Agile and Beyond 2017

Another movement sweeping through corporate America with the same steam as Agile is Business Intelligence & Big Data. I must admit that I am a data junkie who enjoys analyzing data to identify patterns that tell a story. I am also a passionate Agilist, playing the role of change agent in Agile Transformations. Therefore, my natural inclination has always been to couple the two together to drive change. Unfortunately, the sad truth is the practice has not always lead to the desired outcome. Like everything else that could be used for good, unfortunately, data can also be leveraged for evil. This talk centers on the power of data and the ability for it to be both detrimental and invaluable in change initiatives. Ask any good Agile coach about the ticking time bomb that is Agile metrics and assessments, and they will warn you to tread lightly. I am no different, as I am using this opportunity to share with others my failures and successes in this area. I have learned the hard way that without an environment of safety, experimentation, and short feedback loops, collecting team metrics and insights can actually lead to more harm than good. However, once the prerequisite of safety is established, data no longer becomes your enemy as a change agent, but your ally, and a powerful tool in your Agile coaching toolbox. I had the good fortune of experiencing this with a client that had a culture ripe for positive data driven change. As an Agile Practice tasked with improving the flow of work within each value stream, we collected multiple data points from teams to help us identify coaching needs, investment areas, and continuous improvement opportunities. Our mission quickly became to create a direct feedback channel from those doing the work to those making decisions so that leadership had visibility into the impediments preventing them from achieving organizational agility. Attendees will walk away from this session with a solid understanding of when to turn to data and when to steer away from it. They will be introduced to Agile team data collection methods such as team self-assessments, cross team retrospective impediment roll ups, employee happiness meter readings, and role specific surveys so that they can experiment with each. Key points will focus on how to analyze and formulate the data to tell a meaningful story to all levels of the organization to help drive positive change.