
Scrum behaviours
the strategic plan by regularly: Scrum Master can remove
• re-prioritizing success factors impediments quickly
• re-defining critical actions
• updating the leadership backlog
This allows the strategic plan to be quickly updated to
respond to new opportunities or threats as information
is made available.
agile42 | We advise, train and coach companies building software www.agile42.com | All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007 - 2009.