Successfully delivering projects at an organization can happen with the careful utilization of a variety of methods and practices. The best approach is a hybrid framework that adapts in real time to your team and its needs. This book addresses the practical realities of project delivery in the 21st century.
The agile method is well-known and well-covered. Author Shawn Belling dives deeper with his expertise into organizational management and investigates how to best execute a graceful mix of waterfall methods, agile, and phase-based approaches. Each business and goal requires flexibility for a unique journey to success, and Belling provides the practitioner with practical, real-world examples and patterns of these methodologies.
Succeeding with Agile Hybrids is the answer to the diversity of needs within your team. Whether you are an aspiring or current project manager, scrum master, or mid-level manager, this book will greatly benefit you and your goals for project delivery. Hybrid agile is the future, and you will be well-equipped to tackle it with Succeeding with Agile Hybrids on your shelf.
What You'll Learn
• See how hybrid agile is a common de facto approach to project management
• Review common, practical and real-world examples and patterns of hybrid agile project management
• Evaluate projects and organizations for using hybrid agile or agile project management
Who This Book is For
Aspiring or current project managers, scrum masters, or mid-level managers with responsibility for projects or professional services delivery in a technical field. Executive leaders, academic and training programs may also pick this book as a text.
Author(s): Shawn Belling
Edition: 1
Publisher: Apress
Year: 2020
Language: English
Commentary: Vector PDF
Pages: 168
City: New York, NY
Tags: Waterfall; Agile; Project Management
Contents
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: Agile Hybrids
Chapter 1: Defining Agile Hybrids
Hybrid Examples
AgileFall
ScrumBan
Waterfall Plan – Agile Execution
Mixed Environments
Case Studies
Practical Desperation – Trying Agile
The Health Insurance Company
SAP and Ecommerce in Biopharma and Cement
Salesforce
Summary
Chapter 2: The Continuum Revisited
Where Are You?
Assessing Projects
Assessing the Organization
Critical Success Factors
Tips for Successful Implementation
Practical Examples
Typical Impediments
Summary
Chapter 3: Building Your Agile Hybrid
What Do You Know?
Example – Technology Consulting Firm
Example – Biopharma Company
Example – State Investment Board
Example – Marketing Software Company
What Do You Have?
Example – The Biopharma Corporation
Example – Technical Consulting Firm
Example – Marketing Software Company
What Do You Need?
Example – Technical Consulting Firm
Example – Biopharma Corporation
Example – A Technical College
Who Do You Need?
Example – Biopharma Company
Example – Technical Consulting Firm
Where Do You Start?
Example – Financial Insurance Company
Example – Biopharma
What Next?
Part II: Learning Agile
Chapter 4: Agile History
Roots of Agile Frameworks: Scrum
Formation and Emergence
Kanban and Lean
2001 – The Manifesto
2010–2020
Summary
Chapter 5: Agile Values and Practices
Agile Life Cycle Models
Scrum – Basic Practices
Agile Practices
Backlog Grooming
Agile Estimating
Sizing and Story Points
Estimating with Planning Poker
Iteration or Sprint Planning
Potentially Releasable Increments
Sprint Planning Steps
Demos
Retrospectives
Release Planning
Summary
Chapter 6: Agile Teams and Challenges
Challenge – Dedicated Teams
Challenge – Cross-Functional Teams
Challenge – Co-location
Avoid the War Room Mentality
Practical Examples
Challenge – People
Summary
Chapter 7: Agile Servant- Leaders
The Scrum Master
The Agile Project Manager
Servant-Leadership
Practical Examples
Helping Teams Self-Organize
Facilitating Agile Processes
Rigorous Definition of Done and Avoiding Technical Debt
Technical Debt
Technical Debt and the Case for Demos
Teams That Demo Ship
Facilitating the Daily Stand-Up
Identifying and Removing Impediments
Working with Product Owners
Release Planning, Sprint Planning, and Prioritization
Protecting Teams
Using Agile Metrics, Artifacts, and Reporting
Practicing Servant-Leadership
Summary
Chapter 8: The Product Owner in Agile
Product Owner Responsibilities
Project Inception
Backlog Grooming
Sprint Planning and Sprint Review
Value Realization
Product Owner Relationships
The Team, Sprint Planning, and Value Realization
Product Owner Relationship Issues
Impacts of Product Owner Performance
Common Product Owner Failures
Effective and Ineffective Product Owner Behaviors
How Ineffective Product Owners Impact Agile Projects
Summary
Chapter 9: The Agile Coach
Coaching New Teams – Sink or Swim
A First Release and Sprint Planning Scenario
Coaching During Sprints
Coaching in Sprint Reviews
Coaching at Releases
Summary
Part III: Advanced Topics in Agile
Chapter 10: Design Thinking with Agile
What Is Design Thinking?
Shared Concepts – Agile and Design Thinking
User-Focused Design
Problem-Solving
Cross-Functional Teams
Rapid Prototyping with Customer Feedback
Failing Fast Revisited
Alignment – Agile and Design Thinking
Design Thinking Phases
Design Thinking Activities
Outcomes
Practical Examples – Design Thinking with Agile
Promega and STR Normalization Manager
CloudCraze and Coca-Cola
Summary
Chapter 11: The Executive Leader in Agile
Leadership Misconceptions of Agile
Leadership Mistakes with Agile
How Executive Leadership Can Influence Agile’s Benefits
Don’t Create Impediments – Remove Them
Ruthless Prioritization
Agile Governance
Using Metrics for Agile Governance
Making Leadership Decisions in Agile Environments
Executive Servant-Leadership in Agile
Impacts of Missing Servant-Leadership
Summary
Chapter 12: Implementing Agile
Assessing Projects
Assessing the Organization
Critical Success Factors
Practical Examples
Typical Impediments
Summary
Chapter 13: Approaches to Scaling Agile
Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS)
Key Practices of LeSS
Product and Process Focus
Practices That Are Important to Success with LeSS
When to Use LeSS
Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
Key Practices of SAFe
Core Competencies of SAFe
How to Determine If SAFe Fits
Scrum@Scale
Scrum@Scale Practices
Key Practices of Scrum@Scale
How to Determine If S@S Fits
Determining If Your Organization Is Ready to Scale Agile
Readiness to Change and Other Factors
Assessing Organizational Fit
Summary
Bibliography
Index
