Post on 20-Mar-2017
Robbie Mac Iver
What Is Holding You Back?
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write,
but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. -- Alvin Toffler
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 2
A Little History15th Anniversary of the Agile Manifesto
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 3
An Ongoing Evolution
Aug 1970
Managing the
Development of Large
Scale Software Systems –
Winston Royce
Jan 1986
Oct 1995
Scrum Sutherland
& Schwaber
Oct 1999
May 2003
Jan 1992
Mar 2007
Dec 2008
Apr 2010
Mar 1988
Jan 2000
Dec 2013
Feb 2001
Manifesto for Agile Software
Development
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 4
It’s a Journey of Continuous Learning
Evolution of Beliefs, Concepts & Practices Leading practitioners of the day Seeking ways to improve delivery to
employers or clients
Evolving How We Think About Work
to Enhance the Business
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Impediments to ChangeChange – As Easy as Riding a Bike
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Overcoming Mental Models
As Easy as Riding a Bike?
http://www.robbiemaciver.com/library/other-voices/74-the-backwards-brain-bicycle-smarter-every-day-133.html
Click image to play the video
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Is Deeply IngrainedFollows Stages of Personal
Development We become more “hard-
wired”Must Choose to Use New
Habits Old habits never go away Fallback when stressed
What We Do & How We Do It
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Why Is That Important?
Agile Adoptions:Are More About Changing
Mindset & Behavior than Process or Method
Are Forming New Behaviors and Consciously Choosing To Use Them
Take Consistent, Persistent Focus
Agility
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How We Spend Our Time
Organizational Capacity
Be A Good
Corporate Citizen
Manage the
Whirlwind
Advance Strategic Initiatives
Where is Time to
Improve?
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We Have to SEIZE IT!
No One Gives Us Time to Be Strategic
Time spent on the strategic reduces time wasted on the
tactical. – Pragmatic Marketing rule #3
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Agile Adoption Needs a Champion
Needs to Be Someone’s JobDetermine Organization
GoalsHow and When They Will be
MetMaintain the FocusGive Time & Permission to
Improve
Agility
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Form An Improvement Team Cross-Functional Cross the Breadth
& Depth of Hierarchy
Improvement Owner
Improvement Team
Improvement Backlog
Continuous Improveme
ntFacilitator
Images from
13
What’s Holding You Back?
What You Can Do:Understand that Change Requires Rethinking
Your Mental ModelsUnderstand Improvement Goals Driving
ChangeClaim Time to Learn & ImproveMaintain Focus Through the Tough TimesVolunteer for an Improvement Team
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Improvement is Not Free
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Impediments to Agile AdoptionThe Organizational Silo Game – See The Whole System
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The Game
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The Game
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The Game
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The Game
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The Game
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The Game
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The Game
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Local Optimization
An non-systemic action taken to address a specific symptom without regard
to its impact on the whole system
They tend not to solve problems as much as shift them around or
create new problems for someone else
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 23
What Are the Components in the
System?
Is Filling the Glass a System?
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Linear Thinking
Faucet Position
Current Water Level
25The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016
System Influences
Water FlowPerceived Gap
Faucet Position
Desired Water Level
Current Water LevelSource: The Fifth Discipline – Peter
Senge
27The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016
System Influences
Water FlowPerceived Gap
Faucet Position
Desired Water Level
Current Water LevelSource: The Fifth Discipline – Peter
Senge
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 28
Systems Thinking
An approach to analysis that focuses on the way
that a system's constituent parts
interrelate and interact over time
http://robbiemaciver.com/library/other-voices/77-navigating-webs-of-interdependence-with-peter-senge.html
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Recognizing Webs of Interdependence
Understanding How Problems Really Occur Complexity of interactions
Deep Commitment to Learning My mental model is part of the problem
Building Collective Intelligence Bringing together a diversity of
perspectives
Collective Intelligence
http://robbiemaciver.com/library/other-voices/77-navigating-webs-of-interdependence-with-peter-senge.html
Click image to play the video
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Are Any of These Statements Wrong?
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Start With DialogSuspend Mental ModelsGather Other PerspectivesLearn to Think & Learn
Together
How Can We Discover the Elephant?
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Product Development System
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
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Product Development System
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
Oper
atio
ns
Sale
s
Finan
ceCo
mpl
ianc
e
Deve
lopm
ent
QA/Te
st
Anal
ysis
Arch
itect
ure
Inte
grat
ion Supp
ort
Proj
ect
Proj
ect
Proj
ect
Proj
ect
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 34
Product Development System
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
Oper
atio
ns
Sale
s
Finan
ceCo
mpl
ianc
e
Deve
lopm
ent
QA/Te
st
Anal
ysis
Arch
itect
ure
Inte
grat
ion Supp
ort
Proj
ect
Proj
ect
Proj
ect
Proj
ect
How Many
Different
Perspectives
Are There?
