12 Questions of Wildly Successful Agile Teams

Agile Resiliency

Twelve Questions

Successful Agile Teams

Answer Every Day

WILDLY

Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions Corporation

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationIn the mid-80s I picked up yet another instrument

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationThe code might look different

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationLOOPSSYNTAXCONDITIONAL LOGICCOMMONSTANDARDS& GUIDELINES

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HOWDO

WEINCREASECAPABILITY?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationHow do we go from this:

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationTo this:

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationThen to this:

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationOr from this team:

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationTo THIS team!

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationHow do we

like that?ROCK

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*You gotta know HOW to rock before you CAN rock.

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----- Meeting Notes (3/15/15 18:44) -----Transition from philisophical to practical

To be a great and increase my capability I needed to answer twelve questionsWHO AM I?WHAT DO I NEED?SO WHAT, WHO CARES?WHO DO I NEED?AM I ANY GOOD?AM I IMPROVING?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #1: Who am I?What do I want to be?What do I value?What is expected?

Question #1 is trifurcated into three sub-questions:

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Idea #1: Work with your management team to establish a clear set of common values that include: transparency, collaboration, failingfast, iterative and incremental, and a strong bias towards spending more effort writing software than writing documentation. This, of course, is an Agile implementation of Generic Practice 2.1 Establish an Organizational Policy that can leverage practices in Organizational Process Focus and Organizational Process Definition to make it real with supporting processes and tools. So, instead of saying Policies? Weve got binders full of em! focus on the values instead.

Who do you want to be?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #1a: VISIONWhat do I want to be?Vision exists at multiple levels and describes what I aspire to be.

I will be a classical musician with a great orchestraI will compose a piece of music for a major motion pictureI will perform this piece at a world-class level

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #1b: VALUES

What do I Value?Values provide guidance when things get challenging

I value precise, technically correct playingI value a deeply emotional deliveryI value pleasing my audience

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Question #1c: EXPECTATIONSWhat is expected?Expectations give us the what that we need adhere to in order to fulfill our vision.I expect to practice everyday for at least 4 hoursI expect to attend performances and listen to other musicians who will inspire meI expect to transcribe everything I learn so that I really understand it

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As a classical musician

I will create perfect sound through relentless practice

So that I can be a member of a world-class orchestra1a. To be a classical musician in a world-class orchestra1b. Precision, perfection1c. Discipline, practice and hard work

1. Who am I?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationAs a world-class developer of mobile apps

We will adopt Agile values and methods as a framework

So that we can iteratively build a minimum viable product that is rapidly delivered to our customers1a. To be a world class developer of mobile apps1b. Transparency, iteration, fail-fast, fail-early1c. Adopt Agile methods with discipline

1. Who are we?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #2: How will I behave?

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Idea #2: Establish a precise model for the different levels of planning that your team is going to perform. Release Planning, Sprint Planning, and planning for the tasks associated with each User Story are a few examples. Those plans include the who, what, where, and how of each level. Develop a clear requirements architecture for customer needs, epics, and user stories, including a definition of ready for each one, as well as the estimation methods that are going to be used for each. Establish an agreement with your team on how each aspect of the software engineering process is going to work: how is code going to be written? How are code reviews going to be conducted? How is testing going to work within each Sprint?I call these the CMMI Questions. Instead of slavishly complying with the practices, turn them into questions to be answered by the team.In this case, the questions are about Generic Practice SP2.2 Plan the Process, supported by Project Planning, Project Monitoring and Control, Integrated Project Management, Risk Management, Technical Solution, and almost every other Process Area in the CMMI!

As a classical bassist

I will split my time between technical and emotional practice

So that I can always deliver a flawless performanceDaily PracticeTechnical practice (bowings, precision, scales, arpeggios, technical exercises)Emotional practice (pieces, sounds, dynamics)

2. How Will I Behave?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationAs a company that values transparency, iteration, and failing fast

We will adopt Scrum and XP

So that we deliver the highest value solutions and uncover our mistakes early and often.Adopt Scrum and XPDaily Standups, Planning Poker, Sprint PlanningSprint Demos, DFMEA, DSS Retrospectives

2. How Will We Behave?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationWhat will I need?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #3: What will I need?

As a classical bassist

I will need an instrument, lesson plan, and practice space

So that I can increase my capability as an orchestra musicianInstrumentLesson PlanPractice space

3. What Will I Need?

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Idea #3: Procure all of the resources to support the items identified in Idea #2. These might include: co-located workspace, planning poker decks, pair programming desks, software tools such as Sharepoint, Jira or Team Foundation Server, and the funding for the various tools, resources, facilities and other components required to execute the ceremonies and events.This idea is an Agile manifestation of Generic Practice 2.3 Provide Resources, along with its related Process Areas Supplier Agreement Management, Project Planning, Integrated Project Management, Technical Solution, and others.

