The document discusses an alternative to traditional project management called "#noprojects". It argues that projects focus on the wrong metrics, are temporary by nature, and often fail. Instead, it promotes continuous delivery of value through outcomes-focused teams. Key aspects of the #noprojects approach include aligning activities to measurable outcomes, using guiding principles to constrain work, and leveraging technologies like automated testing for continuous delivery.

1. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
If You Need to Run a Project – You’ve Already Failed
#noprojects
Evan Leybourn & Shane Hastie

2. WE’RE EVAN & SHANE
http://theagiledirector.com/about/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanehastie

3. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
THIS IS A (POTENTIALLY) CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC!
COME WITH AN OPEN MIND

4. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
PART ONE
UNDERSTANDING
PROJECTS

5. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
WHAT EXACTLY IS A PROJECT?
A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service
or result.

6. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
BUT WE HAVE A PROBLEM…

7. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
PROJECTS FOCUS ON THE WRONG THING
What is measurable not what is valuable

8. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
PROJECTS ARE TEMPORARY
(PRODUCTS AREN’T)
Products don’t end when the project does –
don’t artificially constrain them & lose key skills

9. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
PROJECTS FAIL
The definition of insanity is to “do the same thing
and expect a different result”

10. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
PROJECTS ARE EXPENSIVE
The three O’s of project cost;
Overheads, Overruns and Opportunity costs

11. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
PART TWO
INTRODUCING
#NOPROJECTS

12. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
CONTINUOUS CHANGE IS THE
ALTERNATIVE!
The approach and structure to successfully deliver
continuous change without a project

13. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
THE ALIGNMENT OF ACTIVITIES TO OUTCOMES
MEASURED BY VALUE,
CONSTRAINED BY GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND
SUPPORTED BY CONTINUOUS DELIVERY
TECHNOLOGIES
What is #noprojects?

14. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
FUNDING #NOPROJECTS
Change the question – not “how much will this cost?”,
but rather “how much is it worth?”

15. @eleybourn
@shanehastie

16. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
THE CONTINUOUS CULTURE
Continuous delivery, deployment, monitoring, strategy, planning,
design, marketing, feedback, business, finance, …

17. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
KNOWING WHEN TO STOP
Itn 1 Itn 2 Itn 3 Itn 4 Itn 5 Itn 6 Itn 7 Itn 8 Itn 9 Itn 10 Int 11
Value vs Points Delivered
Value Story Points
Trim this
Save this

18. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
PART THREE
WHERE TO BEGIN

19. THIS NEEDS AN ADAPTIVE
MINDSET
• The tactical result of an engagement forms the
basis for new strategic decisions
• Helmuth Moltke the Elder (1800-1891)
• (with thanks to Erwin van der Koogh – Agile Australia talk)
• Build - measure – learn at all levels
• Initiatives need to be small and focused on
delivering value and getting feedback quickly

20. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
OUTCOMES OVER OUTPUTS
Outcomes are valuable, planned, slowly changing and define a
common direction for all work

22. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
WORKING PRINCIPLES
Common, agreed, and prioritised constraints that shape all activities
(e.g. quality, communication, staff engagement, security, or branding)

23. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
VALUE DELIVERY TEAMS
Dedicated, stable cross-functional teams that contain the
required skills to deliver an outcome
(e.g. developers, testers, HR, accountants, sales/marketing)

24. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
PART FOUR
DELIVERING WORK

25. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
THE ACTIVITY CANVAS
An activity is any discrete piece of work that is undertaken
as part of a change

29. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
DEFINING VALUE

30. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
VALUE OVER TIME
http://blackswanfarming.com/urgency-profiles/

31. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
THE TECHNOLOGY OF #NOPROJECTS
Automated testing, continuous integration,
continuous delivery, and DevOps

32. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
FUNDING #NOPROJECTS
Change the question – not “how much will this cost?”, but rather “how
much is it worth?”

33. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THE WORK IS. NOTHING
THAT WE’VE DISCUSSED HERE IS SPECIFIC TO
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT (OR ACCOUNTING OR
MANUFACTURING FOR THAT MATTER).
As long as there is a level of unpredictability in the outcome, the
teams are trusted to make operational decisions, and value can be
continuously created, a #noprojects approach works

34. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
IN THE LONG RUN, THE ONLY SUSTAINABLE
SOURCE OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IS
YOUR ORGANISATION’S ABILITY TO LEARN
FASTER THAN YOUR COMPETITION.
Peter Senge

35. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
http://noprojects.org/
Join #NoProjects on Slack
@shanehastie
@eleybourn

36. @eleybourn
@shanehastie
Thanks for listening
Any Questions?

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