The document provides an introduction to Agile and Scrum principles, focusing on their importance in transforming work cultures and improving project delivery. It emphasizes that Agile is not just for IT projects and highlights various roles, responsibilities, and meetings within the Scrum framework. Key takeaways include the significance of collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement in achieving business value.

1. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
AGILE IN PRACTICE
“Transforming the World of Work”
A Quick Intro to
Agile-Scrum

2. JOE LITTLE
@JHLITTLE | JHLITTLE@LEANAGILETRAINING.COM | LEANAGILETRAINING.COM/BLOG
• Agile Coach & Trainer (CST)
• 20+ years in senior level consulting to well-known firms in New York,
London and Charlotte, and elsewhere.
• Focus on delivery of Business Value; interest in Lean
• CST (CSP, CSM, CSPO); MBA
• Was a Senior Manager in Big 6 consulting
• Head of Kitty Hawk Consulting, Inc. since 1991
• Head of LeanAgileTraining.com
• Started trying to do [Agile] before reading The Mythical Man-Month
2 © Joe Little 2016

3. AGENDA
1. Intros & Your Take-aways
2. What Is Scrum?
3. Agile Manifesto & Agile Principles
4. The Problems & The Solutions (Ideas)
5. More About the Practical Stuff of Scrum
6. Take-aways
7. Your Questions (Don’t be shy!)
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4. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
TAKE-AWAYS
• Agile means changing the mindset, the culture.
• It shouldn’t have to be this way, but it is.
• A Game with a Purpose
• A Real Team

5. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
KEY TAKE-AWAY
• Some parts of Agile are simple.
• More meaningfully, Agile is not simple.
• Even though a key principle is K.I.S.S.
• You will want to learn more.

6. HOW DOES AGILE RELATE TO YOU?
• This may be a key question for you…
6

7. 3 “PERSONAS”
1. A manager in the Finance Dept. or a
general manager.
2. An accountant involved with an Agile
team.
3. A person with a CPA on an Agile team.
7

8. APPROACH
• We will try to show you the value of Agile
TO YOU.
• From any of these three situations.
8

9. EXAMPLE (A)
• You are a manager, and you see the
organization’s key challenge is adapting
faster to change. (COVID might be an
example.)
• Agile is clearly a way to help your
organization adapt faster.
9

10. EXAMPLE (B)
• The Team is building or implementing a
new system that has some (significant)
accounting aspects.
• Maybe an accounting interface, a new
kind of accounting, or a new accounting
rule.
• See Personas #2 or #3
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11. MISCONCEPTION
Incorrect:
• Agile only applies to IT projects or
products.
Correct:
• Agile can be used for any set of work.
• It probably involves a team.
• Commonly a fairly dedicated team.
11

12. MORE
• If you do work with other people (or even by
yourself)…there is a LOT you can steal from
Agile.
• Finally: The Budgeting or Planning Process
• In October, companies commonly go
through a (budgeting) cycle for (all) new
projects for the next calendar year.
• With Agile, we want to change this process.
12

13. IF YOU ARE IN THE BUDGETING
PROCESS…
• …Then you need to
understand Agile
more.
• Short answer: Plan
teams, not projects.
13

14. WHAT IS SCRUM?
• Some practical, tangible stuff…
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15. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
TOPIC: THE BIG PICTURE
Source: Henrik Kniberg 15

16. TO MAKE AGILE CONCRETE…
• Let’s assume a simple scenario.
• You are inside the team, or
• You are outside the team….
• I’ll express this from the team’s
viewpoint.
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17. INSIDE THE TEAM
You

18. OUTSIDE THE TEAM
You

19. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
A SIMPLE SCENARIO
• A small product or project
• Say: 5 implementers (total Scrum Team of 7) for 3
months
• A “full-time” team
• Normal “impediments” (things that could be improved)

20. RESULTS
• We want a bunch of things:
• Double productivity in 6 months
• Fewer hours
• Higher Happiness or Fun
• Higher quality
• More BV per SP
• Faster delivery
• “I never want to leave this team.”
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21. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
TOPIC: SOME BASIC INFO
Source: Henrik Kniberg 21

