10 commandments for A Successful gile Team

- Uday, Rajitha and Jay

14-Dec-19
First American India
1. Interesting Title
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
TEN Commandments for a successful ‘A’gile Team 5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
• Commandments are a set of principles related to ethics and worship, which play a
7. Apply Solution
fundamental role in people’s life.
• 10 commandments were developed to improve the work culture and building a successful 8. Exhibit Solution

agile team 9. Reflection Outcome

10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
Problem Statement & Results 12. Message to the World

• Few years back, like any other agile transformed team, we were absolutely into doing
agile rather than being agile. Issues started building up against core values such as
Judgement, Communication, Passion and Selflessness.
• Every Agile Team knows the Definition of Done which connects to user stories.
Have we ever thought of
having it for sprint or iterations?
Embracing the mix of different methodologies, such as Extreme Programming, Lean,
Kanban that help us in becoming better Agilist?
Well, we challenged ourselves to tailor the needs of what suits to the team best and came up
with a disciplined approach of 10 commandments.

Category
• Success Story
2. Challenge/Opportunity TOC Indicator:
1.
2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
• • Priority changes • Waterfall within

Product Team/Business

Process
Delivery Team

Task switching 9. Reflection Outcome

• Not meeting DOD • Weak Business iteration 10. Controls for Consistency

• Quality Collaboration • Unaware of holistic 11. Challenges faced

12. Message to the World
• Keeping team morale • Less Transparency view of the
high • Distributed Team complete feature
• • Dependency build
Huge Reworks
• for the developers
Individual Goals Vs
for each user story
Team Goals
• Silos VS Team work
• Nonexistence of Team
Vision
• No gated checklist
2. Challenge/Opportunity - Analysis
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
TFS ITERATION DATA ANALYSIS 6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
VELOCITY IMPROVEMENT 8. Exhibit Solution
600 571 250
523
9. Reflection Outcome
509
40 38 10. Controls for Consistency
500
200
35 36 11. Challenges faced
35
219 201 12. Message to the World
400
183 30
150

300
25

100 20
200
15
73 50 10
100 67
61
5
0
ITR P ITR Q ITR R
0 0
ITR P ITR Q ITR R

Defects Rework Effort

Cycle Efficiency : 65% Defect Density Ratio : 38%

3. Self-Organized teams
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
Size Co-located Time Zones 5. Aspired Goals
8 Feature Teams
58 Members US, India PST, IST, EST 6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
Developers 9. Reflection Outcome
Application
QA Customers 50K 10. Controls for Consistency
Customer Facing
DBA, SM, PO 11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
Global Team
Pilot Team Details

Size Co-located Time Zones

Architec Dev
t 8 Members US, India PST, IST, EST

PO Flex
Wind Developers
Chaser QA 4 Iterations PWA
s DBA, SM, PO
UX Dev

SM QA
4. Evaluation - Current Value Stream TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title

[VSM] 2.
3.
Challenge/Opportunity
Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
 TOC Indicator:

5. Aspired Goals 1.
2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
Qualitative Goals Quantitative Goals 8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
Customer Intrinsic Cycle Quick to 12. Message to the World

Satisfaction Quality Efficiency market

Target : Team Cultural Shift & Collaboration; Target : Increase Cycle Efficiency min of 20%;
Collect feedback from business Quicker to market at par with low code platforms

Timeline : 4 iterations Timeline : 4 iterations

 TOC Indicator:

6. Analysis 1.
2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
 TOC Indicator:

6. Inference – Value Mapping with our solution 1.

2.
3.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
Methodology Values 5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
Scrum Courage, Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect 7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
Kanban Leadership, Understanding, Agreement, Respect, 9. Reflection Outcome

Transparency, Balance, Flow, Collaboration, 10. Controls for Consistency

11. Challenges faced
Customer Focus 12. Message to the World

Lean Eliminate Waste, Build Quality In, Create

Knowledge, Defer Commitment, Deliver Fast,
Respect People, Optimize the whole

XP Communication, Simplicity, Feedback, Courage,

Respect
7. Apply Solution
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
RETROSPECTIVE + KAIZEN + VSM = SOLUTION 5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
Set the stage 8. Exhibit Solution
Likeminded group gathered Definite goal was established 9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
Gather Data
Collected Data, which provided great information

Generate Insights
Patterns established

Decide What to Do
Follow Kaizen principles.

