Presentation at Agile Tour Montreal 2017 by Maurizio Mancini of Exempio. This presentation is an overview of what role software managers could play in an Agile world.

1. Transforming
Managers for an
Agile Deployment
MAURIZIO MANCINI • MAURIZIO.MANCINI@EXEMPIO.COM

2. • A leader in the quality and process industries
with a sixth sense for Agile, quality, and
business process.
• I have been refining my Agile approach for
over 10 years.
• My passion is to deliver quality software and
to see how Agile can help teams deliver
quality software!
Maurizio Mancini
Agile 2014 – Agile: One Size does not fit all!
Walmart Labs California 2014 – Quality and Process
Atlassian Summit 2014 – From Incremental & Iterative to Agile:
What is the right process for your team?
Quest 2015 – Building a QA Team that Matters
Cutter Summit 2015 – Agile Testing – What’s that all about?
Atlassian Summit 2015 – How to Build in Quality from Day 1
using Lean QA and Agile Testing
Agile Tour Montreal 2016 – Le guide de réparation de l’équipe
Agile : La recette secrète !
Agile Tour Ottawa 2016 – How to Reboot Your Agile Team!
Global Scrum Gathering San Diego 2017 – How to Reboot Your
Agile Team!
Agile 2017 – How to Reboot Your Agile Team!
Agile Tour Ottawa 2017 – Scaling Quality by Building It In

3. ☑ The view of the Radical Agilist vs Scaled Agile
☑ Modern Management style
☑ Examples of self-organizing teams
☑ Confusion in the roles
☑ Job Descriptions and Role Descriptions
☑ Potential Paths
☑ 3 roles in an Agile world
Agenda

4. My First Lesson in
Management

5. Sewing and Pressing Team
First Lesson in Management!
I can plan, coordinate and
manage
but
nothing happens without my
team

6. Management Style

7. 2004As a QA Manager we started an
Agile Transformation

8. 2006QA Director of a Team of 40+

9. Asking myself
What is my role?
How can I help?

10. Radical Agilist
vs
Scaled Agile

11. Radical Agilist View
My interpretation of the view of Radical Agilist

12. Scaled Agile View
Despite Self-Organizing Teams, Managers are still required
…

13. Holacracy
https://www.holacracy.org/

14. Organizations are Changing
What role can you play?

15. Manager/Coach
Organizations are Changing

16. http://rgalen.com/agile-training-news/2014/4/14/were-going-agile-fire-all-the-managers
Organizations are Changing
What role can you play?

18. Agile Leaders

19. Examples of
Self-Organizing
Teams

20. Self Organizing Team
https://twitter.com/feliciaparrillo

21. Organization Red
Teams with Embedded skills
Managers on the side

22. Head of Product A
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Developers
QA
User Experience
DevOPS
Head of Product B
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Developers
QA
User Experience
DevOPS
Head of Product C
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Developers
QA
User Experience
DevOPS
Manager
Manager
Organization
Red

23. Organization Yellow
Used a modified version of the
Shopify Model
Teams with Embedded skills
Managers on the side
Embedded Leads

24. Head of Product A
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Developers
QA
User Experience
DevOPS
Head of Product B
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Developers
QA
User Experience
DevOPS
Head of Product C
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Developers
QA
User Experience
DevOPS
GUILD
GUILD
Organization
Yellow

25. Organization Blue
Teams with Embedded skills
Managers on the side
Managers Playing a Dual Role

26. Head of Product A
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Developers
QA
User Experience
DevOPS
Head of Product B
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Developers
QA
User Experience
DevOPS
Head of Product C
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Developers
QA
User Experience
DevOPS
Manager
Manager
Organization
Blue

27. Roles have changed

28. Confusion in
Roles

29. Shift in responsibilities using Agile
Source
http://www.infoq.com/resource/news/2012/10/p
m-scrum-master/en/resources/fig1large.jpg
Erin Beierwaltes

30. Role clarification is required

31. Scrum Master
It is not hard to find the confusion in
Roles, just perform a search on any job
site

32. Job Descriptions
and
Role Descriptions

33. Job and Role Descriptions
Job Description – Traditional definition that we all know when you are looking for a
job.
Role Description – Agile has brought the concept of a Role definition to the
everyday discussion.
What is the difference?

34. Job and Role Descriptions
An organization has to decide what Roles it will
use?
• Program Managers
• Product Managers
• Project Managers
• Product Owners
• Scrum Masters
• Agile Coach
What do I do with my Managers?
What about in the teams which roles are used?