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Agility is An Organizational Change
To Be Effective We Must See the Whole
System to Understand How Best to Change It
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Same Problem’s ReoccurToday’s Problems Are
Yesterday’s SolutionsYou Are At the Center of
the SystemYour Solutions Always Add
ControlYour Solutions Don’t Effect
Anyone Else
Signs of NOT Seeing the Whole System
37
What’s Holding You Back?
What You Can Do:Recognize That You Are Part of a SystemAccept Your Mental Model as Just One
Perspective Reach out to learn from others
Look for Both Cause and Effect Take Small Steps
Experiment and validate
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See the Whole System
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Impediments to Agile Adoption“Where’s the Beef?” - Focus on Creating Value
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How to Change the System?
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 40
How to Change the System?
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
TeamsSelecte
d Team(s)
• Projects Almost Always Successful
• Good Experience/ Learning for All Involved
• Agile is “Good”
• Rest of Organization Maintains Status Quo
• Learning Does Not Permeate
• Focus Becomes Process, Practices, Metrics
• Agile is “???”
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 41
How to Change the System?
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
TeamsSelecte
d Project(
s)
• Better Chance for Success
• Better Work Products
• Good Experience/ Learning for All Involved
• Agile is “Good”
• Rest of Organization Maintains Status Quo
• Learning Does Not Permeate
• Focus Becomes Process, Practices, Metrics
• Agile is “???”
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 42
Local Optimizations
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
TeamsSelecte
d Project(
s)
Selected
Team(s)
• Address Learning Only in Specific Contexts
• Focus Only on Parts of the Organization
• Propagation Constrained By Remainder of the Organization
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 43
Focus on Creating a New Mental Model
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
TeamsSelecte
d Project(
s)
Selected
Team(s)
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 44
Drive Change With A Central Focus
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
Our primary goal in
product development is
to make good economic
choices
– Don Reinertsen
Principles of Product
Development Flow (2009)
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 45
Drive Change With A Central Focus
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
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But It’s More Than Making Money
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
Make Money Now!
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What’s Really Important?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fhDViwYIJs
Click image to play the video
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Purpose Drives Value
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
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Purpose Drives Value
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
The purpose of
business is
maximizing profit
for the
shareholder
– Milton Friedman
1970
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world. Shareholder value is a result, not a strategy… Jack Welch 2009
A firm that isn’t delighting its clients and turning them into active promoters … is unlikely to endureStephen Denning Radical Management 2010
Profit is like oxygen.
You need it to survive,
but if you think that
oxygen is the purpose
of your life then you’re
missing something
– Peter Drucker 1959
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 50
One View of Purpose
Do we get paid a sustainable value for what we do in the eyes of our owners/sponsors
Are we great at what we do in the eyes of our customers?
Does what we do make the world a better place in the eyes of our grandchildren?
Do our employees love what we do and the way we do it
Source: John Blakey, Management Consultant and Author
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 51
Align Change to Purpose
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
52
What’s Holding You Back?
What You Can Do:Align with PurposeForce Clear Priorities
Ask!Change with the Whole In Mind
Small Incremental Changes Guided by feedback
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Focus on Value Creation
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 53
Impediments to Agile AdoptionLive Long and Prosper – Respect Teams
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Structure Creates Knowledge Silos
Delivery
Business Needs
Leadership
Technical/ Delivery
Teams
Oper
atio
ns
Sale
s
Finan
ceCo
mpl
ianc
e
Deve
lopm
ent
QA/Te
st
Anal
ysis
Arch
itect
ure
Inte
grat
ion Supp
ort
Proj
ect
Proj
ect
Proj
ect
Proj
ect
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 55
Product Development Knowledge Silos
BenefitsGrowing competenciesSetting standardsPerformance management
DrawbacksEncourages handoffsCan create “us” vs.
“them”Drives focus to detail
tasks
Busin
ess A
naly
sts
Deve
lope
rs
QA/Te
ster
s
Supp
ort
Vertical Alignment
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Create Horizontal TeamsBu
sines
s Ana
lyst
s
Deve
lope
rs
QA/Te
ster
s
Supp
ort
Vertical Alignment
That’s Not New With Agile,
Project Teams Have Always Been Formed
This WaySo What is
Special
About Agile
Teams?
