SCRUMMING “THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF

AGILE TREES (SCRUM TEAMS) FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT”

PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis is one of the nature’s most sustainable production lines- “the minuscule sugar/glucose Factory”, by utilizing the energy of the Sun along with inputs of water and carbon dioxide

SCRUMming act as “working software” factories , with well defined/refined Product Backlog(derived from Vision/Strategic Themes), along with right Agile cultural mindset and Enablers(Practices/Tools)

And Team (TREEs) gets it from the Environment, surroundings, values embraced and the principles followed, around and within the organization. It is one of the most important ingredients for Agile team to function efficiently and transform into high performing teams (the photosynthesis efficient Trees/plants).

Carbon the chemical backbone for Photosynthesis, like Culture for SCRUMming.

PHOTO: Product Backlog

CO2:COrdination & COllaboration

WATER: Enablers

SUGAR: Working Software

O2: Operational Efficiency & Optimized

Whole

The CorrelationsPhotosynthetic organisms: primary producers of SUGAR on the planet. They also produce oxygen gas as a byproduct and thus serve as the foundation of life providing food and oxygen for the complex food webs.

Scrum Teams/Scrum: one of primary holistic approaches/framework to produce working software for complex Projects. They also produce O2 “Operational efficiency” and “Optimized Whole” as byproduct and thus serve as the foundation for High performing Teams and Optimized Organizations for complex Market Needs (Projects)

Photosynthesis SCRUMming

TREEs Agile/Scrum Teams

LEAVES Team Members

CO2 Coordination and Collaboration

WATER Enablers

SUN Source of Requirement(Stakeholders, end User, Non-functional)

Spectrum Strategic Themes, Use-cases, Ideas

Visible light Product Backlog

SUGAR Working Software

O2 ByProduct(Operational Efficiency and Optimized Whole)

Calvin Cycle Sprint

 Team members (LEAVES)

Learning ability

Empowered

Aspirational, affectionate

Volunteering

Enthusiastic

Smart, skilled

SCRUM TEAMs (TREEs)

Team-work, Transparent Roles & Rituals

Efficient

Energetic

Self-organizing

Tank shots

Con

trol

cha

rts

(mea

surin

g cy

cle

time)

Source of Requirements/Backlog (SUN)

Stakeholders

end Users

Non-functional requirements

Consider and identify the

Non-functional

Requirements

Product Backlog and Backlog Refinement (Visible light/PHOTO)

• PrioritizedP

• High Level Estimated, Healthy

H

• OrganizedO

• TrendyT

• OrderedO

Coordination & Collaboration (CO2)

COordination

COllaboration

ByProduct (O2)

Operational Efficiency

Optimized Whole

Implementing SCRUM helped

Portuguese Airline to increase their

operational efficiency

Self-organizing

team

Close collaboration work

ing so

ftwar

e ove

r com

prehen

sive

docum

enta

tion

Enablers (WATER)• Wire-framing and PrototypingW

• Automation framework for Test, Build and Integrate (CI)

A

• Tools T

• Effective ScrumMasterE

• Regression Suites, Radiators

R

Working Software (SUGAR)

Working Software(SUGAR)

ufficient functionality

hippable atisfied

Stakeholder

User FriendlyGo to Market

Acceptable

Rigorously Tested

S

The Photosynthesis Phases (SCRUMming)

Phase I• Capturing of Energy from SUN as ATP• Series of envisioning,

discussions/meetings (envisioning of Architecture vision, Test strategy and Product vision) during the initial phase of the project/initial sprint (sprint0, pre-gamming),

Phase IIThe Calvin Cycle(Sprint) that produces SUGAR• Fixation: Sprint Planning or Coordination• Production: Collaboration• Regeneration: Review and Retrospective

Food for Thought

“The Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit”

Build a strong team foundation. Even as per Tuckman’s model, let the team go through the various stages of “Forming, storming, norming, and performing” to get the best results, resulting into high performing agile teams.

“Don’t cut down the TREEs”

Don’t break the scrum Teams, as reaching performing stage is difficult if the scrum teams are cut or their make-up shifts a lot, as when a change is introduced teams reach back to forming stage to start over again and adapt to the change.

Food for Thought

“Storms make Trees take deeper roots”

Let the team struggle, fail small and storm, to “inspect and adapt” and “continuously learning and improving”, this leads to strong team foundation.

“Be Eco friendly, Save Trees and let them GROW !!”

Build and preserve the environment/culture for SCRUM teams (trees) and let them GROW!!

“Love the trees until their leaves fall off, and then encourage them to try again next year.”

Letting the teams fail small and encourage them to learn and adapt, instead of penalizing them.

 

The C4 plants (C4-pathway), the High performing agile Teams …..

The trees which are pruned, watered and nurtured by caring hands bear the greatest fruits; it is the same with people.

– Bryant McGill

Sumeet GuptaSr. Engineering Project Manager| CSP, CSM |Certified Disciplined Agilist-Yellow Belt | SAFe Agllist @sumeetgupta1982 | sumgupta

Thank you.