[[Notes]] - Topics: [[Productivity]] - People: codingwithdee - Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSVBWvoNJ-s --- ## Summary - The Agile manifesto is not the problem. The problem is businesses BLINDLY FOLLOWING the principles WITHOUT PROJECT CONTEXT. - At least 1/4 of a worker's time is DEVOTED to meetings where the workers DO NOT DERIVE VALUE from. See: [[6 meeting rules by Elon Musk]]. - The industry lacks project managers who have CRAFT CONTEXT and who's CRAFT is MANAGING PROJECTS. - Focus on impact, not just output. - Blindly following ceremonies is useful for under performers who wish to hide - weaponizing the contracts of ceremonies to offset individual ineffectiveness as organizational issues. - "Agile is done poorly a lot. Not that Agile is bad methodology." - Cut through the bull crap. Know your stuff. Get it done. ## Notes ### Origins - Businesses seem to love Agile. But software engineers, the actual workforce, HATE what Agile has become. - Agile focuses on 2 main areas: - 1. Doing work in small continuous cycles (vs. big cycles). - 2. Follow the AGILE MANIFESTO. - The Agile manifesto is not the problem. The problem is businesses BLINDLY FOLLOWING the principles WITHOUT PROJECT CONTEXT. ### Meetings - For typical SCRUM workflows, there are a lot of meetings. From sprint planning, to backlog grooming, retros, stand ups, presentations, as well as overall company meetings. - In regards to meetings, the MANIFESTO states that teams would meet regularly to discuss their effectiveness and to refine their practices to become more effective. - [[Meetings need to be meaningful]]. Most meetings do not feel meaningful because those who run meetings do not know how to run them efficiently/effectively. - [[Kaizen|Continuous improvement]] happens all the time - not just at specified meetings. If you're only practicing continuous improvements at 2 meetings during your sprint - then you're doing it wrong. - The net impact of over-scheduled meetings can result in individual contributors experiencing an average of 10-13+ hours of meetings a week. - In other words, at least over a quarter of a worker's time is DEVOTED to meetings where the workers DO NOT DERIVE VALUE from. - [[6 meeting rules by Elon Musk]]. ### Project management - "It feels like they're planted as leadership as spies". - "It feels like they're imposters. Just the they that they interact and the role that they need to do. It feels like they're never part of the team." - "A lot of them around actually developers with experience." - AVOID having project managers who are simply the "MIDDLE MANAGERS" of work. Those without product/craft expertise, need to get product/craft expertise. - Many individual contributors are against project management because they've not experienced efficient project management. Those who do project management, are often those who were begrudgingly assigned to do the job. - The issue is that the industry lacks project managers who have CRAFT CONTEXT and who's CRAFT is MANAGING PROJECTS. - "It almost feels like they don't know what's going on - and all they care about is updating their Jira." - It's rare to have the venn diagram of experienced developers and developers who enjoy project management. - "Good Scrum Masters care for people - bad Scrum Masters focus on numbers." - Focus on impact, not just output. - Blindly following ceremonies is useful for under performers who wish to hide - weaponizing the contracts of ceremonies to offset individual ineffectiveness as organizational issues. - Inefficient project management can lead to contributors feeling like "you have you get inline and play the game or to get another job". - Inefficient project management can lead contributors to feel burned out. They are demotivated and de-energized by spending time doing work where they do not resonate with - do not understand and it contributes to the larger project pieces that they are responsible for (have ownership over). This constant energy drain leads to burn out. - Cut through the bull crap. Know your stuff. Get it done. ### What do we do? - If your company is using Agile, and it doesn't work, speak up. - In speaking up, be aware that (depending on the company), you may be branded as "difficult". - "Waterfall done well is better than Agile done poorly." - "Agile is done poorly a lot. Not that Agile is bad methodology." - Perhaps there needs to be an evolution of Agile... Perhaps [[Lean manufacturing]] can make it's way (officially) into the world of software development.