Close the Retro

 TOC Indicator:

7. Apply Solution 1.
2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
RETROSPECTIVE + KAIZEN + VSM = SOLUTION 5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
Identify an opportunity Analyze the process Develop an optimal 8. Exhibit Solution
Solution
• Quality • Performed VSM 9. Reflection Outcome
• Derived 10 10. Controls for Consistency
• Collaboration Process
• Identified the Commandments 11. Challenges faced
• Inefficiency 12. Message to the World
efficiency

Act on the solution

• Applied the
solution
Study the results
7. Apply Solution
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
Individual 12. Message to the World
Goals
Focus
Don’t on SCRUM
Priority do silos what
Changes
you do

Problem Solution Methodology

7. Apply Solution TOC Indicator:
1.
2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
See the 12. Message to the World
Reworks Whole
Absence
of Team
Don’t
LEAN
Vision Quality –
miss Team
Task regression accountability
Switching

Problem Solution Methodology

 TOC Indicator:

7. Apply Solution 1.
2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
Priority 12. Message to the World
Changes

Don’t Apply
Waterfall miss the Pull KANBAN
within formula System
iteration

Problem Solution Methodology

7. Apply Solution
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
Distributed Don’t miss
Team another
eye
No gated Don’t XP
checks Don’t think
miss the only one
Less sketch way to
Transparency do

Problem Solution Methodology

7. Apply Solution
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
2 6. Analysis & Inference
1 3
Analyze 7. Apply Solution
See thy Create thy Don’t miss DB,
Don’t just limit to thy stories 8. Exhibit Solution
Whole sketch App,
your stories - as a team 9. Reflection Outcome
Don’t do silos Performance,
Sprint, Product, 10. Controls for Consistency
Security and
Project, Futuristic
Business 11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
6
4 5 7
Apply thy
Plan thy Apply thy Pair Apply thy
cycle optional programmin pull
(2+16+2) thinking systems Don’t over load
Don’t miss this Don’t think only g Don’t just limit to
thy testing at the
formula one way to do some role
end

8 9 10
Quality Apply thy Apply thy
thy focus on focused
accountab what you sprint Lean
le Don’t just limit to do Don’t do task regression Don’t Miss that 4
one role switching Hours Scrum Kanban

XP
 TOC Indicator:

8. Exhibit Solution 1.
2.
3.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
The Vision The Sketch The change The edge The future 9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
Understanding The solution to the Sun Rise/Set Quick to Market The Customers
11. Challenges faced
overall vison of the business need was Meetings helped in with Quality made response is
12. Message to the World
Product, Dev team obtained by Avoiding mail business advantage outstanding
to suggest the right Completing POC in 2 communications over competitors
solution. weeks and confusions.

Collaborated to sketches helped us Team Can visualize Saved Huge

identify the provide multiple the end-Product Within No time,
licensing cost by New enhanced
Business solutions with Frequent Changes inbuild rather
transformation Business to find feature added to
are not Painful. buying low/No code target larger
through technology right solution and Apps
technology. customer bass
8. Exhibit Solution – Derived Value Stream TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title

[VSM] 2.
3.
Challenge/Opportunity
Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
8. Exhibit Solution – Tangible Proofs
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
ITERATION DATA ANALYSIS 4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
Defects Rework Effort Hurray!!! 6. Analysis & Inference
Defects are no
250 700
more
7. Apply Solution
escaped. 8. Exhibit Solution

579
600 9. Reflection Outcome
571 574
200 559
537 531 10. Controls for Consistency
523
509 501 500 VELOCITY IMPROVEMENT 11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
150
400
50
45 49 Hmmm.
300
100 40 More
35
61
73
67 200
30
37 Velocity….
50 25 Impressive !
26 22 18 16
100
20 !!
15 13
15
0 0
ITR P ITR Q ITR R ITR S ITR T ITR U ITR V ITR W ITR X 10
5
0

Before Project Time After Before After

Efficiency Improvement : 30%; [Before : 65% and After – 95%]

Defect Density Improvement : 28% [Before : 38% and After – 10%]
 TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title

