Jan 13, 2023
This week, Dan Neumann is joined
by his colleague and repeated guest, Adam Ulery.
In this episode, Dan and Adam
are exploring the true meaning of being Agile, which is often a
subject of discussion. Dan recently found the work of two
researchers named Corey Baham and Rudy Hirschheim on the
theoretical cores of Agile which provides valuable information
about the identity of Agile.
Key Takeaways
- What does Agile mean?
-
- The four cores of the Theoretical model on
Agility in the mentioned research are validity, inspection and
adaptation, working collaboratively, and continuous customer
involvement.
- Going superficially vs. deeply into
Agile:
-
- A superficial approach is when people go
through the motions or practice Agile behaviors and activities,
maybe not fully understanding the reason why they are doing what
they are doing or the benefits implied.
- Going deeper into Agile means seeking a better
understanding of the reasons behind your behavior.
- Agility at the Team level:
-
- An example of a superficial approach to Agile
can be when a person is named the product owner, then he/she gets a
list of tasks to do, and maybe even is required to check before
doing anything. There are cases when the new product owner also
takes on the new role on top of a previous list of
accountabilities, resulting in a very superficial approach to the
functions.
- Not going beyond the functions of your role can
also be a superficial way to execute a role.
- A deep way to develop the role is to begin to
understand its true purpose and to remove the barriers preventing
the achievement of those goals.
- The whole Team must be aligned when the
priorities change.
- The environment has to add value to the Scrum
framework.
- A tight partner of alignment is discipline; the
team has to say no to the things they shouldn’t be working
on.
- At the leadership level, the Scrum values have
to be deeply understood.
-
- Superficially, a leader has a general
understanding of Agile, more in terms of a process, another way to
manage projects.
- An Agile Leader has an understanding of Agile
as an effective tool to help the organization to achieve the
outcomes it wants.
- An Agile Leader removes the impediments
for the Team to exercise the Agile values.
- The whole Team must be aligned when the
priorities change.
- Change isn’t easy.
-
- The whole Team must be aligned when the
priorities change.
- To experience great rewards you have to put in
the effort and go through the pain.
Mentioned in this Episode:
“Issues, challenges, and a proposed theoretical core of Agile
Software Development Research,” by Corey Baham and Rudy Hirschheim
Lead from the Future: How to
Turn Visionary Thinking Into Breakthrough Growth,
by Mark W. Johnson and Josh
Suskewicz
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