35. Job and Role Descriptions
Make the roles official

36. Job and Role Descriptions
Too many organizations have descriptions that …

37. Sample Description from a Job Posting
Technical Program Manager
In this role you will: The Technical Program Manager will drive planning, project execution, and
development for our engineering team. It will be your responsibility to be relentless in getting things done.
As the scrum master, you will help our engineering teams maintain organization while continuing to improve on
process and communication. It will be your job to wear multiple hats, and go beyond the normal
expectations.
…..
In addition you will:
Be the Scrum Master, evangelist, and coach for agile development
Help create self-organized, empowered teams that drive continuous improvement
Coordinate and help come up with solutions, and remove impediments
Wear multiple hats with willingness to go beyond your own role
Specify project constraints, and provide mitigation plan
Help build consensus between teams
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE:
Strong analytical, problem solving and planning ability
Experience with Agile Software, lean methodology, JIRA
Experience with managing multiple projects through the software development lifecycle
….

38. Job and Role Descriptions
Clarity in job/role descriptions is essential

39. Potential Paths

40. “Traditional Positions” – Most Common Paths
Product Manager
BA Manager
Project Manager
Development
Manager
QA Manager
Product Owner
Scrum Master
Agile Coach

41. Dual Role – Manager and an Agile Role

42. Product Owner

43. Key difference
Product Manager Product Owner

44. Product
Owner
Software X
Common Pattern in larger organizations
Product
Owner
Software X
Product
Owner
Software X
Senior Product
Manager
orVP Product
Management

45. Product Owner
Common Concern
There are not enough Product Owners or
the PO doesn’t have enough time for the
team

46. Product Owner – Roles and Responsibilities
✔ The Product Owner represents the clients and users.
✔ PO’s main objective is to maximize the business value
delivered.
PO must be able to:
•Define the product Vision and functionalities
•Write User Stories and prepare the Product Backlog
•Ability to make decisions and prioritize all along the
project

47. Agile Product Management Organization
APM means
just enough
product
definition

48. Scrum Master

49. Scrum Master – Roles and Responsibilities
Responsible for the methodology (Process Success).
This role is not to command but to facilitate.
Scrum
Master
Product
Owner
The Team
Other Groups
Senior
Management

50. Scrum Master
Generally people who have played software engineering
roles usually do better in this role.
• Developers
• QA
• BA
• PM’s that have done software development roles
prior to their current PM role

51. Scrum Master – This role has come under fire
It is a part time role…
Anybody can do it…
It is Project Management
or
is it?
Is it really required?

52. Scrum Master – Pattern?
Scrum Master
Organization 1
I have all these managers, I
will use them as Scrum
Masters
Scrum Master
Organization 2
Certify all the managers as full
time Scrum Masters
Organization 2
I have all these managers, I
will use them as Scrum
Masters

53. If managers are holding 2 roles,
manager and Scrum Master,
make sure they are the Scrum
Master of a team that they
Scrum Master
do not hold direct authority
over.

54. What about the Project Manager?
For larger organizations when a Scrum Master and Project Manager role
exist the Project Manager generally:
• Plays the role of a “business” PM
• Manages communication to the larger organization
• Manages the budget
• Manages all tasks and risks not related to the actual software delivery

55. Agile Coach

56. Agile Coach
In 2014 in a large organization (15+ teams) I established the role of an Agile
Coach as an official HR Role in the organization.
One approach I used
The Agile Coach in this organization took this path to this role:
Developer  Manager  Project Manager  Scrum Master  Senior Agile Coach
Help ensure that the teams continue to follow best practices

57. Agile Coach
Sample from the Role Description in 2014
 Coach and mentor teams in the principles and practices of the iterative process.
 Coach on key Agile principles including team ownership and self-organization,
effective user stories, relative estimation, etc.
 Coach product owners in user story elaboration to make sure all user stories meet
the defined checklist including acceptance criteria.
 Coach product owners with backlog refinement activities and assure execution
alignment.
 Shadow roles on the Scrum team to facilitate learning through practice immersion.
 Mentor individuals for personal and professional growth when appropriate.

58. Agile Coach
Lyssa Adkins
and
Michael Spayd
One of the best definitions of an Agile Coach
http://agilecoachinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Agile-Coach-Competency-Framework-for-website.0011.jpg

59. Agile Coach
Coaching on Best Practices
Coaching Scrum Masters

60. Agile Coach
helping establish
a Quality & Test
First Mind Set

61. Corporate Definition of Done Guideline

62. Definition of Done with Quality Goals

63. A permanent Agile Coach role is essential
to creating a
sustainable Agile Transformation
for medium to large organizations

64. Key Takeaways

66. Play multiple roles
Be ready to embrace the fundamentals of Agile and
become an Agile Leader who can perform multiple
roles as required by the teams in your organization.

67. Play multiple roles
If a manager holds 2 roles,
make sure the other role
they hold for that team
does not have people
who they hold direct
authority over.

68. Management Style

69. Merci/Thank You!
MAURIZIO MANCINI • EXEMPIO • MAURIZIO.MANCINI@EXEMPIO.COM