How to implement agile correctly? Don't go astray! The more mistakes you know about, the more you can be confident in implementing them. So, let's discuss several common mistakes when implementing agile.
1. Too much emphasis on processes and tools
Yes, agile tools are important. You said you can manage all user stories, bugs, and work tasks with a few clipboards and stickers-I'm skeptical about this. I support you, you need good tools for agile project management, code sharing, and other processes.
However, the importance of tools cannot be compared with your team members. Their importance is even less than half. Not even 20%. Therefore, don't worry about the tools. Good people can perform well with ordinary tools. I have witnessed a lot of controversy about tools, but few discussions about how to make the best use of people. I'm sorry!
2. Insufficient communication at the macro level
Needless to say, first-class communication is needed within the team. In addition, you need to fully communicate with external teams, including: customers, project sponsors, IT departments, customer management teams, and so on. Unfortunately, many agile teams have shortcomings in the establishment and maintenance of "InformationRadiator" (InformationRadiator).
According to the definition of the Agile Alliance, "information radiator" is a general term for tools such as handwriting, drawing, printing or electronic display. The team puts one or more of them in a conspicuous place so that all team members (and people passing by) ) You can see the latest information at a glance: the number of automated tests, speed, incident reports, continuous integration status, etc.
"Information Radiator" is necessary because your success requires external support and feedback. Please take a snack and find the best techniques and methods for effective, proactive and continuous communication with all stakeholders. Don’t ignore the importance of those you don’t see every day!
3. Unnecessarily reorganizing the team
Tuckerman said that team development needs to go through four stages: Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. The team performed best in the fourth stage. In other words, the organization continues to invest in the team and arrives there after experiencing the first three non-optimal stages. They gather talented people together, and after a period of time, until the team reaches the point where it can produce the desired result.
Translator's Note : In 1965, Bruce Tuckman (Bruce Tuckman) published a short article entitled "Sequence of the Development of Small Teams", proposing a four-stage model of team development. In 1977, he and Jensen proposed to join the fifth stage: Adjourning on this basis. This model had a profound influence on the later theory of organizational development.
However, some organizations don't let their teams reach that stage. Before they could reap the fruits of their investment, all teams were reorganized. This is not agile!
4. Wrong goal
The team needs clear goals-these goals are clear at a glance and don't have to worry about it. Unsurprisingly, most teams did not write down their goals because they felt they were too extravagant. Over time, they forget their mission-to deliver value to customers. The team relishes some more interesting topics. They spend a lot of time arguing: Should the daily standup end immediately after 15 minutes, or does it depend on the situation? How should we get the status update of each team member? Who should start first?
Are these important? of course! However, if you spend 80% of your precious time on method and process debates, you may be wasting time rather than creating value for customers.
5. Too much work
This is the opposite of "getting the wrong goal." You are so focused on daily work and specific tasks that you forgot to improve the process, consolidate the value of agile, and continuously improve.
Develop new products, fix bugs, and deal with urgent requests from customers-these are all important! However, you should devote a portion of your time and energy to focus on Kaizen and continuous improvement. What do we do well? Where can we do better? Are there best practices? Can we do better? How do we use our creativity?
Translator's Note : Kaizen is a Japanese vocabulary that means small, continuous, and gradual improvement. Mr. Masaaki Imai, author of "Improvement: The Secret of Japanese Corporate Success", believes that the key to Toyota's success lies in the implementation of the Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) business philosophy.
Recall how you dispose of your income: a large part of it is used for various expenses, and a part of it should be saved for investment. The same logic applies to resource disposal within agile teams.
Have we listed all possible errors? No! However, in my experience, these are the most common mistakes. You should avoid making these mistakes and be aware of other mistakes you may be making.