8. Exhibit Solution – Videos 2.

3.
4.
Challenge/Opportunity
Self-Organized Team
Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
Success Story of 10 Commandments 7. Apply Solution
Final Product Demo 8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for
Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World

I wanted to send over a huge ‘Thank you’ for your efforts on MobileUnderwriter®. This was the first
launch of progressive web app (PWA) within the organization to my knowledge, so very impressive the
team was able to learn, experiment, and deploy the product within 3-4 months.
- Trey Dirks- VP, Product owner Agency Division, First American Title.
 TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title

7. Exhibit Solution - Implementation

2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
Pilot Team Selected 8. Exhibit Solution
Survey to evaluate and understand the people’s mind Target was established 9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World

Trainings & Brain Storming Session

To fill the gap, trainings were provided on 10 commandments

Inspection & Adaptation

TFC Reports, Dashboards, Checklists

Continuous Improvement
Analyze the gaps, and act on it
9. Reflection Outcome – Smart Tips and
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity

Lessons Learned 3.
4.
Self-Organized Team
Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
Done better 7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
 Arranging Trainings on the right time is key for 9. Reflection Outcome
upskilling 10. Controls for Consistency

Did Best! 11. Challenges faced

12. Message to the World

 Studying veracious Agile tools

 Changing the Business thought process on Agile
 Suggesting new technology that brought disruption
Smart Tips
 Don’t Expect the change on one day
 Respect and Trust the people opinions
 Give the Freedom to the team to think
 Retrospection is the key
9. Reflection Outcome – Your inference TOC Indicator:
1.
2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity

on Industry Practices 3.
4.
Self-Organized Team
Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution

Inferences on Scrum
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
Low emphasize 11. Challenges faced
Team alignment - Do not see the Lags continuous
on optional Working as Silos 12. Message to the World
one accord whole automation
thinking

Recommendations
Upskilling and
Sketch – Holistic view
Knowledge sharing Deliver as a team Gated reviews
with diagrams
with pair programming
10. Controls for consistency
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World

Dashboard Histogram Retrospection Appreciation

Where every member can Display charts on the wall Key for taking inputs and Publishing the dashboard
see the over view of Derive references talk on the problem Customer feedback
metrics Plan for critical items Awards for Top Team.
Rework, Effort,
Improvements,
Achievements etc.
10. Controls for consistency
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
10. Controls for consistency
TOC Indicator:
1. Interesting Title
2. Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
10. Controls for consistency – TOC Indicator:
1.
2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity

Relentless Improvement 3.
4.
Self-Organized Team
Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
Pair Programming &
Peer Testing– Coach 9. Reflection Outcome
Approach 10. Controls for Consistency
Pair Programming – 11. Challenges faced
Coach Approach –
12. Message to the World
Negligible Time
Pair Programming –
Navigator Approach –
Full Time
Review Process –
Group GATES
Responsible
Review Process – Team
Responsible

Review Process – Leads

Responsible
11. Challenges Faced Challenge Pulse faced:
Spring
√ Sunny Stormy
TOC Indicator:
1.
2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
Implementations Type Issues Faced Solution/Ideas Proposed 6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
Trainings Spring Hesitation in accepting Tailor made processes to suit people's 9. Reflection Outcome
the concepts mind 10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
Mind Shift Stormy Process Burden; Results TFS reports; Distributed Ownership 12. Message to the World
not visible immediately

Upskilling & Stormy Losing interest Knowledge sharing sessions and

Commitment positive outcomes
Vision Sunny Inability to foresee the Data driven dashboards and easiness
Statement long term goal in completion of work
Business Sunny Meeting schedule Flexible working hours; Onsite
Collaboration conflicts due to adjustments in collaborating with
distributed team. offshore timings
 TOC Indicator:

12. Your Message to the world 1.

2.
Interesting Title
Challenge/Opportunity
3. Self-Organized Team
4. Current Value Stream
5. Aspired Goals
6. Analysis & Inference
7. Apply Solution
8. Exhibit Solution
9. Reflection Outcome
10. Controls for Consistency
11. Challenges faced
12. Message to the World
SHU HA RI
Follow the Rule Innovate Transcend

One Model does not fit in all Agile teams.

Different anomalies require different approaches.
Follow the rules of Agile, Innovate what best for you, Transform to the new level.
THANK YOU!