SEACON 2023 - sharing the secrets to agility??2/10
So full disclosure, I already did spill the secrets to agility internally in my organisation a couple of weeks ago but only this morning it clicked to me... why not spreading the joy with our wider community #OpenAgile #SoftwareDevelopment
For those of you that hear about it for the 1st time I'd highly encourage you to check out the website here https://www.seacom.online/ TL;DR it's like COMICON but for Agile at scale it takes place 1 a year and brings together top leaders from Agile, Product & Software development.
Special thanks to Owen Gardner and team for organising yet another brilliant event
This year the conference had over 30 speakers across 3 different tracks
An interesting highlight was the Agile Leadership Track which had a variety of speakers outside the sphere of software development but with many applicable learnings. I found that quite refreshing.
If anyone is curious about industry insights, fresh expertise and strategic thinking you can check it out below. A range of topics covered from what we can do to generate engagement and buy-in as well as discussions on systems thinking, adaptive leadership and even some culinary tips on how to bake a change
Target audience: You as a leader (it doesn't matter how senior or junior you are, this is for leaders at all levels in all roles)
Nationwide - Working beyond a single recipe for agile success ??
In this session we've heard from the amazing Geraldine M.
Intro
In the dynamic realm of digital transformation, organizations are increasingly adopting agile methodologies to enhance collaboration and efficiency. The concept of customer-centric, cross-functional teams has become a coveted goal. However, many organizations grapple with finding a singular recipe for success in the agile space. In this session, Geraldine explored the challenges and strategies for navigating the agile landscape based on insights from her seasoned tenure at Nationwide
Lessons from a Rubik's Cube
Drawing a parallel with a Rubik's Cube, Geraldine highlighted the complexity of agile adoption. Just as a Rubik's Cube has 43 quintillion starting points, agile can take diverse paths. There are just about 20 ways to solve a Rubik's cube, there is a lot of parity with agile as there are so common principles but the starting point can be so diverse, This diversity in starting points underscores the challenge of embedding agile behaviours uniformly across organizations. The key is understanding that agility is not a one-size-fits-all solution and it's important to adapt agile methodologies to fit the unique needs of each team.
领英推荐
The Power of Words - "Agile doesn't work",? "That's not agile is fragile", "Wagile"
Words carry immense power, and in the agile landscape, their significance cannot be overstated. Misinterpretations and misapplications of agile principles often lead to scepticism and failure. The speaker emphasized the importance of moving beyond mere nomenclature. Agile success lies not in labels but in the genuine incorporation of the right principles.
More than often companies decide to simply rename job titles: from Delivery Managers > to Scrum Masters, Delivery Leads > Release Train engineers, Project Managers > Product Owners ... aaaand it fails because people don't really know what they're doing.
Then companies decide to send colleagues on a 2 day course get them certified and hope for miracles. Then companies reverted because when people are panicking they go back to what they know.
Educating Beyond Certification: Merely sending teams for certification courses is insufficient. True agile success demands the immersion of individuals with practical experience. Organizations must prioritize knowledge transfer from those who have lived and breathed agile methodologies/experienced agilists with practical agile knowledge.
Clarity of purpose
The importance of a clear and shared vision is underscored. Aligning teams towards a common goal fosters motivation, innovation, and a deeper understanding of the 'why.' The speaker shared an example of how clarity of purpose prompted a team to rethink a design element, showcasing the tangible benefits of a unified vision. Driving customer-centric design can challenge the team to rethink their approach, while the "hippo effect" can lead to confusion and compromise. Preparing for the Worst: Drawing parallels with preparing for parenthood, the speaker underscored the importance of anticipating worst-case scenarios. Embracing extreme use cases during the definition of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) allows teams to uncover potential pitfalls and innovate proactively.
Lego Mentality: Analogizing organizations to a box of Lego, the speaker portrayed the contrast between linear departments and collaborative, interconnected teams. Linear structures, akin to segregated Lego pieces, hinder holistic collaboration. Agile success requires dismantling these silos and fostering a collective, integrated approach.
Trust, Honesty, and Agile Success
Trust and honesty are the cornerstones of successful agile teams (they make or break a team). Fear of telling the truth can hinder progress. Creating an environment where teams feel comfortable admitting challenges is essential. People are often afraid to tell the truth. When teams are under pressure, they neglect fundamental things like retrospectives and honest conversations (e.g. prioritising coding time and against Retro time)
Ownership and Accountability: Owning up to challenges and being prepared to fail is crucial. Emphasis on complete ownership, coupled with a willingness to learn from failures, is vital for continuous improvement.
Learning from Failure: Teams often fear admitting they can't deliver to the original forecasted timeline, hindering open discussions and impeding fundamental agile practices like retrospectives ("ok so what can we deliver"). The fear of failure can impede agile progress. Embracing failure as a part of the learning process and investing time and energy in fail-safes and quick learning is crucial (e.g. be prepared to fail at Enterprise level too and learn as quickly as possible to get it right)
Enterprise Transition Challenges Reporting Processes vs. Agility: The transition to enterprise-level comes with challenges related to reporting processes, timelines, and the clash with agile principles.?Striking a balance between enterprise safeguards and agile adaptability is an ongoing challenge, requiring mutual understanding.
Conclusion
In the dynamic landscape of agile methodologies, success is not a destination but a journey of continuous improvement. The session explored the importance of shared vision, open communication, and a willingness to learn from failures. As the narrative unfolds, it become evident that the path to agile maturity involves breaking down silos, fostering trust, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to learning.