Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Addendum: Agile 2014 Proposals

I blogged recently about a proposal I submitted to Agile2014. As the deadline for submission is today, I won't be asking for your feedback on the submission website (unless you're a reviewer for the track). However, I'd still love to hear your thoughts here on the blog!

Additionally, I have assisted a co-worker with putting together 3 additional proposals as co-presenter. I'd like to share the information on all of these proposals here with you now. I cannot over-emphasize how much I want to hear what you think about them!


Practical Application of Dude's Law: Come Play the Value Estimation Game!

Abstract:

You know how you determine the "bigness" of your work and establishing commitments, but how do your customers ensure you're committing to the right thing?
Come experience relative estimation to determine value. We'll use David Hussman's "Dude's Law" (Value = Why? / How?) to prioritize the work.
We will share techniques for determining the "Why?" so that you can generate a Value Index. What many people will be surprised to learn is that they already have tools for sizing that can be used for determining value and prioritization.

Information for Review Team:

The break-out of the 75 minutes would include:
3 minutes: Introduction to Dude's Law and the Value-Driven Heuristic
10 minutes: Explain and model the first exercise (Team Estimation Game for relative sizing)
10 minutes: Have round-table teams execute first exercise with a set of 10 features
5 minutes: Explain and model the second exercise (Team Estimation Game for relative benefit - same mechanism, so it takes less time to explain and model)
10 minutes: Have the round-table teams execute second exercise with the same set of 10 features
10 minutes: Have each team determine the Value Index of each card by applying Dude's Law
15 minutes: Have teams share their outcomes, insights
12 minutes: Explain the flexibility of Dude's Law (you can use Planning Poker or whatever technique works best for you) and introduce them to concepts such as Weighted Shortest Job First and Value Dial weighting*

* As this section is the least important it may be reduced or eliminated if previous sections run long

Prerequisite Knowledge:

The concept of Relative Sizing (Story Points, T-shirt sizing, etc.)

Learning Outcomes:

1.       Experience and learn how to apply a practical, proven game for prioritizing your work based on value
2.       Understand that using a heuristic for valuation is better than both gut-feel and over-engineering
3.       Understand that, as with estimating size/cost, the real value comes from the conversation

Presentation History:

I've done the Team Estimation Game dozens of times before with as many teams and have done the exercise including benefit to determine a Value Index with at least one of those teams. I also have led Program Management teams through a very similar prioritization matrix model that leverages the concept of Weighted Shortest Job First.

Comment:

My presentation is a reflection of my own beliefs and experiences. None of the material I present should be interpreted as an endorsement by my employer. I have received express written permission from David Hussman to reference Dude's Law, and I am a Certified SAFe Program Consultant (SPC), which qualifies me to speak on their Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) Framework.


The Secret Sauce of Agile

Abstract:

Humans are basically moist robots. As much as we like to think that we are logical, rational beings, we really aren't. The best thing we can do to improve our decision-making is to influence our environment and develop skills that will increase the odds of making the right decisions.
Beyond the techniques, practices, principles, and even beyond the manifesto; that's the secret to Agile success. Through dialog, games, and an open agenda, we'll explore that secret. Together we'll find the next evolution of Agile via application of that secret.
The foundations of Agile are human centered and scientifically backed. To get the most out of Agile and to leapfrog beyond it, we need to understand how Agile works. It's the wiring of our social minds, the relationships, tacit knowledge, and our predictably irrational natures that ensure Agile success and doom all other approaches. So, what is that secret sauce that mix of ingredients?

Information for Review Team:

Introduction (7 minutes)

We will discuss the hypothesis that influencing those factors that determine our decisions is a more effective use of time than simply exerting willpower to make correct decisions. We will introduce factors of significance that we have already found and invite the audience to provide others.

Mind Mapping (50 minutes; up to 10 minutes per factor)

We will use mind-mapping to explore what we can do, as practitioners and coaches, to increase our odds of success by influencing:
1.       Knowledge and skill-set (what knowledge, if internalized and applied, will help us make the right choices?)
2.       Environment (How can we modify our physical environment to make us more successful?)
3.       Chemical makeup of our bodies (What foods, drinks, and activities make us more likely to succeed?)
4.       Removal of guesswork (What decisions can we make when in a "rational" state that will lessen the impact of impulse decisions when we're "irrational", i.e. conflict protocols, etc.?)
5.       Others as identified by the audience

So What? (Remaining Time)

Use the information to help those in the audience generate actions based on their new knowledge to help their teams and organizations succeed. This is not a theoretical exercise; this is an Inspect & Adapt exercise rooted in human psychology.
We are prepared to adjust the presentation style depending on the seating arrangement; we can make both work well.

Prerequisite Knowledge:

Deep experience with breathing

Learning Outcomes:

1.       Learn the success secrets of Agile embedded in human behavior, social science, and the way we're wired.
2.       Learn to use science and human nature to go beyond Agile.
3.       Walk out being able to use your knowledge to be more successful with Agile.
4.       Move to the next evolution of Agile.