As a company that has adopted Scrum and XP

We need Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and facilities that support agile development

So that we can effectively deliver iterative and incremental releases to our customerScrum BoardCo-located Team RoomsInformation Radiators

3. What Will We Need?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #4: What part do I play?

In an orchestral score, each line is a different part and is explicitly assigned to a specific instrument.

Like a professional sports team, each player knows which part they are to play.

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Idea #3: Procure all of the resources to support the items identified in Idea #2. These might include: co-located workspace, planning poker decks, pair programming desks, software tools such as Sharepoint, Jira or Team Foundation Server, and the funding for the various tools, resources, facilities and other components required to execute the ceremonies and events.This idea is an Agile manifestation of Generic Practice 2.3 Provide Resources, along with its related Process Areas Supplier Agreement Management, Project Planning, Integrated Project Management, Technical Solution, and others.

But in a jazz group, parts are only intuitively assigned

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationAs a world-class orchestra musician

I will play my assigned part

So the overall sound meets the requirementsAssigned PartConductorUtility

4. What Part Do I Play?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationAs a member of the product team

I will play my assigned part with integrity

To ensure that we have coverage for all the required roles on the teamScrum MasterScrum Product OwnerScrum Team Member

4. What Parts Do We Play?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #5: How will I learn?As a Classical bassist

I will adopt a rigorous training program that includes lessons, listening, and transcribing

So that I will always be increasing my capabilityWeekly LessonsListening to world-class musiciansTranscribing music

5. How Will I Learn?

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Idea #5: Suck it up and train people. Train them to be Product Owners and Scrum Masters. Most importantly, train teams to be self-disciplined, empowered Agile citizens that trust the process and live the Agile values from Idea #1 everyday. This is Generic Practice GP2.5 Train People, with the related Process Area Organizational Training. If you do nothing else, do this. Do. It. Now.

As a member of the Product Team

I will adopt a rigorous training program that includes lessons, listening, and transcribing

So that I will always be increasing my capabilityProcess TrainingTechnical TrainingRetrospectives

5. How Will We Learn?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #6: How Do I Manage Information?As a musician

I will transcribe all music and manage it with version control

So that I will always be sure I am working with the final versionTranscribe All PartsVersion ControlManage Releases

6. How Do I Manage Information

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Write down everything you play. You never know if youll need it later. Leland Sklar

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationAs a member of a product team

I will record the design and decisions I make with appropriate version and release control

So that I will always be sure I am working with the baselined versionRecord rationale and decisionsVersion ControlManage Releases

6. How Do We Manage Information?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #7: How will I collaborate?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationAs an orchestra musician

I will create unity within my section, and collaborate with other sections

So that we can deliver a world-class performance Within my sectionAcross SectionsAs an orchestra

7. How Will I Collaborate?

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As a member of a product team

I will attend all ceremonies, and be prepared to play my part

So that we can deliver a superior productAttend all ceremoniesBe prepared to play my partAsk for help if I have an impediment

7. How Will We Collaborate?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #8: So What, Who Cares?As an orchestra musician

I will measure ticket sales, audience reaction, and repeat attendees

So I can understand who cares enough about my performance to keep buying ticketsTicket SalesAudience ReactionRepeat Attendees

8. So What, Who Cares?

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As a member of a product team

I will measure the satisfaction, sales, and feedback

So I know if my customers think my product is valuableCustomer SatisfactionProduct SalesCustomer Feedback

8. So What, Who Cares?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #9 - 12: How do I INSPECT & ADAPT?9. Feedback10. Information11. Adapt

9. How do I inspect and Adapt?

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How will I adapt my behavior?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationHow will I improve?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationQuestion #12: How will I improve?As an orchestra musician

I will collaborate with my section leader (scrum master) and conductor (CPO), and review performance tapes to fine-tune my practice regimen

So that I the next time I perform this piece it is perfectSectionalsConductorRecordings

12. How will I improve?

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As product team

We will actively participate in events to analyze performance and capture feedback

So that our team gets better and better each sprintRetrospectivesPeer ReviewsRelease Reviews

12. How do we improve?

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationNow that youve established your Capability Architecture

And youve improved, grown, and matured, heres what you can do.

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Copyright 2015 Broadsword Solutions CorporationDetermine your readiness (and get a link to this):Text GREATNESS to 313131

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Engineering

12 Questions of Wildly Successful Agile Teams