Agile2016

Abstract:
Multi-team Release Planning, as it is often executed, fails to bring alignment beyond one-time, inter-team coordination. This hands-on session teaches the techniques and exercises for a Product Wall Release Planning Workshop. The Product Wall Release Planning Workshop brings together all the elements of business needs, user experience, value proposition, dependency resolution, risk mitigation and user story planning. By combining various Agile collaboration techniques in a guided sequence, your multi-team Release Planning can create alignment through learning and building together a clear path to success, from the release vision all the way to Sprint Backlogs.
Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the value of collaborative planning
• Learn various techniques of planning from vision creation, personas, business model canvas, story mapping and others
• Experience simulation of a few techniques to use in your next mult-team planning sessions
• Learn how The Product Wall enables and sustains alignment beyond the planning event

Attachments:

• UsingTheProductWallReleaseWorkshopSIQ-Agile2016v2.pdf

Abstract:
How do you determine the Minimum Viable Product for your users?

We will show you how choosing a Primary user (or Persona) and a brainstorming technique called Mind mapping are essential tools for identifying what key functionalities you should be delivering sooner (rather than later) to your users.
“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.” – Steve Jobs
This workshop will give the tools for any team, using any methodology, and at any maturity level, to discuss Minimum Viable Product. This workshop will help teams (including the Product Owner) establish:
1) How to identify a Primary User, a.k.a, Persona using a Persona Map (see image in attachment)
a. A Persona map includes 1 primary user, 2 secondary users and 3 tertiary users based on whom the team believes will be the targeted users (designing for everyone is designing for no one)
2) Potential Roadmap created using a Mind map or Visual Notes (see images in attachment)
3) Establish a Minimum Value Product – Prioritize the work
4) Be aligned with your Product Owner/Business on what Success looks like using visual tools (the persona map and mind map)
Learning Outcomes:

• • Understand why it’s important to identify a primary user (Persona) using a Persona map
• • Learn how to use a Mind map along with your Primary Persona to brainstorm possible wants and needs for your Primary persona with help of your business or Product Owner
• • Determine Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and a potential roadmap using the Persona and Mind map
• • Use simple visual tools to align expectations on capabilities and functionalities that are part of MVP

Attachments:

• Agile2016_in_AA_format_for_upload.pdf
• Contact_info.pdf

Abstract:
This workshops teaches you how to capture data and use it for reliable project forecasting. Much has been written about what is possible to estimate and what is waste. This workshop shows a practical and simple (we are doing it with pen and paper) approach to forecasting without item effort estimation that can be used by anybody needing to answer the questions: How big? How long? and How likely?
Three estimation and forecasting scenarios will be practiced using pen, paper and dice -

• Reliably capturing and spotting errors in historical data
• Estimating total project size (story count) by sampling a subset of all features or epics
• Forecasting completion date using probabilistic forecasting (Monte Carlo) of estimated or measured teams’ throughput (completion rate) or velocity (points)

By participating in this workshop you will –

• Learn how much sample data is required to undertake a reliable forecast
• Learn how to spot erroneous data or data that will mislead a forecast
• Learn how to use story count estimates on a subset of features to forecast a projects combined total story count, or to see if the count you have been given is likely
• Learn how to use historical data to perform a feature completion date forecast, or to see if the date you have been given is possible.

The processes described involve using dice to simulate uncertainty in projects and building a probabilistic picture of the more likely outcomes (often called Monte Carlo simulation). It is a fast and accurate way to combine historical data into meaningful and verifiable results. By performing a Monte Carlo forecast by hand, you will realize how easy the technique is to perform and not be afraid to use it in your next estimation or forecasting task.
We will also discuss the choice between estimation in points versus throughput and how this impacts forecasting accuracy. We will also discuss how most tools available for forecasting go wrong, and how to understand how accurate your forecast using these methods should be considered.
Learning Outcomes:

• Learn how much sample data is required to undertake a reliable forecast
• Learn how to spot erroneous data or data that will mislead a forecast
• Learn how to use story count estimates on a subset of features to forecast a projects combined total story count, or to see if the count you have been given is likely
• Learn how to use historical data to perform a feature completion date forecast, or to see if the date you have been given is possible.

