AGILE IN ACTION

Simon Sinek says, "people don't buy what you do, they buy [because of] why you do it." He argues that our brain is wired to start with why. We make decisions emotionally, subconsciously, and instinctively (based on the limbic system) and then justify our decisions and actions rationally, consciously and intellectually (based on the cerebral cortex). Despite this we're inclined to talk a lot about what and how and often not really mention why.

I've talked about being customer-driven : See everything from the customer point of view first, understand value from the customers' perspective, ask what they want next and deliver it to them quickly. In the charter , express the product vision in customer terms. Start to create a product backlog by first capturing the product sponsor's strategy as goals expressed in customer terms. Organise the goals as a tree with the vision at the root. Break goals down into smaller goals (and be careful not to go too far so that strategy becomes tactics). The goal tree is a strategic planning tool but, just as importantly, you should use it as an execution tool with the goals encapsulating the voice of the customer. The product owner uses the goal tree as a roadmap to achieve the vision (periodically reviewing it with the product sponsor to ensure it continues to steer a true course). Making tactical decisions and creating tactical goals for the release and iteration planning games the product owner steers the development effort to deliver the highest value functionality to customers and realise maximum return on investment for the business.

I have a hard time with the words 'adopting Agile' or 'transitioning to Agile'. (Notice that I'm using Agile with a big 'A'.) They suggest an end state, but I don't think there is an end state. It's certainly possible to be 'not agile'. I believe agility is a scale measured by your ability to deliver value to customers in a continuous flow realising maximum return on investment for the business while dealing with change in a rational and empirical way, and having fun doing it . In my mind, achieving agility is simply a journey of continuous inspection and adaptation, and in lean terms, a journey of continuous improvement . It's a journey without an end. And that's no bad thing. Many people are afraid of this "no end-state". Sometimes they use it as an excuse not to embark on the journey. Others simply invent an end-state (and stop trying to improve). I said before that we're not limited by our abilities but by our vision . I see this thinking as a lack of vision. They're not seeing all the step-by-step improvements for what they are: Tangible improvements that add value. If something moves you forward to something better and adds value, it's got to be worth doing for those reasons alone. Who cares about an end-state? As Chris Pitts says , there's no time like the present. So, start your journey today and begin improving from here.

Being an effective Product Owner is a full-time job and managing the Product Backlog is a constant activity. It's not as trivial as it might sound. The Product Owner is responsible for the features that are delivered. The team is responsible for the quality delivered. It's the Product Owner's responsibility to maximise the return on investment in every release and every iteration. The Product Owner needs to look after the Product Backlog because their decisions and actions govern the flow of value to the customers by effectively steering the efforts of the team. And to compete on the basis of speed a continuous flow of valuable features to the customers must be sustained. Managing the Product Backlog, which is a dynamic list of evolving user stories , is often dismissed as simply routine with insufficient time and attention dedicated to the activity. Consequently focus is lost resulting in a divergence from the project vision, the coherence of the backlog dissipates, prioritisation becomes based on fancy rather than on feedback, return on investment diminishes, the team stalls and is unable to sustain creation of value at a steady velocity, and ultimately the customers become dissatisfied because they're not receiving the features they deem to be valuable. Managing the Product Backlog requires constant care and attention. It requires diligence, discipline, awareness and business acumen , and decisiveness. It takes business marksmanship to realise the vision for the product by hitting each goal in turn and generating the biggest bang for the buck. Before shooting, a sniper will first assess a number of criteria - distance and elevation, weather conditions, etc - while constantly surveying his surroundings. In a similar fashion, the Product Owner has to be aware of a number of factors making up the goal - value, cost, risk, priority, etc - while keeping an eye on the big picture. The difference is the Product Owner has many opportunities to assess and re-aim en route. It's fire and aim, aim again, and keep re-aiming until you hit the target. First fire in the general direction of the vision. Then repeatedly re-aim at goals that move you towards that vision, iteration by iteration, all the while keeping an eye on the big picture just in case the vision changes in response to the market, competitors, or modified business objectives. The Product Owner must be continuously engaged with the team, collaborating and providing feedback as user stories are being developed, and he must be prepared to accept or reject the features delivered at the iteration review. The Product Owner must always be looking ahead to coming iterations and beyond, and planning adaptively to evolve goals and evolve the user stories that satisfy them. To be able to look ahead with sufficient clarity, the Product Owner needs to engage, on a regular basis, with the sponsor, key stakeholders, and other executives to preserve strategic direction and maintain visibility. This involves a demonstration of the goals achieved together with an appraisal of the quantified value delivered per investment period (iteration or release), and discussing coming goals, while obtaining feedback, to ensure alignment with the vision and business objectives. In effect, the Product Owner is empowered to pursue the strategic vision by defining and then steering by tactical iteration goals.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: People only see what they are prepared to see . Try to see what is invisible to others. Recognise the hidden potential. Create a vision, believe in it and aspire to it. But that's not enough. W. Clement Stone said: There is something more important than believing: Action! The world is full of dreamers, there aren't enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision . Have the courage of your convictions . Be brave and take concrete steps to realize your vision. Think about vision, courage and taking action when someone says "Oh that wouldn't work here."