Five Changes that Project Managers Must Make in an Agile World

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Five Changes that Project Managers Must Make in an Agile World Mike Stuedemann, PMP, PMI-ACP, CST

2 Agenda Why Change? Being Agile Five Shifts that PMs Need to Make: Driving Factor Impact Recommendations Development Actions Wrapping-Up 2

3 I ve Been Successful Why Change? Volatile Uncertain VUCA Complex Ambiguity Source: Harvard Business Review, What VUCA really means for you?: 3

What happens if we don t change? Half a century ago, the life expectancy of a firm in the Fortune 500 was around 75 years. Now it s less than 15 years and declining even further.

4 What happens if we don t change? Half a century ago, the life expectancy of a firm in the Fortune 500 was around 75 years. Now it s less than 15 years and declining even further. Stephen Denning Source: Steve Denning, Forbes: Peggy Noonan and Why Big Companies Die 4

5 Perish or Something Worse? YOUR COMPANY LOGO HERE? 5

6 But the World will always need Project Managers, right? Source: Psychology Today, Ray Williams Why Artificial Intelligence will replace Managers : 6

7 Agile You keep using that word 7

8 What is Agile? 8

9 What is Agile? Agile Software Development Manifesto We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it. Through this work we have come to value Individuals and interactions over processes and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan That is, while there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more. 9

What is Agile? 1 Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. 2 Welcome changing requirements, even late in development.

10 What is Agile? 1 Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. 2 Welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer's competitive advantage. 3 Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter timescale. 4 Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project. 5 Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done. 6 The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation. 7 Working software is the primary measure of progress. 8 Agile processes promote sustainable development. The sponsors, developers, and users should be able to maintain a constant pace indefinitely. 9 Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances agility. 10 Simplicity--the art of maximizing the amount of work not done--is essential. 11 The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams. 12 At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly. 10

11 Five Shifts Shift #1: From Projects to Products Shift #2: From Management to Customers Shift #3: From Plans to Planning Shift #4: From One-Size Fits All to The Right Tool for the Right Job Shift #5: From The Iron Triangle to Managing the Trade-Off 11

12 Shift: From Projects to Products Temporary Endeavors Long-Lived Efforts 12

13 Shift: From Projects to Products Driving Factor: Project Focus creates: moral hazard, frustrates customers, doesn t leverage power of the Team Impact: Inability to respond to customer requests Inability to focus Inability to reach highperformance state as Team PM Recommendations: 1. Avoid segregation of activities, emphasize team 2. Advocate for standing teams 3. Minimize multi-tasking Development Actions: 1. Increase Team-building Skills 2. Educate Leadership on benefits of Standing Teams 3. Educate all stakeholders on need for focus 13

Shift: From Management to Customers Meeting the

Source: Forbes, Stephen Denning The Dumbest Idea In

14 Shift: From Management to Customers Meeting the Predicted Scoreboard Maximizing Customer Value Source: Forbes, Stephen Denning The Dumbest Idea In The World: Maximizing Shareholder Value : 14

15 Shift: From Management To Customers Driving Factor: Short-Term focus on meeting expectations Impact: Focus on conformance to plan Focus on management vs. team Lack of Transparency Poor long-term sustainability PM Recommendations: 1. Engage real customers in the development process 2. Focus on Use 3. Encourage simplicity Development Actions: 1. Spend time with real customers in their native environment 15

16 Shift: From Plans to Planning SHIFT HAPPENS! In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. Dwight D. Eisenhower Source: 16

17 Shift: From Plans to Planning Driving Factor: Defined process thinking leads people to think that they can predict the future Impact: Focus on conformance to plan Lack of Transparency PM Recommendations: 1. If you can t plan well, plan often Plan at multiple-levels 2. Acknowledge the Cone of Uncertainty Development Actions: 1. Understand Empirical Process Control 2. Understand adaptive, planning 17

18 Agile Planning Vision Roadmap Release Planning Sprint Planning Daily Planning (aka Daily Scrum) Multiple Levels of Planning within Agile Responding to Change over Following a Plan 18

19 Shift: From One-Size Fits All to The Right Tool for the Job Source: 19

20 Shift: From One-Size Fits All to The Right Tool for the Job Driving Factor: Agile methods are seen as the solution to all product development issues Impact: Agile methods are forced into situations where they are not a good fit Agile gets a bad name PM Recommendations: 1. Understand the problem 2. Select the right method for the right problem Development Actions: 1. Review and understand Stacey Matrix 20

21 Shift: From One-Size Fits All to The Right Tool for the Job Source :Ralph Stacey s Complexity and Creativity in Organizations, Copyright Ralph Stacey,

22 Shift: From Iron Triangle to Managing the Trade-off Scope Quality We need it on time, under budget, on schedule, and delivered with quality Cost The Iron Triangle Schedule 22

23 Shift: From Iron Triangle to Managing the Trade-Off Driving Factor: Stakeholders believe and are told that all of the project management parameters are fixed Impact: Non-transparent tradeoffs Decrease Quality Unsustainable Products PM Recommendations: 1. Acknowledge and communicate the tradeoff 2. Re-visit the trade-off throughout product development to maximize value Development Actions: 1. Review, understand and use the Trade-off Matrix 23

24 Shift: From Iron Triangle to Managing the Trade-off Fixed Firm Flexible Scope Schedule Cost Quality Product Trade-off Matrix Only one X can be placed in the Fixed Row Only one X can be placed in the Firm Row The remaining two parameters are Flexible Source: How to Plan Like an Agile Coach Webinar, Rally Software 24

25 Summary Five Changes that PMs Must Make in Agile Word Why Change? A VUCA world challenges traditional companies and project mangers Your company and/or role may not exist if it doesn t shift toward an Agile mindset Being Agile means adhering to a set of values and principles Adherence to these values and principles asks Project Managers to make Five Shifts: 1. Shift from Projects to Products 2. Shift from Management to Customer 3. Shift from Plans to Planning 4. Shift from One-size fits All to The Right Tool for the Right Job 5. Shift from the Iron Triangle to Managing the Trade-off 25

26 In the end, making these shifts will allow you to Source: 26

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Are we Agile Yet? Agile is NOT a Destination

Are we Agile Yet? Agile is NOT a Destination Angela Johnson, PMP, ACP, CST Certified Scrum Trainer & Agile Coach http://www.scrumalliance.org/profiles/32158-angela-d-johnson http://angelajohnsonscrumtrainer.com