DevOps is the answer to the growing complexity and speed of (web) application development. Driven by the faster moving markets and Agile development approach the differences of the development and operations divisions grew. While the development teams where asked to deliver more functionality faster, the operations teams had to make sure things were stable, high available, secure and performant. While both teams see the importance of all requirements, when an integrated approach is missing, the requirements are conflicting. Historically development and operations are seen and managed as two separate divisions, this growing complexity asks for a better co-operation and integrated approach. There are various ways two departments can improve collaboration and since both departments are technically skilled they tend to start with tools that enable them to work together. However, this is only part of the solution, there also has to be a culture that enables them to collaborate. This presentation elaborates on how to get two different departments working together and build a culture to foster co-operation and innovation.

1. Culture eats DevOps for
Breakfast
DevOps Summit
Chris Flink
@chrisflink

2. What is DevOps about?
The Cloud?
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

3. What is DevOps about?
10 Deploys a day?
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

4. What is DevOps about?
The Tools?
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

5. DevOps is about…
• Not ( just) the tools, but the people
• Separate Goals and Means
• Not ( just) the people, but the culture
• Make people feel safe and co-operate
• Not ( just) the culture, but the behaviour
• It is what you do, how you react, how you behave
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

6. The questions are
• How to make two departments collaborate
• How do you build a strong culture and influence
behaviour?
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

7. Implementing DevOps is about
Changing Organisational Culture
Nolost Capital helps companies create and
maintain a culture that enables them to be
successful and achieve business goals.
• Using: Research, Data Analysis, Science
• Providing: Business Intelligence, Coaching, Interventions
• Chris Flink – Co-Founder
• Data / Process / People / IT
• Computer Science, Business and Psychology
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

8. A short story
Tension between office and outside sales force
“Why can’t they pay more attention to the
quality of their notes for the offer?”
“Why are they always complaining, can’t they
see I’m busy generating business?”
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

9. The problem is not unique
• MarSals (Marketing – Sales)?
• ManLogs (Manufactoring – Logistics)?
• What can we learn from this?
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

10. What’s causing the behaviour
• Different goals and targets
• No understanding of the peculiarities of each
others work
• Busy doing ‘their’ work and no time for each
other
• No dialog, no constructive feedback, just
blaming
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

11. Find a shared goal
• Search for a broader perspective
• Get together and have a dialog
• Hint: Look at the company’s mission
• Make Customers Happy
• Enable the Business
• Grow number of projects / clients / users
• Etc.
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

12. Define a shared strategy
• How to achieve this goal together
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

13. Make it fun!
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink
The Fun Theory - h;p://www.youtube.be/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw

14. It’s never ready
• Continuous Feedback and learning
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

15. Second Question
How do you build a strong culture and
influence behaviour?
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

16. Story: Coolblue
• Fast growing company
• Doubling in size every 20 months
• € 500+ million turnover
• Secret of their success?
– A very strong focus on the customer (external) and
organisation culture (internal)
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CahqmZPZfVc (Dutch)
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

17. Approach
• Know where you stand and where you are
coming from
• Know where you want to go
• Know what steps to take when
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

18. Assess current situation
• Employee research (questionnaires, interviews, ...)
– What is working well and should be secured
– What is not and should be changed
– Hidden frustrations, incomprehension, resistance
• Management / Stakeholder interviews
– Business objectives
– Restrictions
– Willingness to change
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

19. What do you want to achieve
• What is the desired behaviour?
– Make it explicit:
“After helping someone, you always ask if everything is
clear and if there is anything else he / she needs help with”
“When someone makes an error we don’t judge but ask
how we can help to recover first, and ask how we can
prevent it in the future after”
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

20. Take the right step at the right time
• Laws of Psychology apply
– Maslow Pyramid
– Adam’s Equity model
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

21. DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

22. Start!
• Make sure everybody feels safe
– To make errors
– To be unknowing
– To speak up
• Plan time to evaluate, give feedback, and
discuss improvements
– Sometimes standing still is the best way to make
progress
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

23. Applied to DevOps
• Know your target group (no stereotyping but often…)
– Technical
– Data and metrics driven
– Love their tools
– Communication (feedback) skills
– Combine with values of Open Source Culture
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

24. Things to take into account
• It’s a continuous process
• Group influence is a very strong driver for
behaviour
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

25. Things to take into account
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink
The Asch Experiment - h;ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA-gbpt7Ts8

26. Things to take into account
• Support and train
people where
required
• You are the example
• Make it fun!
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

27. Benefits of strong culture
• Easier to attract and hire talent
• Lower employee turnover
• Happy employees
– Are more productive
– Make less errors
– Have lower absenteeism rate
– Are more resilient
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

28. Questions?
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink

29. Thank you!
Contact:
nolostcapital.nl
chrisflink@nolostcapital.nl
@chrisflink
DevOps Summit Brussels @chrisflink