Catch AgileAntipatterns of using Agile: how to survive

by Yuriy V. Silvestrov

About me

Yuriy V. Silvestrov10+ years record in IT, 8+ years devoted to managing

projects. Now working for Ciklum, managing a team of 30+ persons making different software for Danish financial organizations.

Please visit my website http://yuriy.silvestrov.comfor more info or contact me at yuriy@silvestrov.com.

About lectionBased on my own and team experience

and a lot of interviews conducted

Have been presented in Ciklum Donetsk last month

but changed a bit afterwards.

Time is counting

⌛ < 60

How many of you using

AgileScrumKanban

I will try to adapt

Content

Catches◦When size matters◦Agile principles violation◦Dealing with Conveyor◦Scrum-like◦Scrum cargo cult◦Common sense bias◦Out of Agile

Q&A

Snowflake men by Max Dorofeev

Agile frameworks

ScrumXPKanbanLeanCrystal

Catch 1: Size matters

Cockburn Scale

The closer the project is to the right-top, the more formal process you need.

L L6 L20 L40 L100

E E6 E20 E40 E100

D D6 D20 D40 D100

C C6 C20 C40 C100

1-6 7-2021-40

41-100

Solution?

Start creating proceduresMay be even to become more formal and

less agileWhen the project and team became more

mature, you could bring agility back

Catch 2: Agile principles violation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change over following a plan

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Working software over comprehensive documentation

Solution?

Try to keep agility inside, and be formal seen from outside

Actually, it’s rather political then project management problem, and you need to solve it with the political tools

“DeathMarch” by Edward Yourdon

Catch 3: dealing with conveyor

Why Scrum is not best choice

No releases schedulePriorities changing oftenHard to estimate size of each element

Solution?

Try Kanban

Catch 4: scrum-like

Scrum-like symptoms: No retrospectives

Should always try to improve

Scrum-like symptoms: Standup-meeting as speech to PM

Scrum-like symptoms: No Done-Done criteria

Code Complete ✔Unit Tested ✔Peer Reviewed ✔QA Complete ✔Documented ✔

Done!

Scrum-like symptoms: 80% done

Pareto rule: 80% of task value takes 20% time. Another 20% takes another 80% of time.

Solution?

Try to review your process against the agile manifesto and checklists

If something is missing, think if you could benefit from bringing it back.

Catch 5: Scrum cargo cult

Solution

Rethink you process: are you benefitting from all of you tools and processes?

Formal and informal retrospectives should help.

Catch 6: Common sense bias

Common sense bias examples

Pair programmingPlanning pocker

Solution?

Measure!Implement the right metrics

Catch 7: Is there anything out of Agile?

SCRUM to PMBOK areas

Integration Scope Time

Cost Quality Human Resource

Communications Risk Procurement

Solution?

Learn!

Questions?

???

Thank you!

yuriy@silvestrov.com