22. 6 BLIND MEN AND AN ELEPHANT
© Joe Little 201622

23. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
• More Business Value for the firm
• More for the customers
• More, cheaper, faster, better
• Faster delivery (TTM)
• Higher quality
• More innovation
• More adaptability
• More transparency
• Better way to work (for the workers)
• More fun
• It just makes sense
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24. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
TOPIC: THE BIG PICTURE
Source: Henrik Kniberg 24

25. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
SCRUM IS A SIMPLE FRAMEWORK
25

26. ROLES
• The Implementers (Team role): the skills
to build the “product”
• Product Owner: Clarifies what the
features should be, gives feedback,
decides order, articulates the vision /
mission
• ScrumMaster: Gets impediments fixed,
servant leader, coach
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27. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
SCRUM IS A SIMPLE FRAMEWORK
27

28. MEETINGS - 1
Placement:
• Sprint Planning Meeting - beginning
• Daily Scrum - middle
• Sprint Review - end
• Retrospective - end
28

29. MEETINGS - 2
Purpose:
• Sprint Planning Meeting - define and
commit to work
• Daily Scrum - keep track and adjust
• Sprint Review - get feedback on product
built
• Retrospective - improve (kaizen)
29

30. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
SCRUM IS A SIMPLE FRAMEWORK
30

31. SPRINT PLANNING MEETING
• 4 hours (for 2 weeks)
• Includes Scrum Team and Business
Stakeholders
• Team volunteers for work (user stories)
• BSHs clarify “requirements”
• Scrum Team makes a plan and commits
31

32. DAILY SCRUM
• Daily
• 15 minutes (not longer)
• Sync and share useful info
• 3 Questions:
• Yesterday
• Today
• Biggest Impediment
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33. SPRINT REVIEW
• Scrum Team and Business Stakeholders
• Demo working product
• Feedback: good and bad
• “The bad news does not get better with
age.”
• Max: 2 hours for 2 week Sprint
33

34. RETROSPECTIVE
• Celebrate positives
• Identify biggest “impediment”
• Start to fix it together
• Max: 1.5 hours for 2 week Sprint
34

35. IDEAS
• Agile Manifesto
• Agile Principles
• Scrum Values
35

36. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016

37. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland 1993-2008; © Joe Little 2016

38. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE AGILE
MANIFESTO - 1
1. Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and
continuous delivery of valuable software.
2. Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile
processes harness change for the customer's competitive
advantage.
3. Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a
couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale.
4. Business people and developers must work together daily
throughout the project.
5. Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the
environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job
done.
6. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information
to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.
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39. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE AGILE
MANIFESTO - 2
7. Working software is the primary measure of progress.
8. Agile processes promote sustainable development. The
sponsors, developers and users should be able to maintain a
constant pace indefinitely.
9. Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design
enhances agility.
10. Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done
— is essential.
11. The best architectures, requirements and designs emerge from
self-organizing teams.
12. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more
effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
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40. SCRUM VALUES
• Commitment
• Courage
• Focus
• Openness
• Respect
40

41. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
TOPIC: KEY IDEAS
Source: Henrik Kniberg 41

42. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016Source: Ken Schwaber 42

43. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
SCRUM DYNAMIC MODEL
Source: Jeff Sutherland
43

44. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
KEY IDEAS
• Scrum is only a framework.
• The team is expected to add to it.
• Scrum does not include Agile Release
Planning.
• Scrum does mention “product backlog
refinement.”
• Definition of Done is mandatory. Ready, Ready
Criteria (or DOR) is close.
• Even what is defined is not defined in detail.
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45. PROBLEM —> SOLUTION
• To put it simply:
• The problems were the problems of
waterfall and of our innovation work.
• The solutions comprise Agile-Scrum.
Give a kind of overview of agile-scrum.
45

46. PROBLEMS - 1
• Too much work to do
• Not prioritized
• Unclear if it can be done by deadline
• Unclear requirements
• De-motivated people
46

