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Change? What Change? Everything Always Goes to Plan

As software engineers, we are conditioned to brace for change. The very nature of our work requires that we be ready for it. Yet, at our cores, we don’t want there to be any changes. We don’t surrender to the inevitable changes that are going to be required after we submit content for a code review. Instead, we steel ourselves against it, and gear up for battle with a mindset of resistance. We don’t want our QA teams to find any bugs because we’ll then have to make changes to the code we’ve already written. 

The experience, however, is like the Grinch who does everything that he can to stop Christmas from coming. Of course, the holiday arrives anyway. Similarly, despite our best efforts to plan and design an agile effort which builds change in, we’re still not entirely prepared to embrace those changes when they do come. And they will. They always do.

Agile Value #4: responding to change over following a plan” speaks to this behavioral response. It’s all about our attitude. Are we prepared for change and willing to accept that there will be change (as there is for every software engineering project)? Or are we preparing for a fight that we are inevitably going to lose? 

Agile craftsmanship requires that we be nimble in our designs and in our approach. The code we write must stand up to meet the quality demands of the project and not interfere with other parts of the project, but it has to be nimble, too. Anyone at any time in the future may need to rework that code or replace it altogether. If it’s rigid and inflexible, the effort to update it (or replace it) will be that much more intense. Working sprint after sprint is already intense enough – we don’t need to add more stress to our day. In contrast, we need to take measured steps to reduce it.

One of the best ways to manage this stress and to reduce our anxiety is to prepare for change. Embracing a mindset of flexibility prepares us for the change that is coming. If our response is calm and collected, the changes requested will be received just like any new project instead of what may feel like a personal attack on our abilities.

Approaching any project with the expectation that it will likely end differently than it began requires proactively building a roadmap that is designed to be nimble and responsive by anticipating potential changes. Getting ahead of industry trends and predicted needs requires that we are constantly in the mode of collecting feedback from clients, tracking the market and soliciting input from other agile experts. Scenario planning is another way to help with preparedness. This is the only way that we can evolve as a trusted colleague and partner to the clients we collaborate with.

Christopher Okhravi, an authority on agile software development, offers an insightful perspective on the application of Agile Value #4. He reminds us that, “We should never forget that they [the clients] are the ones asking for the system. And they are the ones who will ultimately use it.” Another factor that we need to remember is that rigid planning and process are the antithesis of the freedom derived from an agile approach. As each project unfolds, we learn more about the needs of that project and gain new insights on how to best deliver the code needed to execute the project. However, as we do so, we tend to drift further from the original plan which no longer reflects our reality and this creates tension for everyone involved. 

So, what is the best way forward? Embrace Agile Value #4. We must plan for the worst but hope for the best because change is inevitable. We must be nimble – and stay that way. Change is a necessary element of what we do. We can design our product roadmaps to be responsive and proactive or we can choose to be reactive and struggle to keep up. Getting ahead of industry needs and trends helps us prepare for the changes that will come. Being open to continuous feedback from our clients, our managers, our peers and our colleagues helps us evolve into a trusted co-worker and business partner. 

“Change always comes bearing gifts.”  ~Price Pritchett

Robert Morrell

Practice Lead, Java Cloud

What We’re Reading Around the Web

Agile Manifesto 4/4 – Responding To Change Over Following A Plan by Christopher Okhravi
YouTube
“We should never forget that they [the clients] are the ones asking for the system. And they are the ones who will ultimately use it.”

Manage Stress
Healthfinder
“To be agile, you need to be able to ask, ‘Is this agile?’”

Applying Agile Management Value 4: Responding to Change Over Following a Plan
Dummies
“Unfortunately, traditional project management approaches attempt to wrestle the change monster to the ground and pin it down so it goes out for the count.”

Getting Started With Agile: Responding to Change Over Following a Plan
Pivotal Tracker
“As project execution unfolds, the team learns more about what needs that resulting product will fill as well as how that product can best be built. As this new reality emerges, the team struggles to keep their project aligned to the original plan, which likely no longer reflects the team’s new reality.”


