Scrum
Scrum and Agile Training
- What training has been partaken by team members and the wider organisation?
- Are Scrum terms used comfortably across the organisation?
- What misconceptions are embedded about Scrum or Agile? Are there any sour tastes?
- What is the want for future training?
Journey to Scrum
- What efforts have been made to change the organisation? What happened?
- Who has been instrumental in shaping this organisation?
- What was the decision behind using Scrum?
- Are there any parts of Scrum that are not comfortable? With who? Why?
Ways to Learn about an Organisation
People to speak to
External
- Customers
- Suppliers
- Distributors
- Outside analysts
Internal
- Frontline R&D and operations (devs)
- Sales and procurement
- Staff
- Integrators
- Natural historians (old timers who’ve been around ages)
Structured methods for learning (1, page 61-2)
| METHOD | USES | USEFUL FOR |
| Organisational climate and employee satisfaction surveys | Learning about culture and morale | Managers at all levels Dependent on the granualrity and how good the survey is/ if the data has been collected and analyses properly |
| Structured sets of interviews with slices of the organisation or unit | Identifying shared and divergent perceptions of opportunities and problemsAsk vertically/ horizontally through the organisational structureAsk all the same questiosns and look for similarities/ differences | Managers leading groups of people from different functional backgroundsCan be useful at lower levels if the unit is experiencing significant problems |
| Focus groups | Probing issues that preoccupy key groups of employeesGathering groups together lets you see how they interact and identify who displays leadershipFostering discussion promotes deeper insight | Managers of large groups of people who perform a similar functionUseful for senior managers as a way of getting quick insights into the perceptions of key employee constituencies |
| Analysis of critical past decisions | Illuminating decision-making patterns and sources of power and influence Who exerted influence at each stage? | Higher-level managers of business units or project groups |
| Process analysis | Examining interactions among departments or functions and assessing the efficiency of a process | Managers of units or groups in which the work of multiple functional specialities must be integratedLow level managers as a way of understanding how their groups fit into larger processes |
| Plant and market tours | Learning firsthand from people close to the product. Listen to concerns of staff and customers | Managers of business units |
| Pilot projects | Gaining deep insight into technical capabilities, culture, and politics (not the primary purpose of the project) | Managers at all levels |
Organisational Processes
Examine four aspects (1, page 160)
- Productivity: Does the process efficiently transform knowledge, materials, and labour into value?
- Timelines: Does the process deliver the desired value in a timely manner?
- Reliability: Is the process sufficiently reliable, or does it break down too often?
- Quality: Does the process deliver value in a way that consistently meets required quality standards (Learning from your team through interviews (page 59))
References
Explore more
 Which direction? |  Product Goal |  Hypotheses |