47. PROBLEMS - 2
• Always a new new priority
• People confused by task/project
switching
• People working alone (or un-
coordinated)
• Customers want things faster
• Changes happening everywhere
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48. PROBLEMS - 3
• Competition is stronger
• Future unpredictable
• People waiting for perfection (in each
phase)
• Root cause of problem not well
diagnosed
• Solution in dispute
48

49. THAT WAS THE PROBLEM SET
• ….what’s the solution set?
49

50. SOLUTION SET
• You can use any of these solution ideas.
• You probably have used some, in fact.
• BUT: You probably have not put them all
together, as Agile-Scrum does.
50

51. SOLUTIONS - 1
• Get some people together in real teams
• Focus on one mission (at a time)
• Seven heads are better than one
• Make a rough adaptive plan
• Build working product every 2 weeks
• Get feedback on W.P. every 2 weeks
• Get feedback on communication every 2
weeks
51

52. SOLUTIONS - 1
• Get some people
together in real
teams
52

53. SOLUTIONS - 1
• Focus on one
mission (at a time)
53

54. SOLUTIONS - 1
• Seven heads are
better than one
54

55. SOLUTIONS - 1
• Make a rough
adaptive plan
55

56. SOLUTIONS - 1
• Build working
product every 2
weeks
56

57. SOLUTIONS - 1
• Get feedback on
Working Product
every 2 weeks
57

58. SOLUTIONS - 1
• Get feedback on
communication
every 2 weeks
58

59. SOLUTIONS - 2
• Allow people to support each other
• Make small commitments, get small
wins
• Learn the team’s velocity
• Use Velocity to forecast likely
completion
• Minimum Viable Product (multiple
“releases”)
59

60. SOLUTIONS - 2
• Allow people to
support each
other
60

61. SOLUTIONS - 2
• Make small
commitments, get
small wins
61

62. SOLUTIONS - 2
• Learn the team’s
Velocity
62

63. SOLUTIONS - 2
• Use Velocity to
forecast likely
completion
63

64. SOLUTIONS - 2
• Minimum Viable
Product (multiple
“releases”)
64

65. SOLUTIONS - 3
• Only 1 person decides priorities
• Time-boxes force people to decide and
act (and then get feedback)
• Insist on high quality each Sprint
• Encourage the team to learn
• Adapt to change faster (than competition)
• Try to stay on a course until something
minimum is released
65

66. SOLUTIONS - 3
• Only 1 person
decides priorities
66

67. SOLUTIONS - 3
• Time-boxes force
people to decide
and act (and then
get feedback)
67

68. SOLUTIONS - 3
• Insist on high
quality each
Sprint
68

69. SOLUTIONS - 3
• Encourage the
team to learn
69

70. SOLUTIONS - 3
• Adapt to change
faster (than
competition)
70

71. SOLUTIONS - 3
• Try to stay on a
course until
something
minimum is
released
71

72. SOLUTIONS - 4
• Recognize losses sooner
• Don’t throw good money after bad
• The bad news doesn’t get better with
age
• Self-organize: Let them figure it out as a
Team (and ask for help)
72

73. SOLUTIONS - 4
• Recognize losses
sooner
• “Every Sprint is a
toll-gate.”
73

74. SOLUTIONS - 4
• Don’t throw good
money after bad
74

75. SOLUTIONS - 4
• The bad news
doesn’t get better
with age
75

76. SOLUTIONS - 4
• Self-organize: Let
them figure it out
as a team (and
they can ask for
help)
76

77. SOLUTIONS - 5
• We improve ourselves by fixing
impediments that (typically) increase
velocity
• We expect velocity to increase 100%
• We improve morale via…
• quick wins
• fun
• seeing the Purpose
77

78. SOLUTIONS - 5
• We improve
ourselves by
fixing
impediments that
(typically)
increase Velocity
78

79. SOLUTIONS - 5
• We expect
Velocity to
increase 100%
79

80. SOLUTIONS - 5
• We improve
morale via…
• quick wins
• fun
• seeing the
purpose
80

81. MORE PRACTICAL STUFF
• The artifacts of Scrum
• (Agile) Release Planning
• Product Backlog Refinement
81

82. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
TOPIC: ARTIFACTS
Source: Henrik Kniberg 82