Change Is The Only Constant

A true Agile Craftsman Mindset understand that change is the only Constant

As product developers, we take pride in the “big picture” of the function of the software that we are designing and implementing. Delivering a solution for our clients, and their customers, takes diligence, long hours and impeccable planning. However, even the best-made plans can go awry. How we deal with those plans differentiates the inflexible resistors from the agile craftsmen.

“Agile Value #4: responding to change over following a plan” speaks to this behavioral response. Optimists hope for the best but plan for the worst. Pessimists expect the worst but plan for the best. And flexible realists exhibit behaviors that are the best of both understanding that being nimble and prepared for change is the right mindset. Framing everything that you do with the strong possibility that things will likely change and be different that you planned for cues up your brain to be prepared for change. Hence, you enable yourself to successfully adapt to whatever the new situation is.


Beyond one’s mindset, a critical aspect of practicing Agile Value #4 relates to planning and design. Approaching any project with the expectation that it will likely end differently than it began requires proactively building a roadmap that is designed to be nimble and responsive by anticipating potential changes. Getting ahead of industry trends and predicted needs requires that we are constantly in the mode of collecting feedback from clients, tracking the market and soliciting input from other agile experts. Scenario planning is another way to help with preparedness. This is the only way that we can evolve as a trusted partner. As agile craftsmen, our clients expect us to be inherently nimble, ready for change, willing to adapt and to plan for adjustments so that we can still track to a set schedule and deliver the quality product we are contracted to produce.


Understanding that change is a natural aspect of a project is one thing. Being prepared for it with a thoughtful plan and design that anticipates where and when those changes are most likely to happen is quite another thing altogether. Here, experience can make all the difference. The client relationship is another factor, one that we’ve discussed in a previous newsletter, ”Customers are Much, Much More Than Signed Contracts”. When a client and vendor embark on a path towards partnership, versus a client-vendor relationship, both sides enter the agreement and project understanding that it’s best to expect the unexpected and be prepared to flex. Sometimes, the client may need to be flexible. Other times, the contracted agile partner may need to adjust as the situation changes for the client.
If change is the only constant, and Agile Value #4 requires that we plan for and accept change versus resist it, we need to each ask ourselves if we are agile and flexible. Or, are we rigid and linear?

Thanks and Keep Growing,

Gunjan Doshi

CEO, InRhythm

What We’re Reading Around the Web

Agile Manifesto 4/4 – Responding To Change Over Following A Plan by Christopher Okhravi
YouTube
“We should never forget that they [the clients] are the ones asking for the system. And they are the ones who will ultimately use it.”

Manage Stress
Healthfinder
“To be agile, you need to be able to ask, ‘Is this agile?’”

Applying Agile Management Value 4: Responding to Change Over Following a Plan
Dummies
“Unfortunately, traditional project management approaches attempt to wrestle the change monster to the ground and pin it down so it goes out for the count.”

Getting Started With Agile: Responding to Change Over Following a Plan
Pivotal Tracker
“As project execution unfolds, the team learns more about what needs that resulting product will fill as well as how that product can best be built. As this new reality emerges, the team struggles to keep their project aligned to the original plan, which likely no longer reflects the team’s new reality.”


3 Themes of Thanksgiving to Apply Everyday

The Simple, Rapid Test That Every Agile Team Should be Doing

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some thoughts around the concept of leading a team of agile craftsmen and how all of us were practitioners in a living lab. Agile product development, by definition, requires that we fail fast, learn from our mistakes and develop processes that maximize efficiency. Agile values also require that we put the emphasis on people ahead of the process.


That sounds incongruous. How do you do both in parallel? It seems like it would be impossible to put people first yet adhere to the rigor required by following a process. However, there is a way. It’s called the Agile Litmus Test. Although there is no standardized template for it, the basic concept is that each team member thinks about why s/he/they is doing what they’re doing towards the goal of assessing whether or not the individual, team or corporate effort meets the values and principles as defined by the Agile Manifesto.

Many of you may recall the litmus test from your chemistry classes. The Litmus Test is a simple, low-tech, low-cost way of determining the pH (acidity) of a given solution. It’s been around for centuries and it’s still in use today both as a physical test as well as a metaphor for describing a quick method for testing out a concept. The fact that it’s been around so long illustrates how effective it is which, in turn, underscores the value of the Agile Litmus Test. One thing that surprised me is how search results returned for this test seem to drop off after 2015 – have agile developers lost sight of its importance?

