The Biker Brotherhood and Agile

Agile seeps through your conscience in unexpected ways. Come to think about it, finding Agility in day to day life isn’t that hard. I find it intriguing when I see Agile principles being practiced in real life without being fully conscious about it. That is how Agile should work in the corporate context, something that comes across as a natural way of working rather than enforcing it against peoples’ will. That thought might just open the floodgates for a wider array of discussions and debates. But hold on, I will stick to what I have on my agenda for now. The Biker Brotherhood.

I am a passionate biker. The feeling of hitting the road and experiencing the thrill of riding is unparalleled. Biking is the glue that binds together total strangers, be it amateurs or pros. It is the sheer love for these sweet machines which makes people forget their daily grind and ride together. I find it really intriguing (and deeply satisfying too) when people let go of their pride and prejudices and indulge in their unbridled passion. There are no insecurities, no power struggles, no tomfoolery, no claims to self-righteousness. On the other hand, what you experience is humility, focus on safety, readily available assistance, respect for skill, camaraderie and most importantly, people coming together to have fun. As an Agile Coach I always strive to create an environment like this with the teams I work. Let’s deep dive to understand where I am coming from. Take the case of a 650 km ride that I did last year. We were a group of almost 25 people and only a few belonged to the IT industry. The way we planned and executed the ride almost resembles the way we plan our Scrum projects. Here’s a snapshot

Sprint 0

• Logistics – making reservations and necessary arrangements
• Communication – Ride updates and protocols to be followed
• Rules and regulations – Rules to ride, formations and safety instructions
• Scaling operations – People from multiple starting points converging at a predefined point to reach the common goal
• Risk management – Risks, mitigation and contingency, actions to be taken and emergency contact numbers
• Budgeting – Estimating the right expenses and creating a common monetary fund

Ceremonies

• Planning – Planning the route, the break points, refreshment locations and schedule
• The stand-ups – Predefined resting points to do headcount and making course corrections depending on the current situation
• Retrospective - Inspect and Adapt – Discussing the highlights of the journey, mishaps and riding tips
• The review – Photo sessions and sharing experiences
• The grooming – Changes in the formation depending on individual rider speed and skill

Execution

• Sprints – The entire journey was divided into multiple stages of around 50 km each. This helped in planning further and also resting to regain concentration
• Team – forming teams of riders to ride together to the destination in small groups
• Expedite – Re-plan routes based on data gathered during stand-ups to save time or avoid traffic or congestion
• Spike – Unwarranted incidents like accidents or bike malfunctions. The risk management register already has provisions for such incidents
• Information radiators – WhatsApp groups, telephone calls, hand signals, and bright colored clothing and markers are used to relay information
• Status reports – Periodic status reports are shared on groups to keep the riders up to date on the latest happenings and changes to the plan

Doesn’t it sound very familiar? Biker brotherhood is devoid of any coaches. Yet there is this natural equation, these unsaid rules, this open and friendly culture that forms without people needing any training or coaching. How wonderful would it be if all software teams thrive this way – driven by passion.