Effective Tools for Effective Change

Name of PresentationName of Speaker

Introduction

• Software Engineer, Community Engineering at Chef• Co-Author, Effective Devops•Organizer, DevOpsDays Silicon Valley• Founder; CoffeeOps

Housekeeping

•Webinar: https://www.chef.io/webinars/?commid=172041• Have a question? ‘Ask a Question’ Tab• Twitter: @sigje, @chef • Email: sigje@chef.io

Name of PresentationName of Speaker

Agenda

• Value of tools within devops• Interdependence of Organizational Structures, Globalization and Tools• Effective Selection of Tools

Conflicting Messages

DevOps is Culture not Tools!DevOps is Automation!

Tools are a Cultural Artifact

Tools are a Cultural Artifact

“We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us”

Father John Culkin

DevOps Tools stress “We over the Me”

The DevOps Compact

Impacts Culture (and Tools)

•Organizational Structure•Globalization

Organizational Structure

Defines how work is divided, people assigned, coordination of teams.

Mechanistic – Predictable work

• Formalized work• Specialized work• Centralized• Chain of Command• Slow responding to unexpected

Organic – Unpredictable work

• Flexible, adaptable• Expertise, knowledge versus authority of position• Exchange of information vs direction

Differentiation - Integration Theory

• plastics - high environmental uncertainty, high competition, short product life-cycle• containers - low environmental uncertainty, slow steady growth• foods (somewhere in the middle)

Lawrence and Lorsche (1967)

Task Structure - Layers of Interdependence

• pooled• sequential• reciprocal

Organizations in Action, James Thompson (1967)

Globalization

Tools Impact

• Individuals•Organizational structure

Individuals

• Behaviors Transparency Control Empathy

• Thinking

SVN to git

Manual Configuration to Infrastructure as Code

Games – Tools to Encourage Behaviors

• teach separation of identity from role playing• empathy that every role has a part to play• the task 'now' vs the goal• making mistakes and resolving them • ...

Frame Choices

Sticky notes

• Single vs multiple color• Sizes

Innovation

• Brand new•Use something for a new purpose•Combining existing things into something new

Misperception

You’re doing it wrong

What different ways can available tools be used to improve world?

Cognition

• 1977 House Committee on Science and Technology, automation major safety concern • Earl Wiener, human-factors and automation research in aviation

Critical thinking skills atrophy

• tracking position without the use of a map display• deciding 'what next’• recognizing instrument system failures

Human FactorsCasner and Schooler

Hidden risks in removing humans out of the loop.

Humans aren't backups for machines.

Automation

• Education• Simplification of Complexity•Documentation

Reduction of energy use without increasing potential harm.

Tools reflect our current state, and influence our direction.

Tool Selection

Challenges

• analysis paralysis• easy to prove 'success’• information overload

Misperception

Best Practice

Personal Attacks

Infrastructure Patterns

• Lightning Code• Curated Garden

Staccoto Lightning, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Staccoto_Lightning.jpg, Griffinstorm.Edible Garden at Pixie Hollow, https://www.flickr.com/photos/myrnalitt/4404671056/in/gallery-chiotsrun-72157623978424626/, Myrnna Litt

What different patterns emerge from our tool implementation and use?

Tools evolve and it's ok to change.

Identify Fragility

• Single point of knowledge•Old technology/work-arounds/Shadow IT• Lack of knowledge

Single Point of Knowledge

Old Technology

Work-Arounds

• Technical Debt

Shadow IT

Lack of Knowledge

• not knowing what we don't know• not planning

Less than Quality Solution

• adopting "easy" or "one stop DevOps solutions"

Quality Solution

• Inter-organizational interactions DevOpsDays, Velocity conferences Training, meetups Adhoc open spaces – CoffeeOps

• Hiring for Diversity

Balance

• fit the needs of people/groups • consistency across organization • freedom of choice

2014 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2014_Acrobatic_Gymnastics_World_Championships_-_Women%27s_group_-_Finals_-_Australia_01.jpg. Pierre-Yves Beaudouin.

Deliberate Choices with Active Participants

• Destination and the Journey• Single Points of Authority

Organizational SPA

• Bug tracking • Task visualization • Logging infrastructure

Group SPA

• Local Development environment (LDE)•Workflow

Chef LDE

CenturyLink Diagram, https://www.chef.io/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/centurylink-diagrams-01.png

Trello Workflow

Individual SPA

• Editor• Desk•Work Environment

Cube Space. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CubeSpace.jpg. Asa Wilson.TradeMe Offices. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TradeMe_offices.jpg. Benn.

Review Tools for Effective Change

• Value of tools within devopsEmphasizing the ‘We over the Me’

Review Tools for Effective Change

• Interdependence of Organizational Structures, Globalization and Tools

Tools reflect our current state and influence our direction.

Review Tools for Effective Change

• Effective Selection of Tools1. Learn about the problem space.2. Tools evolve, and change is ok.3. Choose tools deliberately with active participation at the

appropriate level of authority.

Tools are critical to DevOps in how they are chosen, implemented,

and used by humans.

Want to learn more?

Learn Chef

DevOpsDays Silicon Valley

Effective DevOpsDiscount Code: AUTHD

Thank you!Twitter : @sigjeEmail: sigje@chef.io