3 beliefs you need to let go to start your agile journey

3 beliefs we need to let go to start our agile journeyAntti Kirjavainen @anttikiAgile EE 2017 Kiev

The purpose of this talkGive you ideas and concrete practices to invite people and organizations let go of beliefs that hold them back from embracing the new paradigm of knowledge work.

Team -> Customer: demonstrated in practice how limiting work in progress leads to predictability and adaptabilityShared responsibility of quality, decisionsProactively help business people reach their goalsThe agile dream (Michael Sahota)3

Our beliefs hold us back

Galileo Galilei: earth revolves around the sunVersionOne study: Resistance to change, inability to change company cultureIf what we belief to be true conflicts with new paradigms, it prevents us to adopt those paradigms

4

3 layers of culturePractices, processes, rulesValues (stated)Assumptions, beliefs (unconscious)

Source: Schein, Edgar (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Dynamic View.

What culture is, and what keeps our cultures If what we belief to be true conflicts with new paradigms, it prevents us to adopt those paradigmsSchein, Edgar (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Dynamic View.5

Why beliefs and assumptions are so strong?Most things in a culture are built atop of our beliefs and assumptionsLots of connections with other ideas, assumptions etc.Usually unconsciousConflicting ideas and assumptions do not fit with the ideas and assumptions that are based on the old unconscious assumptionThe idea with less sticking points has less change to prevail than the connceted (old) one

10 years ago: Games for Learning

I first worked with the problem of peoples beliefs or misconceptions hindering their learning overten years ago. Agora Game Lab, University of JyvskylLearning games in collaboration with science teachers7

I used to develop and research games for learningIn collaboration with science teachersFor primary school children~12 years agoAgora Game Lab, University of Jyvskyl

Problem: childrens misconceptions about scientific phenomena

Why are there seasons?

Axial tilt of Earth10

Misconceptions about ScienceHinder the childrens ability to learn about scientific phenomenaThe earlier conception has stronger connections in cognitionScientific knowledge is inter-connected, new knowledge sticks if it fits with the existing assumptionsA couple of misguided assumptions can hinder the child from learning most of related science (e.g. astronomy and climate theories related to model of seasonal changes)

beliefs about knowledge work that hold us back

Lets do it like in stand-up shows: clap if youve been there, seen that

Batch thinking and focus on resource efficiency

So stupid, right?

Delivering each batch of work has costs, so it is most efficient to do it all in one big batchPhoto CC-2.0-BY-NC by Cameron Grant

Big batches save time and moneyReal cost: ability to adapt to changesRisk: batches become even bigger

16

Problems with batches or big projectsAssumption: big batches save money (true, but)Unconscious tradeoffs:Losing the adaptibility to changesRisks are discovered and acted on lateTesting of assumptions is done in the endScope tends to get even bigger scope creepLong time to market

Keeping people 100% utilized on planned work is efficientPhoto by Walter Parenteau

If some project keeps one graphic designer occupied just 50% time, we need to find him another project or we are throwing money awayTradeoff: adapting to change, handling surprises, predictability, improvement, learning, multitasking and task-switching

18

Problems with 100% utilizationNo capability left to deal with surprisesResults in low predictability if there is variability (= surprises)Often leads to multitasking Task-switching reduces effectiveness

Using specialists time just for what they are best at is most efficient

So when business analyst has finished requirement spec of one project we need to find him another piece of requirement workTradeoff cost: transformation of information, collaboration, shared understanding

20

Problems with specialisationLoss of informationThe need to ask something competes with the fact that people are already on their next assignmentLeads to multitasking Task-switching reduces effectivenessLots of unfinished work, which is potentially waste

Process roll-out positivism

New processes can be rolled out to organizations and teams

23

Changes in an organization chart will lead to similar changes in reality

Problems with rolling out new processes, org chartsPeople do not change anything in their behaviourPeople do not understand the changed process in the same wayLack of commitment towards changeHard to relate a modelled process to everyday work

Rolling out agile structures and processes is not helpfulIf you just mandate cross-funtional teams and Scrum ceremonies, you are not doing much differently than scientific management thinkersCross-functional teams need to be more than organizational structureThe most important aspects of agile frameworks are principles:People over processes andContinuous improvement.