Within the context of agile product development, the Agile Litmus Test is a rapid means of straddling the duality of putting people ahead of the process  (Agile Value #1) yet still adhering to it. There are several versions of what it should be, but there are only a few basic rules regarding the application of the Agile Litmus Test. In short, keep asking yourself if you’re doing the right thing. Given that we’re all agile craftsmen, we should be encouraged to use a little latitude to make the “rules” work for each of us given our own scenarios. At InRhythm, we apply it to meet our needs.

Quite simply, the Agile Litmus Test is the act of asking practical, meaningful questions to assess our priorities. Which questions you ask and which order you ask them in are not critical. What is critical is that you ask some flavor of these questions regarding everything that you do. It’s less about the rigor of the questions asked and more about accepting the personal responsibility of asking them. Whatever you’re doing, which includes posting on social media, writing content, coding, documenting, how you conduct yourself at a meeting and what you say there, etc. should all be subjected to the Agile Litmus Test. 

Consider questions along the following lines:

  • Why am I doing X this way?
  • How is doing X going to help me meet my goal(s)?
  • Should I be doing X right now?
  • Is there something else that I should be doing instead of X?
  • How will my team or project be impacted if I do X?

The idea is to self-assign a mental speedbump, not a big hurdle. You want that little bump to be big enough to get noticed but small enough to accelerate through. Take the time to pause and think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Each of our actions as agile software engineers who are part of high velocity teams has consequences for us as individuals, as a team, as a client and as a vendor. We need to consider the bigger picture for all that we do and not gloss over our own accountability for using our time in a way that advances our personal and professional goals. 

In my years of experience onsite at clients and working with 10x teams, I’ve seen people get caught up in their own agendas. Somehow, they lose track of the bigger picture or their leaders have not communicated it effectively to them. Regardless of how or why it happened, they are not invested in how their efforts tie into the collective efforts of the project. So, you’re thinking, well, if one individual has lost sight of the vision and the shared end-goal, that’s probably not going to have an effect on the overall outcome. Or, if you’re that individual, you may be thinking the same thing. 

Not so, because there is rarely just one individual on an agile project that loses sight of the priorities. Typically, it’s more than one which can have dire consequences on hitting the milestones and timeline that only some people are tracking to. If you were to apply the Agile Litmus Test right now, what is the question that you ask yourself?

Thanks and Keep Growing,

Gunjan Doshi

CEO, InRhythm

What We’re Reading Around the Web

16 Quick Poll – a Litmus Test for Agile Product Development
Scrum Breakfast
“I want a litmus test, i.e. a short list of questions for challenging developers and their managers on their engineering practices.”

How to Test for Agility with the Agile Litmus Test
Dummies
“To be agile, you need to be able to ask, ‘Is this agile?’”

Taking the Agile Litmus Test
O’Reilly Safari
“When you understand these values and principles, you’ll be able to ask, “Is this agile?” and be confident in your answer.”

The Principles of Agile Manifesto
Educba
“Collectively, these principles are used to like a litmus test to identify if a project is being run on agile or not.”


Simple Test for Every Agile Team

November 19th: The Simple, Rapid Test That Every Agile Team Should be Doing

A couple of weeks ago, I shared some thoughts around the concept of leading a team of agile craftsmen and how all of us were practitioners in a living lab. Agile product development, by definition, requires that we fail fast, learn from our mistakes and develop processes that maximize efficiency. Agile values also require that we put the emphasis on people ahead of process.


That sounds incongruous. How do you do both in parallel? It seems like it would be impossible to put people first yet adhere to the rigor required by following a process. However, there is a way. It’s called the Agile Litmus Test. Although there is no standardized template for it, the basic concept is that each team member thinks about why s/he/they is doing what they’re doing towards the goal of assessing whether or not the individual, team or corporate effort meets the values and principles as defined by the Agile Manifesto.