Presentation History:


This is a new approach that we're experimenting with currently with small teams and leadership groups. The agenda is loose because every group is different and responds differently; our goal is to let those present take ownership of the meeting and take it where they need it to go.


Flexible IT Using Enterprise Kanban

Abstract:

We will walk through multiple examples of how to setup visual signaling systems to replace the wasteful reports, meetings, management, tools currently used to track, prioritize, manage, and control portfolios, investments, programs, and projects. This talk will describe the essentials of how IT can adapt to massive disruptions. The story comes from one of the world’s largest companies. We've altered things to form a generic story; but the techniques are proven, simple, working and effective. These disruptions are constant major shifts in technology and business that have been canceling and starting new programs / projects for years.
Big data, competitive innovation, mobility, leverage, and fluxes in profit and loss have had huge impact over IT. Consider having to building a data center, starting a big data pillar with hundreds of specialists, and dropping large portions of budget all at the same time. These disruptions cannot be planned for their adaptations in response to technology, financials, and business changes.
To protect the innocent, this story details in this discussion have been formed in the form of a story. However, this leverages stories from a successful implementation of enterprise kanban at a major retailer. The approach is so simple it may not seem realistic. But stories of dealing flexibly with disruption are becoming common. Our stories will be richer and will have more real without any complexity. This story leverages a chain of values, decentralized and centralized decision-making, transparency, collaborations, evolutionary architecture, and innovations. These form the backbone for allowing a simple kanban system manage the flow of a flexible approach to dealing with global, enterprise disruption.

Information for Review Team:

Ideally, this would use large post-its and sticky notes with strings in a live demonstration. Our current system uses LeanKit; but we'd like to present tool agnostic.
The break-out of the 75 minutes would include:
5 minutes: Introductions - A story of 5 Continuous Crucial Conversations
5 minutes: Pre-requisites to Flexibility
5 minutes: Disruption – Innovation – Zero Click Shopping
5 minutes: A Flexible Response –Enterprise kanban in Action
5 minutes: Business Leadership - Reprioritize IT funding (Business Investments)
5 minutes: IT Leadership – Adjust IT capacity and create big requirements– (epics)
5 minutes: Domain Leadership - Breaks big requirements into pieces, rank, and distribute work (sub-epics)
5 minutes: Team of Teams Leadership - Form domain teams, Break sub-epics, and rank (features)
5 minutes: Teams - Break features into stories, Deliver solution parts (stories)
5 minutes: Enterprise kanban as an Innovation engine
5 minutes: Enterprise kanban supported by Lean IT & Kanban Services
5 minutes: Enterprise kanban as an Execution engine
15 minutes: Q&A

Prerequisite Knowledge:

Have to have worked in mindless, massive, and. Mismanaged companies. Need to have intimate, firsthand knowledge of corporate waste, stupid status and other mindless bureaucracy. Must have years of experience trying to do the right thing while working with overly complex, boring and unproductive program and portfolio management policies, processes, methods, tools and people.

Learning Outcomes:

1.       Walk out being able to setup a simple, flexible way to connect the effort of teams of teams.
2.       Trace funding, strategy and progress to value delivery.
3.       Increase visibility and communication while decreasing reporting, meetings, and planning.
4.       Know how to use enterprise Kanban to replace status reports, time sheets, and management.
5.       Having talking points and examples that will help you set your organization free of vanity metrics, over processing, and micro management.

Presentation History:

Not formally presented outside the company internal Agile User Group


Leading Agile Transformation from a Beach: 2 Agile Coaches’ Journeys

Abstract:

Todd and Mike have both experienced the growing pains that come from becoming Agile and helping others with the same. They had similar experiences and learned similar lessons, but their journeys have been surprisingly different. One took 15 years, the other took 5, and both took longer than they had to.
This is a story of what not to do, what to do, and how do it by not doing anything. It pulls from at least six multi-year Agile transformations in some of the world’s largest companies. We'll share our experience in a story that is sometimes funny, mostly true, and utterly real. We'll save you from failures, help you see new ways of transforming yourself, teams, companies, and cultures. Or, perhaps, we'll just provide a self-affirmation opportunity for you to confirm that what you are doing is much more intelligent than what other Agilists have done.

Information for Review Team:

May have to protect names to save the innocent and spend less on legal fees. Combined transformation experience of almost 2 decades covering thousands in major companies and consulting firms.

Prerequisite Knowledge:

Must have lead an Agile transformation of a team, set of teams, company or, that hardest of all Agile transformations - yourself.

Learning Outcomes:

1.       Build confidence
2.       Teach you how to transform without working
3.       Help you avoid stupid transformations

Presentation History:

First time for this one. Parts shared at PMI chapter and local Agile User groups.

Attachments:

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