Attachments:

• Forecasting_using_Data_-_Troy_Magennis_(Agile_2016).pdf

Abstract:
"We have an awesome strategic plan….so why can’t our people just execute it?”
Study after study has demonstrated that even well-defined strategies are only understood and executed in organizations between 10-25% of the time.
One barrier has been a lack of a real-time method for managers of an organization or chain of suppliers to view and update their strategic and operational plans, tactics and results.
In this presentation, we will review the tactics and strategies for merging agile strategies to create portfolios, programs and projects. Additionally, we will offer interactive exercises that will help participants visualize how they can use these tactics in their organization. Hands on exercises will commence with a self rating of participants company maturity using the Agile SIMM, rating and ranking of portfolio initiatives using agile sizing methods, and discussions regarding how to link and integrate agile strategy to project execution framework.
Topics will include various methodologies and tools that can be used to create and execute an awesome agile strategic plan:

• Discussion surrounding the use of lean methodologies for strategic management
• Discussion surrounding use of the CUE model for strategic management (Consolidate Activities, Use Lean Metrics that Matter, Eliminate Waste)
• Discussion surrounding the definition and myths of Agile Strategy Execution: the 3 A’s: Agile, Adaptive and Aligned
• Interactive activity using a simplified Agile Strategy Maturity Model (Agile SIMM)
• Strategy execution methodologies: Review 3 leading strategy execution methodologies with real world case studies (Intel/Google): Hoshin Kanri, Objectives, Goals, Strategies, Measures (OGSM), Objectives and Key Results (OKR)
• Obstacles of strategy execution based on prior research
• Present an agile strategy to project execution framework that includes the following: Strategy to initiatives, Initiative ranking, Project/portfolio ranking, Integrated cadence of review meetings
• Case studies and demonstration of an agile strategy execution software (ASE) to integrate, align and manage all strategic, tactical and performance information including goals, objectives, metrics, initiatives, tactics and projects.
• Final class discussions that will empower the audience to assess the current level of agile strategy using the agile strategy maturity model (SIMM) and begin to build strategic plans that can be used in their organization.

Learning Outcomes:

• Learn about the definition myths and requirements of Agile Strategy Execution
• Measure agile maturity using the agile strategy maturity model (SIMM)
• Understand obstacles to strategic execution based on prior research
• Discuss the connection between strategy and execution for agile programs, projects and tactics
• Demonstrate a new Agile Strategy Execution Framework and tools
• Discuss how this model will connect the dots between your Strategy needs and execution

Abstract:
Metrics don’t have to be a necessary evil. If done right, metrics can help guide us to make better forward-looking decisions, as opposed to being used for simply managing or monitoring. They can help us identify trade-offs between options for what to do next versus be used as punitive, or worse, as managerial measures.
In this interactive session, we’ll take a different approach to metrics. I won’t be giving the top 10 list of field-tested metrics you should use. Instead, we’ll be workshopping through the critical thinking necessary for you to determine what is right for your organization and teams.
First, we’ll explore why you want to measure something in the first place, whether it’s for a team, a portfolio, or even an Agile transformation. We’ll next run through an exercise to help drive home concepts behind characteristics of “good” and “bad” metrics, so you can know what to look for. Lastly, we’ll pull together this information in an interactive Agile game called Pin the Tail on the Metric to help you guide your conversations back at your organizations.
Learning Outcomes:

• 1. Understanding of the critical thinking needed behind choosing the right metrics at the right time for more effective and informative decision making
• 2. Gain experience in identifying characteristics of good and bad metrics
• 3. Learn how to run the “Pin the Tail on the Metric” exercise to help guide conversations about which metrics to use when and at what level at your organization

Attachments:

