This document summarizes a presentation on implementing Agile and Scrum successfully. It discusses that organizations often try to implement Scrum without first getting agreement from all stakeholders on what Agile and Scrum mean and how behaviors need to change. It recommends socializing the definitions of Agile and Scrum, getting clear agreements from executives, stakeholders, and teams on how the new processes will work, and only then starting implementation and playing "the game" of Scrum.

1. May 4 2018
Agile Maine Day
The place to share knowledge and experiences in creating rewarding,
productive work environments
THIS SESSION:
SUCCESS WITH AGILE:
What They Don’t Tell You

2. Bio
o Coaching executives and teams since 2006,
DANIEL MEZICK is an expert on extending
adaptive Agile culture beyond software. His
books and workshops teach you how.
o A frequent speaker at industry conferences,
Daniel’s list of clients include Capital One,
INTUIT, CIGNA, SIEMENS Healthcare,
Pitney Bowes, Harvard University, and
dozens of smaller enterprises.

3. AGENDA FOR THIS SESSION
• WHY Agile in the first place? Why?
• WHAT kind of changes are we talking about
• HOW to make these changes STICK
• HOW exactly do we implement the WHAT?
No one seems to have any actionable
guidance!
• GET ACTIONABLE GUIDANCE FROM THIS
SESSION THAT YOU CAN USE TOMORROW

10. How do we do it? What are the steps? What
is the path forward?
I know the WHY. I know the WHAT.
Who the hell can tell me HOW?

15. If you get the HOW going, this is where you
end up…....

16. The way your team, department, or division
(your org) makes decisions is going to
change.
If this does not change, NOTHING
CHANGES.

17. Effective Scrum REQUIRES change in
who makes specific decisions, and how
those decisions are made.
REQUIRES.

18. “For the Product Owner to be
successful, EVERYONE IN THE
ORGANIZATION must respect
his or her decisions.”

19. “The Product Owner is always
ONE PERSON, not a committee.”

20. Regarding Product Backlog: “No
one can force the Development
Team to work from a different set of
requirements.”

21. EXERCISE
Discuss how well you are implementing this:
“For the Product Owner to be successful,
EVERYONE IN THE ORGANIZATION must
respect his or her decisions.”
10 is perfect. 01 is the worst thing you have
ever seen, a total train wreck of epic scope.

22. What’s the problem here?
(There is no clear answer- YET.)

23. I know your situation.
Here- let me show you...

24. “I’m the product Owner, but
others tell my Team what to do.”

25. “I’m a Team member, and our
Team is constantly interrupted
with other crap to do in the
middle of the Sprint.”

26. “I’m the Scrum Master, but I cannot
get rid of the impediments the Team
tells me are holding them back. I do
not have enough authorization, and
higher-ups don’t help and/or don’t
care.”

27. “I’m the Executive, but my
organization seems incapable of
changing. Some of my direct reports
and managers are not too happy
about Agile and Scrum. Project
managers and the PMO are also not
too happy.”

28. EXERCISE
Discuss your agreement with the following
statement:
“The way Product decisions get made
conforms 100% with the Scrum Guide since we
implemented Scrum.”
10 is perfect. 01 means nothing has changed.

29. EXERCISE
Discuss your agreement with the following
statement:
“Before we started, we socialized the Scrum
Guide and we got everyone’s agreement to
proceed: Execs, Stakeholders, Teams,
everyone.
10 is perfect. 01 means nothing has changed.

30. EXERCISE
Discuss your agreement with the following
statement:
“AFTER we started, everyone modified their
behavior to perfectly support Scrum”
10 is perfect. 01 means nothing has changed.

32. A brief Pause, for effect….

33. Scrum is a game (apparently.)
Good games are optional to play
Scrum is routinely FORCED

34. • Orgs implement Scrum without
first getting AGREEMENTS from
EVERYONE about it
• If no one explicitly agreed, then
no one can be held accountable
for their non-supporting
(blocking) behavior.

35. GUIDANCE
• Define the word AGILE
• Socialize this definition

36. GUIDANCE
• Define the word SCRUM
• Socialize this definition

37. GUIDANCE
• Socialize the Scrum Guide;
explain how behavior must
change
• If there are any objections, ask
what has to be true that is not true
not for them to GET IN

38. SUMMARY
• Socialize the rules
• Get clear agreements on game
play
• PLAY
• Do not attempt to implement
Scrum unless you do the 1st two
things first.

39. GUIDANCE
• If you have not done these things,
STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING and
do them immediately.

40. GUIDANCE
• GET GOOD AGREEMENTS ***UP
FRONT***.
• If you started without doing this,
START OVER.

41. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
• Ask me anything

42. Certified Scrum Master Class Portland
• Scrum CSM May 17-18 (Thu-Fri)
• Code AGILEM to takes $100 off!!
• Get the full story and link via
Twitter @DanielMezick
• Comp OSA HANDBOOK ($24.95
value) if you sign up for my list
TODAY

43. WHAT TO DO NOW
GET THE BOOK. Sign up for my list
today at DanielMezick.com
Get CERTIFIED. Take the SCRUM
MASTER class in Portland May 17-18
and take $100 off by going here:
portlandcsm.brownpapertickets.com/
Use code AGILEM to take $100 off