I find it fascinating that many people complain about organizational behaviors, yet nothing changes. Want to be more agile? Change something. Let’s take meetings, for example. It seems that most people complain about meetings. Here are some of the most common complaints: There no clear purpose or objective is offered. No meeting agenda or timeline […]
Month: February 2012
Mobile Computing Demands an Agile Development Approach
Back in the old days, around 1999, there was a widespread opinion that the Internet and more specifically, the World Wide Web, would change everything. They have — but that was only the beginning. The real game changer is mobile computing. Smartphones and tablets are revolutionizing how we behave and how we do things. There […]
Minimize the Multitasking and Develop Better Software
In wrapping up this 12-post series about enterprise agile development, I feel compelled to touch upon a widespread practice in large firms. That is, developers assigned to work on more than one project at a time. They are typically told something like “…spend X% of your time on Project A, Y% on Project B and […]
The Software Must Be ‘Done’ by the Due Date
My examination of enterprise agile development based on the article I wrote for the Tools Journal called “10 Tips for Succeeding with Enterprise Agile Development” is nearly complete. Let’s talk about delivery dates…deadlines…schedules…drop-dead dates. Meeting dates is important. Let me repeat that — “Meeting dates is important.” Some agile development practitioners seem to believe that […]
Stop Blaming Software Developers and Start Learning
Good agile software development teams: Expect mistakes. Encourage failure. Fail fast. You’re probably thinking something like “This guy is nuts” (or perhaps something not so nice). Maybe I am, but I learn fast. Part of being agile is a willingness to take small risks. We all want our projects to succeed but face it, nothing […]
Role Models Lead the Transition to Agile Software Development
When rolling out an enterprise agile approach like Scrum, Kanban or XP, you’ll be tempted to treat all development teams the same and to synchronize them at the same competency level. That won’t work. There are many factors that impact a team’s ability to transition to agile software development. Consider these: Some people will be […]
Sacred Cows Often Stop Enterprise Agile Teams
My exploration of enterprise agile development continues with the topic of training and coaching — areas that are often overlooked or shorted. When transitioning from a command-and-control development approach like waterfall to an agile approach like Scrum or Kanban, there’s a tendency to oversimplify. After all, the rules governing agile development, particularly Scrum or Kanban, […]
Team Retrospectives Are Not Enough for Enterprise Agile
This post continues my exploration of what it takes to be successful with enterprise agile software development. The Scrum-of-Scrums only scratches the surface of what you’ll need to do. Let’s reconsider the role of the retrospective. Everyone practicing any agile development approach should recognize that regular retrospectives are a critical success factor. Teams need to […]
Automate Your Way to Enterprise Agile Success
As I continue to explore what it takes to achieve enterprise-scale agility, I have to admit that I’m a big proponent of automation. I know many advocate physical Scrum or Kanban boards but they don’t scale. They can be used at the small team level but you have got to leverage software solutions to scale […]
Developers Must Speak the Same Language and Follow the Same Rules
In my article, “10 Tips for Succeeding with Enterprise Agile Development”, I referred to the need for a common vocabulary and standard rules for agile software development teams. You’d think these would be obvious and simple. They’re not. A common problem in large development organizations lies in simple communication issues. Every software group establishes its […]
To Be Agile, Establish Team Metrics Not Individual Ones
One of the points in my article, “10 Tips for Succeeding with Enterprise Agile Development”, is to focus on teams not individuals. Many firms have a difficult time with this concept. Large enterprises go to great lengths to manage individual performance — setting personal goals, rating staff members, tracking distribution curves, conducting annual reviews, creating […]
Software Development Teams Need Help and SIGs Can Offer It
In my post “Enterprise Organizational Structures Are Not Agile and Don’t Work”, I introduced the use of Centers of Excellence (CoEs) as an alternative to traditional command-and-control org charts in large enterprises. While a good start, CoEs are not enough. Organizations must dig deeper and find ways to nurture and grow highly specialized skills. The […]