83. A LIST OF KEY ARTIFACTS
• Product Backlog
• Sprint Backlog
• 2 Burn Down Charts
• Working Product
• Definition of Done (DOD)
• Impediment List
• Yes, of course we have some
documentation also, etc.
83

84. PRODUCT BACKLOG
• List of features (work)
• Prioritized
84

85. SPRINT BACKLOG
• What we committed
to
• List of features (work)
• And list of
“tasks” (WBS)
• Prioritized
85

86. SPRINT BURN DOWN CHART
• Visually shows how
much progress made
this Sprint (e.g., 2
weeks)
• Will we fulfill our
commitment?
86

87. RELEASE BURN DOWN CHART
• Visually shows how
much progress made
for this Release
(maybe: 6 Sprints?)
• Will we fulfill our
commitment?
87

88. WORKING PRODUCT
• Every Sprint we
intend to convert 8
Stories into Working
Product that is done-
done (e.g., zero bugs)
88

89. DOD
• Working Product is
done-done based on
the team’s Def of
Done (DOD)
89

90. IMPEDIMENT LIST
• A List of
“opportunities for
improvement” that
(probably) increase
Velocity
90

91. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
TOPIC: RELEASE PLANNING
Source: Henrik Kniberg 91

92. WHAT IS AGILE PLANNING
• Daily Planning (re-planning)
• Sprint Planning
• Release Planning (across multiple
sprints)
• Continually revising the plan
• “PB Refinement”
• Adaptive planning
92

93. HOW TO DO INITIAL AGILE
RELEASE PLANNING
• Let’s explain with the following key
ideas.
93

94. QUICKLY
• Everybody together
• In one day
94

95. “FULL PLAN” = FIRST DRAFT
• See all dimensions at
the same time
• Prioritize our stupidity
95

96. SAME PAGE
• We all see it together
• We all start to commit
together
96

97. STARTING ACTIVITIES
• Write Vision
• Identify
“personas” (end-user
roles)
• Write stories
(requirements or
work)
97

98. BUSINESS VALUE
• Identify Business
Drivers (metrics)
• Set measurable goals
• Assign relative BV
Points to each story
98

99. EFFORT
• Discuss DOD briefly
• Assign relative Story
Points (SP) to each
story
99

100. ROI
• Calculate for each
story:
• BVP / SP
• Indicator of ROI
100

101. SORT PRODUCT BACKLOG
• Sort by ROI
• And other factors also
(see next…)
101

102. CONSIDER OTHER FACTORS:
• Risks
• Dependencies
• Learning
• MMFS/MVP
• Other factors
102

103. LAYOUT THE PLAN
• Add contingency
• Decide release date
(MVP)
103

104. PRIORITIZE “STUPIDITY”
• Use the prioritize
where to learn most
104

105. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
TOPIC: PB REFINEMENT
Source: Henrik Kniberg 105

106. ADJUST
• From learning
• From change
106

107. BOTH LEVELS
• From plan, feed
details into Sprints
• Sprint by Sprint
• From Sprints, learn
from Demos
• And adjust longer
term plan
107

108. MAKE IT EASY
• Everyone can
contribute to the plan
• Visual
• Easy to change
• NOT! Microsoft
Project!!!
108

109. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
TOPIC: YOUR TAKE-AWAYS
Source: Henrik Kniberg 109

110. SOME TAKE-AWAYS
110

111. I WANT TO LEARN MORE
• Read the Scrum
Guide (2017)
• Read a Scrum book
(I have a list)
• Take a course
• Talk to me
111

112. MAYBE FOR ME?
• Not just for others
• Might help me
112

113. STEAL SOMETHING TODAY
• Example —
Daily Scrum
• Yesterday
• Today
• Biggest impediment
113

114. YOUR QUESTIONS
• Please ask your
questions in the chat
window.
114

115. CSM v9.3 © Jeff Sutherland © Joe Little 2016
Please contact me here:
Joseph Little
jhlittle@leanagiletraining.com
LeanAgileTraining.com
LeanAgileTraining.com/blog
Twitter: @jhlittle
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joelittle
Office: 704-376-8881
Cell: 917-887-1669
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