Dividing the organization to thinkers and doers is efficient

Problems with separating thinking and doingPeople far away from work have hard time seeing the real problemsPeople with most insight on improvement opportunities are left out of work designLessens commitment on improvement on doersTakes meaning out of doers work

Carrot and stickThe best and only ways to keep people motivated and committed

But no-one really believes that anymore, right?

Control by rules, incentives and status reports is effective Photo by Dneary

Why command and control is really command and hopePeople will figure out ways to game any systemIf you incentivize certains behaviours, people will do anything to reproduce those behaviours, even wrecking the companyIntrinsically motivated people become demotivated when they are directed to game the system instead of working for the actual wanted impacts

People are weak-willed, lazy and will cheat if you let them

The belief that people are lazy and weak-willed: a self-fulfilling prophecyIf you do not remove impediments from people to work towards their intrinsic motivation, they will become demotivatedDemotivated people seem lazy and weak-willedIf you have lazy and weak-willed people, you have either recruited them or they have changed since they arrived in the organization

How to get rid of these legacy beliefs?Photo CC-2.0-BY by wecometolearn

Problems with using logic to help get rid of old beliefsThe old belief has lots of connections with other ideas, assumptions etc.The old belief is usually unconsciousConflicting ideas and assumptions do not fit with the ideas and assumptions that are based on the old unconscious assumptionThe idea with less sticking points has less change to prevail than the connceted (old) oneArguments against the old belief have less existing allies in the cognition

1. ExperiencePhoto CC-2.0-BY by Jim Sneddon

Games for Learning: ExperienceSafe experienceDistanced from subject matterChance for the child to experiment different strategies, theoriesConstructed so that strategies based on actual scientific theories work better

2. Reflection togetherPhoto CC-2.0-BY-NC by Juska Wendland

Games for Learning: Reflection TogetherCompare experiences from playing the gameForm a collective opinion on what strategies worked and whyConfirmation on individual observations from groupConnect the experience to scientific theory (at this point the experience has provided connecting points to the childrens cognition)

3. ApplicationPhoto CC-2.0-BY-NC by Juska Wendland

Games for Learning: ApplicationApplication of ther newly learned theory to another contextTo reinforce the newly formed theoryI.e. Another exercise, project work etc.

Same for knowledge work?

Marshmallow ChallengeTom Wujec, http://marshmallowchallenge.com/

Btach thinking, 100% utilization18 minutesDesign exercise

45

Marshmallow ChallengeExperienceReflectionApplication

Multitasking Name GameImage CC-3.0-BY-SA by Henrik Kniberg

100% utlization47

Multitasking name gameExperienceReflectionApplication

Ball Flow GameKarl Scotland, http://availagility.co.uk/ball-flow-game/

Process roll-out positivism50

ExperienceReflectionApplication

Process roll-out positivism51

Motivation Storytelling

Motivation StorytellingTake turns of:Pick a motivator that is a strong one for youTell a story about a recent event when that motivator worked for you to learn or achieve moreFind similarities and differences in storiesDiscuss how you could amplify the positive effects of the motivators described in the stories

Conclusion

Assumptions and beliefs hold us backPractices, processes, rulesValues (stated)Assumptions, beliefs (unconscious)

If what we belief to be true conflicts with new paradigms, it prevents us to adopt those paradigmsSchein, Edgar (1992). Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Dynamic View.55

How To Facilitate change in beliefsExperienceReflection togetherApplication in real context - experiment

Links to experiences, gamesMarshmallow Challenge: http://marshmallowchallenge.com/ Multitasking name game: https://www.crisp.se/gratis-material-och-guider/multitasking-name-game Ball Flow Game: http://availagility.co.uk/ball-flow-game/ Motivation Storytelling: a blog post coming up soon on http://www.flowa.fi/

Thank you!Antti Kirjavainenhttp://www.flowa.fi/@anttikiantti@flowa.fi

Are you a scrum master or a team coach? Would you like more consistent peer support on further learning and self-development? Check this out: http://tiny.cc/sm-community