Perspective rather than framework: Agile Fluency

While the big conversation around agile frameworks (Less, Safe, Nexus, etc) seems to be in full swing, I remain convinced that an approach with a principles perspective like Agile Fluency is much better. It was quite recently while discussing the duo Agile Fluency, Open Agile Adoption (that is OpenSpace Agility as Dan Mezick renamed it) that I started reviewing Diana Larsen’s presentation. It’s this viewing of her keynote at Agile India 2015 that drives me to rewrite on this subject (path of an agile transformation).

At the risk of repeating myself therefore (path of an agile transformation) I will recall the key messages of Diana Larsen’s presentation at Agile India 2015. To recall that in my eyes combining this approach, with a change management led by invitation, authorization and clarification of the framework as suggested by OpenSpace Agility, is probably what I believe in most, and what I observe as most accurate and most relevant in the field.

Here I elaborate a bit on what Agile Fluency is, especially by reviewing the basics given by Diana Larsen in her conference. In an upcoming post I hope to explain why it makes a very interesting pair with Open Agile Adoption a.k.a OpenSpace Agility.

Level Questions

Agile Fluency is based on a path that we quickly associate with levels. I was able to detail the levels previously (again path of an agile transformation). I will summarize them briefly here (then in more detail by translating Diana Larsen’s document).

No star: we code

Before the stars, we produce, we code, we manufacture. We don’t ask questions.

1 star: focus on value

Question your organization/team: do we think and measure value? And decide based on value?

This level is that of classic, fundamental agile.

2 stars: deliver value

Do we deliver to the market when it makes sense for it? With quality (no bugs)?

This level is that of sustainable, durable agile.

3 stars: optimize value

Do we know how to deliver, measure, adapt, optimize. Do we know how to remove what doesn’t have enough value? Do we know how to maximize (maximize value and minimize effort). Are your teams multidisciplinary to properly answer these questions?

This level corresponds to what people hope for when they think agile, that of agile’s promises.

4 stars: optimize the system

Do we know how to deliver, measure, adapt, optimize, remove, maximize with the whole organization in perspective?

This level is that of the future of agile, it responds to those who wonder what will probably come next.

Maturity?

We’ll quickly talk wrongly about levels as if they were maturity levels, CMMi style. Not at all. Rather read these levels as levels of investment and expected benefits, not maturity. If you’re ready to invest four stars, you could get four stars of benefits. But, and with the word star we can quickly make the connection with this guide for restaurants, you might some days want a simple but delicious and very adequate ham/butter sandwich, and other days want to enjoy a much more elaborate dish. For Agile Fluency it’s the same, nothing says that your organization wants that elaborate dish, and perhaps it will feel much better with a simple ham/butter sandwich. So there are no levels in the sense of progression, but rather of a place that suits you. And the two-star place is perhaps much more adequate for your organization than the four-star one.

Also keep in mind that reaching the four-star place requires four-star type investments. The benefit is commensurate with your investment in the approach. As we say so often, and as we forget so often: you must give yourself the means for the approach.

Transparency, accomplishment, alignments, the benefits and readings of Agile Fluency

AGILE FLUENCY	TRANSPARENCY Key metrics and risk reduction	ACCOMPLISHMENT Productivity and ROI	ALIGNMENT Productivity and satisfaction
Focus on value *	Key metrics The team regularly reports its progress on a business value plan	Productivity The team observes itself, improves and adjusts its functioning	Productivity Collaboration within the team reduces misunderstandings and intermediaries.
	Risk reduction Management knows when the team is building something inadequate, and can change direction.	ROI The team gives priority to the 20% that make up 80% of value.
	Risk reduction Management knows if the team is progressing.
Deliver value **	Key metrics The team demonstrates that it can regularly deliver	Productivity With a very low defect rate, the team focuses on feature development.	Productivity Work quality improves morale and productivity.
	Risk reduction With a short delay between idea and delivery, the team highlights systemic defects (see the whole) quickly	Productivity Low technical debt allows better cost of development and more frequent deliveries.	Satisfaction Deliveries are planned when it makes sense for the market and management.
	Risk reduction The team is always able to deliver	ROI The team delivers at the pace of the market and captures value more frequently.
Optimize value *******	Key metrics The team reports business metrics like ROI, user satisfaction or profit per employee.	ROI The team delivers products based on business objectives, market needs and user needs.	Productivity Broad and shared expertise allows eliminating wait times and accelerating decision making.
	Risk reduction Projects or products with little value are stopped early enough.	ROI The team learns from market/field feedback how to create new business opportunities.	Productivity Mutual trust between the team and the organization allows accelerating negotiations.
		ROI Broad and shared expertise allows optimization of effort/value decisions.
Optimize the system ********	Key metrics The team reports how its action impacts the system, the organization.	ROI The team and management work together to improve the flow of value creation.	Productivity Cross-pollination of perspectives and opportunities within the organization.
Optimize the system ********	Risk reduction High-potential projects but at high cost are abandoned quickly.	ROI The team participates in the success of the organization through product success.

Method alignment

In fact Agile Fluency is agnostic. But if we wanted to give it a reading through methods and in view of the different levels it proposes, here’s what seems obvious:

1 star: Scrum, Kanban and consorts.

2 stars: Extreme Programming, Software Craftsmanship, Devops, and consorts.

3 stars: Lean Software, Lean Startup, Design Thinking, and consorts.

4 stars: Complex adaptive systems, Beyond Budgeting, Holacracy, Sociocracy, and consorts

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