• Pin_the_tail_on_the_metric_v01_Agile2016_75_Min_Version.pdf

Abstract:
Product owners often struggle to translate their big ideas into small user stories that the team can deliver in a short period of time. When a user story is too big, it is harder to understand, estimate, and implement successfully. This experiential session will give you hands-on experience with 4 simple techniques to split the large stories in your backlog into smaller stories. While there are many additional techniques, this set of four has proven itself sufficient to split virtually any big story into smaller stories. You will work in small teams, applying each of the techniques to break some big user stories into smaller user stories.
Learning Outcomes:

• Participants will be able to use four specific techniques to split large user stories into smaller, more specific stories.

Attachments:

• Story_Splitting_ChrisSimsAgile2016.pptx.pdf

Abstract:
The Agile Manifesto tells us “Working software is the primary measure of progress”, but when pressed by management to report on our progress we often fall back on non-agile metrics and measures that hurt our team and organization.
As Deming pointed out “the most important figures that one needs for management are unknown or unknowable, but successful management must nevertheless take account of them.”
Most metrics can be gamed, focus on the wrong things, or are downright harmful. There are however Virtuous Metrics that enforce behaviors that are helpful to agility, provided they're focused on by the right people.
During this session, we’ll learn about Virtuous Metrics that will help your team self-organize and your organization become more agile through a game that simulates your team going through several sprints and releases. You’ll leave this session with a framework for employing Virtuous Metrics in your organization for continuous improvement.
Learning Outcomes:

• Learn why most metrics are useless or damaging to an Agile team
• Discover what metrics help teams and organizations improve
• Find out how to get management interested and involved in helping teams remove impediments
• Learn an approach to gaining stakeholder alignment so your organization can move in the right direction

Attachments:

• VirtuousMetricsA16.pdf

Abstract:
As companies continue to evolve towards more agile ways of working, we're seeing significant benefits: teams are delivering value with higher levels of quality, faster than ever, and with levels of engagement not seen before. Yet, a common challenge continues to appear: although teams may be doing great, the direct link to high level strategic objectives is often missed, resulting in confusion, lack of strategic direction and waste.
Hoshin Kanri is a strategy deployment tool aimed at solving this particular problem. Through interactive exercises and group-based business case solving, this workshop will give executives, managers and team members a common language and a concrete methodology to link strategy to execution and understand what they need to leverage Hoshin Kanri in their own organizations.
Learning Outcomes:

• * Understand how to more effectively link corporate strategy to work at the team level
• * Create a holistic view of how end-to-end value is realized throughout the organization
• * Instill a common language and concrete techniques to trace vision with action that's complementary with agile ways of working
• * Help you more effectively communicate value with a broader audience in your organization

Attachments:

• Hoshin_Kanri.pdf
• Hoshin_Exercise_Worksheet.pdf
• FirstThingsFirst.pdf
• X-Matrix.pdf

Abstract:
Telling the future is hard but telling the past is easy. As they say, hindsight is 20/20. We all have stories of products that we should have known would fail. It usually goes this way:
Your company invests a lot of money to get the A-team together to create a critical piece of software. The team has impressive iterations and delivers high quality software with smooth, on-time releases. But then it doesn’t perform well in the marketplace, the investors retract, and eventually there’s no alternative but to kill the product and disband the team. Looking back, there must have been a better way.
In this workshop, we’ll use lean experimentation to predict a product’s future (spoiler alert: it’s all about science). We’ll work on defining problem statements, agreeing on metrics and measurements, creating hypotheses and designing tests. In the end, you’ll be ready to experiment your way to success.
So follow Linda Rising’s advice: Be brave! Try an experiment. Get ready to let your inner scientist out!
Learning Outcomes:

• How to agree on a problem statement and associated business metrics
• How to formulate a testable product value hypothesis
• How to design tests for a product value hypothesis
• How to keep learning until you find the right value

Attachments:

• Fortune-teller_to_scientist_-_with_notes.pdf
• Fortune-teller_to_scientist.pdf