Many of you may recall the litmus test from your chemistry classes. The Litmus Test is a simple, low-tech, low-cost way of determining the pH (acidity) of a given solution. It’s been around for centuries and it’s still in use today both as a physical test as well as a metaphor for describing a quick method for testing out a concept. The fact that it’s been around so long illustrates how effective it is which, in turn, underscores the value of the Agile Litmus Test. One thing that surprised me is how search results returned for this test seem to drop off after 2015 – have agile developers lost sight of its importance?

Within the context of agile product development, the Agile Litmus Test is a rapid means of straddling the duality of putting people ahead of process  (Agile Value #1) yet still adhering to it. There are several versions of what it should be, but there are only a few basic rules regarding the application of the Agile Litmus Test. In short, keep asking yourself if you’re doing the right thing. Given that we’re all agile craftsmen, we should be encouraged to use a little latitude to make the “rules” work for each of us given our own scenarios. At InRhythm, we apply it to meet our needs.

Quite simply, the Agile Litmus Test is the act of asking practical, meaningful questions to assess our priorities. Which questions you ask and which order you ask them in are not critical. What is critical is that you ask some flavor of these questions regarding everything that you do. It’s less about the rigor of the questions asked and more about accepting the personal responsibility of asking them. Whatever you’re doing, which includes posting on social media, writing content, coding, documenting, how you conduct yourself at a meeting and what you say there, etc. should all be subjected to the Agile Litmus Test. 

Consider questions along the following lines:

  • Why am I doing X this way?
  • How is doing X going to help me meet my goal(s)?
  • Should I be doing X right now?
  • Is there something else that I should be doing instead of X?
  • How will my team or project be impacted if I do X?

The idea is to self-assign a mental speedbump, not a big hurdle. You want that little bump to be big enough to get noticed but small enough to accelerate through. Take the time to pause and think about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. Each of our actions as agile software engineers who are part of high velocity teams has consequences for us as individuals, as a team, as a client and as a vendor. We need to consider the bigger picture for all that we do and not gloss over our own accountability for using our time in a way that advances our personal and professional goals. 

In my years of experience onsite at clients and working with 10x teams, I’ve seen people get caught up in their own agendas. Somehow, they lose track of the bigger picture or their leaders have not communicated it effectively to them. Regardless of how or why it happened, they are not invested in how their efforts tie into the collective efforts of the project. So, you’re thinking, well, if one individual has lost sight of the vision and the shared end-goal, that’s probably not going to have an effect on the overall outcome. Or, if you’re that individual, you may be thinking the same thing. 

Not so, because there is rarely just one individual on an agile project that loses sight of the priorities. Typically, it’s more than one which can have dire consequences on hitting the milestones and timeline that only some people are tracking to. If you were to apply the Agile Litmus Test right now, what is the question that you ask yourself?

Thanks and Keep Growing,

Gunjan Doshi

CEO, InRhythm

What We’re Reading Around the Web

16 Quick Poll – a Litmus Test for Agile Product Development
Scrum Breakfast
“I want a litmus test, i.e. a short list of questions for challenging developers and their managers on their engineering practices.”

How to Test for Agility with the Agile Litmus Test
Dummies
“To be agile, you need to be able to ask, ‘Is this agile?’”

Taking the Agile Litmus Test
O’Reilly Safari
“When you understand these values and principles, you’ll be able to ask, “Is this agile?” and be confident in your answer.”

The Principles of Agile Manifesto
Educba
“Collectively, these principles are used to like a litmus test to identify if a project is being run on agile or not.”


Say Thank You Now: Don’t Wait for Employee Appreciation Day

November 13th: Say Thank You Now: Don’t Wait for Employee Appreciation Day

Having a dedicated holiday or annual occasion to formally celebrate someone sounds like a good idea on the surface, however, it doesn’t reflect the first value of agile product development. Why do we need to wait for a special day to tell someone that we appreciate them for who they are, for what they do and how they impact our lives? In fact, it seems a little disingenuous to share a message or token of appreciation on that given day because society obligates us to do so.