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 57
Core Team
Core TeamCross-
FunctionalCo-located
SME
SME
SME SM
E
As a <Role> I want to <perform a function> so that
<some value>
As a <Role> I want to <perform a function> so that
<some value>
As a <Role> I want to <perform a function> so that
<some value>
As a <Role> I want to <perform a function> so that
<some value>
An Agile Team
Whatever skills are
needed to deliver
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Agility Changes the Mindset About Teams
Teams Are the Fundamental Unit of
Organizational Learning
Organizations Don’t Respect That Enough
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Core Team
Core TeamCross-
FunctionalCo-located
SME
SME
SME SM
E
We Expect More
Agile Teams:Take on More AccountabilityLearn Together
Business & Technology domains Team vs. individual behaviors
Experiment Together Fail forward together
Make Decisions TogetherMake Commitments
Together
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 60
Core Team
Core TeamCross-
FunctionalCo-located
SME
SME
SME SM
E
We Expect More
Agile Teams:Take on More AccountabilityLearn Together
Business & Technical domains Team vs. individual behaviors
Experiment Together Fail forward together
Make Decisions TogetherMake Commitments
Together
Building
Collective
Intelligence
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 61
Focus More on Horizontal AlignmentBu
sines
s Ana
lyst
s
Deve
lope
rs
QA/Te
ster
s
Supp
ort
Vertical Alignment
Teams
Accountabilities
1st
2nd
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 62
Team Member BehaviorsAn Agile Team Member
Is… Is Not… Proactive and takes initiative to get
work done Waiting for someone to tell them
what to do Open to new ideas and ways of
working Working on things outside of the
current team commitments Willing to accept and provide help
where needed A lone wolf
Open and honest about processes, current status, and issues of the day
Concerned about only his/her tasks
Someone who asks pertinent questions
Waits for someone else to raise an issue or question
Someone who actively listens to others for understanding
Focused only on individual success
Highly skilled, but willing to occasionally work outside of his/her area of expertise as needed
Focused on the team succeeding
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Why Are Behaviors Important?
MindsetDrives
Behavior
Results
Behavior
Mindset
Behavior Drives Results
Source: The Outward Mindset – Arbinger Institute
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Why Are Behaviors Important?
Results
Behavior
Mindset
MindsetDrives
Behavior
Behavior Drives Results
Source: The Outward Mindset – Arbinger Institute
Organizations that
identify and address
pervasive mindsets
at the outset are
FOUR TIMES more
likely to succeed in
organizational
change – McKinsey (2014)
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 65
Outward versus Inward Mindset
Outward Mindset
Objectives & behaviors take others into account
Sees others
as people
Their needs,
objectives, &
challenges
Inward Mindset
Self-focused objectives & behaviors
Sees others
as objects
Their needs,
objectives, &
challenges
Source: The Outward Mindset – Arbinger Institute
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 66
People
Aligning Work with People
Work Streams
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Mindset?
Fortifies the Inward Mindset
Perpetuates Knowledge Silos
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Priorities?
While We Think We Prioritize On
Business Value… We Really Prioritize on the Availability
of Key People
These Bottlenecks Slow Everything Down
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People
Stop Bringing People to Work
Work Streams
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Team
Start Bringing Work to Teams
Team
Team
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Team
Start Bringing Work to Teams
Team
Team
Live Long and Prosper
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Grow T-Shaped People
This
Should
Be Our
Goal
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Grow T-Shaped People
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 74
Identify Key Bottlenecks Technical competencies Domain knowledge
Identify Potential Growth Opportunities People Knowledge areas
Consideration in Planning Team formation
Incentify Growth of Skill
Grow a Learning Program
75
What’s Holding You Back?
What You Can Do:Recognize Your Team as a Unit of
Organizational Learning Build Collective Intelligence
Build Long Term Relationships Exhibit outward mindset
Grow Your “T-Shape” Minimize knowledge silos
Lobby for More Work for your Team
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016
Build Long Lived Teams
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 76
What’s Holding You Back?Key Reminders
The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write,
but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. -- Alvin Toffler
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 77
Agility Is An Organizational Change
Exper ime
n t a t io n
Pe r s i s t en c e
A Change of MindsetMore than
A Change of Method
The Mac Iver Group, LLC © 2005-2016 78
What’s Holding You Back?
Claim Time to Learn & ImproveRecognize That You Are Part of a
System Reach out to learn from others
Align Change with Value Creation Supporting purpose
Respect Long Lived Teams Build collective intelligence Grow an outward mindset T-Shaped people
Consulting ▪ Coaching ▪ Mentoring▪ Agile Adoption ▪ Agile Leadership ▪ Product
Management▪ Leadership Agility 360™ Assessment
▪ Certified LeSS Practitioner
Robbie Mac Iver
▪ Past President/Advisor National Board▪ Founder Houston Chapter
www.robbiemaciver.com
robbie@robbiemaciver.com @robbiemaciver
robbiemaciver