RE: [AM] Let's call a spade a spade

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(cross-posted to scrumdevelopment list from agilemodeling list)
my comments are at the end.

[email protected] wrote:
>=20
> (responding to Deb)
>=20
> > Let's be honest and own up to the practices we are
> > using - by choice or economic necessity. Compromises
> > are sometimes necessary, we have all seen this and
> > know it exists. But let's not try to twist Agile to incorporate
> > or compensate for these compromises. So, if it's not
> > Agile, don't try to sugar coat it and call it Agile. Call it a
> > hybrid. Call it "on our way".
>=20
> I try to work to a guideline of being as agile as possible,
> and as robust as necessary, when tailoring process.
> Any process that follows this guideline (and 3 others)
> I call an 'appropriate' process.=20=20
>=20
> I would be happy refusing to call a process 'agile' if it
> were more robust than necessary.  I'm in two minds as
> to whether a process that is only as robust as necessary=20
> should be denied the label 'agile' for that reason alone.
> Maybe I need a few examples to consider.
>=20
>=20
> Paul Oldfield
> www.aptprocess.com

I'm trying to work out where (or how?) to draw the line myself...
some examples:

1a. Throwing *tested* software from a Scrum Sprint "over the wall" to a=20
separate mandated QA process - Agile enough.
1b. Not testing inside a Sprint because QA will do it later - Not Agile=20
(not Scrum, definitely)

2a. Producing heavy documentation at the *end* of a Sprint because it's=20
demanded by someone outside the process - Agile enough (something to=20
improve over time, hopefully)
2b. Doing mini-waterfall with heavy documentation inside Sprints,=20
because it is mandated by someone outside the process - major compromise=
=20
but probably still "somewhat Agile" due to=20
Scrum's iterative nature.

There are a couple of issues here, regarding the "b" cases:
- participants would need to decide if they can live with the inherent=20
compromises. Some would prefer to leave, others would prefer to make the=
=20
investment to try to change it.
- either way, publicly touting these scenarios as "Agile" muddies the=20
waters and works against the Agile Manifesto and its Agile Principles.=20
Actions speak louder than words - we need to be careful what our=20
projects are concretely saying about the Manifesto.
- a key issue might be: is there room for this to change? If not, the=20
"inspect and adapt" aspect of Agile will be frustrating - in each=20
iteration, if the team identifies a roadblock to effectiveness, and each=
=20
time are told "forget it, it stays", then morale might become a problem.=
=20
Or inspect-and-adapt will be dropped because it yields nothing. Another=20
reaction could be the development of "blockers", adding cost (and=20
hassle) to the work.

To my mind, there should be no shame in calling something "partially=20
Agile". To me, it indicates integrity and underlines the importance of=20
the values of the Manifesto. Granted, there are grey areas...

Maybe the tags "Agile enough" or "as Agile as possible" can be useful to=
=20
us, because they require context to be meaningful:=20
 Agile enough for now - we're still developing our processes
 Agile enough given the constraints put on us by our VP
 As Agile as possible, until our team is cross-trained
 As Agile as possible, within the sphere of influence of our leader.
 Agile enough, until we evangelise the following key people...

These statements necessitate conscious identification of blockages to=20
Agility, setting the stage for potential change and improvement.=20
Alternately, they could be identifying firm blockages that will make=20
further Agility impossible. Either way, they facilitate decision making=20
among participants: stay and work for change? or go and be Agile=20
somewhere else?

These statements also could ward off disillusionment among newbies to=20
Agile within and outside the team: when constraints are identified as=20
*blockages* to Agility, they are less likely to be called *failures* of=20
Agile, by naysayers. You know the kind of stories that surface, that=20
start with "We're forbidden to call anything "Agile" at XYZ Corp., due=20
to the failure of an Agile project last year..." And we all ask: were=20
they truly Agile? What were they doing?

While thinking about this, I've developed a "Scrum Scoreboard" of sorts=20
that could be extended to cover other Agile practices too. I'm just=20
floating an idea at this point - feedback would be welcome on the=20
ScrumRegistry wiki: http://wiki.scrums.org/index.cgi?ScrumScoreboard

Have a good weekend!
deb

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For more information about AM, visit the Agile Modeling Home Page at www.ag=
ilemodeling.com
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