Andrea Provaglio’s talk was Beyond Agile, and focused on people, the hardest part of Agile. Specifically he spoke on team dynamics.
The Past 20 Years of IT
- We’ve been building software like everything else – factory style
- So we went Agile – to avoid huge messy phases; yet failure still exists
- Software is intangible – it’s a representation of what it is supposed to be, much like sheet music
- Software is collaborative – we are building extremely complex systems that require teams, teams that are constantly changing
Software is an intangible product of the human intellect, created over time by the collaborative effort of an ever-changing group of people.
The point: we need to understand people better. Organizational systemics may help.
Organizational Systemics
- Everyone has an equal right to belong
- Systemic precedence goes to
- Those who came first (seniority)
- Those who take on more responsibilities
- Those who have more competence
- Give and take must be balanced
There are certain dynamics, certain principles, that keep the group healthy. When these principles are violated, the system deploys countermeasures.
How to Avoid Violations
- Strengthen your team, include – put up pictures of the team, including past team members
A Bit On Guidance
- Leader: a role due to position
- Leadership: a set of skills – the ability to guide people in a certain direction
- Leading: the act of being a leader
- Meta-leading: forming a vision
- Macro-leading: strategy and culture
- Micro-leading: the details, the implementation
Every system needs guidance.
Self-Organization
- Every living system self-organizes
- With team, they might not self-organize to the efficiency we want
- It’s supported by the process AND it’s possible if the team is systemically healthy
Align Your Method With Your System
Summary
- Fight bad turnover effects by giving roots to your team
- Align organizational leading positions with systemic leading positions (if possible)
- Enable self-organization, keep your system healthy
- Tune your Agile method to your System (opposite is also possible but harder)
Other Posts That Might Interest You
