Talk given by Benjamin Mitchell (Partner at Equal Experts) at ExpertTalks Leeds, 19th January 2017. Agile is great, but what are the essential tips to ensure that you deliver value for customers and clients? Drawing on well over a decade of experience of using agile techniques to lead teams delivering websites for clients such as BBC Worldwide and HMRC Digital, Benjamin will cover: • Starting with purpose (and how to clarify it if it’s not as clear as you’d like) • It’s the people … why negotiating skills are essential • Being good to work with • How to make progress with imperfect tools • Why showing others is better than simply telling • How professional pride and identity can interfere with acting effectively • How to challenge assumptions without being aggressive or insulting

2. #1 START WITH PURPOSE

3. ― PETER F. DRUCKER
“The purpose of business is to
create and keep a customer.”

4. Purpose
Measures
Method
Source: Based on Vanguard Consulting

5. STOP BORING MANAGERS TO DEATH WITH
TALK ABOUT LEAN AND KANBAN
HELP THEM SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS

6. Learn from Improvisational Theatre:
Make offers and
be good to work with

9. No, no,
don’t
say it
like
that!

10. What does being wrong feel like?
Source: Kathryn Schulz “On Being Wrong”

11. IF YOU’RE NOT PART OF
THE PROBLEM,
YOU CAN’T BE PART OF
THE SOLUTION

12. #2 CULTURE STARTS WITH YOUR
BEHAVIOUR

13. How we think we act and
How we tell others we act
≠
How we actually act

14. Feedback
“Your feedback to the team member was poor
because:
It did not focus on any positive actions and
it didn’t use any examples“

15. (in secret!)
https://vimeo.com/43256388
Measuring
Transparency

16. @benjaminm

17. #3 SHOW DON’T TELL

19. Producing Publicly Testable
Information

20. Test it in your environment
Old System
New Approaches
http://engineering.lonelyplanet.com/2012/12/09/a-history-of-web-performance-lonely-planet/

21. #4 NEGOTIATE SMALL STEPS TO
IMPROVE

22. Testing Assumptions: Navigation

23. Impact of Anchored Navigation

24. Improving the Navigation

25. Effect of changing the Navigation

26. #5 MAKE PROGRESS WITH
IMPERFECT TOOLS

27. Make progress with imperfect tools

28. Innovation can create
embarrassment and threat

29. Our A/B Testing Technology
÷ 2

31. Page Views Per Visit

32. #6 FOCUS ON OBSERVED BEHAVIOUR
OVER PREDICTED BEHAVIOUR

33. Opinion Surveys: “If you build it they
will come”
58% of readers said they would visit more if there
was more topic-focused content

34. “If you joined the gym,
how fit would you become?”

35. Numbers are people too

38. ‘The site breaks all so-called “usability
rules”. It’s user-friendly for normal
people, not for internet fanatics.’
Jacob Neilsen

39. Challenging our Assumptions
Previous “De-facto” Policy:
It’s OK to assume users will care as much
about the site navigation and content as we
do
New belief:
Users aren’t hunting for specific content as
much as they are foraging for interesting
things right in front of them.

42. #7 GIVE PEOPLE THE TOOLS TO HELP
THEM MEASURE ACHIEVEMENT OF
PURPOSE

43. Publishing was based on the clock

44. Challenging Assumptions: Most
recent content is always better
Hour of the Day
ClicksperHeadlineper
ThousandHourlyVisitors

46. 7 Tips for Agile Value Delivery
1. Start with Purpose
2. Show Don’t Tell
3. Culture starts with your behaviour
4. Negotiate: agree smaller steps to build trust
5. Make progress with imperfect tools
6. Create an environment where it’s safe to
challenge assumptions
7. Give people the tools to measure achievement
of purpose

47. equalexperts.com/blog

48. Thanks!
Books to read
• The Skilled Facilitator & Skilled
Facilitator Workbook by Roger
Schwarz
• Discussing the Undiscussable by Bill
Noonan
• Flawed Advice and the Management
Trap by Chris Argyris
• Getting More by Stuart Diamond
• Difficult Conversations by Stone,
Patton & Heen
Contact me:
bmitchell@equalexperts.com
twitter.com/benjaminm