Let’s turn this around and refocus on the first value of agile methodology. We need to routinely take a moment to pause and communicate our appreciation. “Value 1 = individuals and interactions over processes and tools.” We could just as easily add “… over formalized events or occasions or annual performance reviews.” What this agile value is essentially saying is that expressing appreciation, gratitude or human decency and kindness to another human doesn’t have to be prescriptive. Instead, it’s quite the opposite. It should flow freely, be a natural expression and happen in the moment. 

When you’re building high velocity teams, you need to make daily investments in your people, processes and infrastructure. Waiting for a full 364 days or 90 days (or whatever your performance review cadence is) to tell someone that they are doing a good job and that you sincerely applaud and value all their late nights and extra effort is too long to wait. Telling them how valuable they are to your company and client as often as they deserve to be told (without being overly expressive as that has a similar negative outcome through the dilution of the message) is the best way to bolster your team. 

Do you want a high velocity team who is loyal, dedicated to the needs of your customers and proud of the work they do? I’m sure that you do. And, assuming that you do want your agile craftsmen to remain “your” agile craftsmen, then go one step further and acknowledge that person’s efforts in front of others.

The pace of software development is best described like that multi-movie franchise, “Fast and Furious.” It can be relentless. Many projects are inherently complex requiring sophisticated engineering. As if that wasn’t already challenging enough, layered on top of the work itself are the difficulties associated with logistics, managing international and remote teams, coordinating individual efforts, and keeping your teams motivated. These factors compound the burden carried by practice leads and executives. 

Just as the agile value mandates, we must put people ahead of processes and tools. The ones doing the work are human. They have human needs: they want to be with their families, spouses, and friends. Missing a night out or birthday or some other event can be tough, but manageable if it’s once in a while. However, repeatedly missing every social outing with friends and family month after month during an extended project sprint is not going to have a positive outcome. Nor will missing even one of the “big rocks” milestones like a graduation or wedding. These losses will have lasting repercussions on employee morale and taint corporate culture.

People are human. We need to belong and we long to be part of a community that values our membership. Agile leaders must reinforce appreciation of these “extra efforts” through grace, gratitude and occasionally, through special dispensation. This is how to build trusted and long-term relationships, as well as high velocity, agile teams. 

Leaders of agile craftsmen, particularly of those who are placed onsite at a client and disconnected from the “mothership HQ” must take time to pause and recognize the importance of showing appreciation. Yes, these sprints are fast and furious but they will never be successful if you don’t show your people that you care. Not to mention how one sprint flows into another, then another, and then the epic wraps up as another begins. As a leader, you must also impress upon your clients who are hosting your agile craftsmen that they also express appreciation for a job well done. Doing so fosters a sense of community and helps the onsite workers feel like they belong and are playing a valuable role alongside the client’s employees.

Staying strong on execution and adhering to process is critical for success. Yet there must be time deliberately factored in to pause, however briefly, to recognize the efforts of one individual at a time. In so doing, it won’t be long before everyone has been recognized for their contribution and be made to feel that they are indeed, an important part of a special community. Remember, as per agile Value #1 –  if you put people first, ahead of processes and tools, you will have a high velocity 10x team.

Thanks and Keep Growing,

Gunjan Doshi

CEO, InRhythm

What We’re Reading Around the Web

10 Creative Ways to Show Employees Appreciation
Business News Daily
“There’s no better time of year to brush up on your employee appreciation best practices than right now.”

The Importance of Saying “Thank You” in the Workplace
Forbes
“In fact, companies that spend a mere 1% of their payroll budget on thanking and recognizing their employees ‘are more likely to perceive greater impacts on retention and financial outcomes.’”

If Bosses Want Happier Employees, Start by Saying “Tank You”
CNBC
“In fact, 75% of U.S. employees surveyed agreed that motivation and company morale would improve if managers simply thanked workers in real-time for a job well done.”

16 Best Practices for Conducting Employee Reviews
PrimePay
“Be sure to highlight good performance and explain why it was good and how it helped the team and the company as a whole. Recognition is key in making your employees feel valued for the hard work they put in.”

The Employer’s Guide for Boosting Employee Retention with Recognition
Workest
“One study polled over 1,500 workers, finding more than half were considering a job move. When asked what would motivate them to stay with their employer, 69% said recognition and rewards.”