AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Course 4. Agile Leadership Principles and Practices

Module 4 of 4

John Johnson, PMP CSM SPC,

A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park

Copyright 2018, All rights reserved

Week 4. Agenda
Empowering the Team
• Designing Decisions
• Going Slow to Go Fast
• Nudging Behavior
• Negotiation Field Guide
• Leading to Done

Slide 2
Establishing Accountability
Designing Decisions

Slide 3
Agile Leaders Know How to Facilitate
• Team decisions are the result of leadership
– What tools help shape the decision space?
– What factors should be considered in decisions?

• How and when should Agile PMs?

– Influence - setting solution space & conditions
– Facilitate deliberations - internal & external
– Link in stakeholders - bring in key influencers
– Set the pace - mid and long-term decisions

Slide 4
Facilitators Enable and Guide Decisions
• Planning - When and how we Planning
make decisions

• Organizing - Who makes the

decisions
Controlling
Decision Organizing
• Controlling - What decisions Making
are project or program level

• Actuating - How decisions are

made Actuating

Slide 5
Defining the Decision Space
• Limit Planning Assumptions
– Reducing assumptions give options Name Option Why Basis Roles Notes
Critical
– Global assumptions impact
multiple stories and / or teams Pick AWS* Cost Cost PM None
Cloud MS Risk Flex. Arch.
Vendor Size PgM
• Once established:
– Put the right person on the work Pick Elastic* Speed Ease Arch. Solr
Search Solr Risk Cost can’t
– Create space for decision making Engine Scale scale
– Facilitate internal (team) decisions Simplified Decision Matrix
– Facilitate stakeholder workshops *Assumption

Slide 6
Creating a Culture of Accountability
Empowering means owning
Agile teams are designed to put the right person in charge
of the right decisions (authenticity)
• Sponsors own objectives and are accountable for:
- ensuring portfolio alignment
- defining standards & integrations
- driving stakeholder involvement
• Product Owner owns the backlog and is accountable for
- A complete, ready backlog for each sprint
- Incorporating stakeholder input and concerns
• Team owns the work and sprint goals, and is accountable for
- Functionality and quality (design, development, testing) Ultimately all parties AND the
- Meeting commitments to deliver on-time Stakeholders are Responsible for
• Agile PM owns the processes and is accountable for the Project’s Success
- Continuous process improvement
- The overall performance of the project
Slide 7
Agile Leaders Facilitate & Regulate Decisions
• Facilitate the Decision Making Process
– Influence - setting solution space & conditions
– Facilitate Deliberations - internal & external
– Link in Stakeholders - bring in key influencers
– Set the Pace - mid and long-term decisions

• To do this, Design Decisions effectively

– Establish what decisions will be global and when
– Put “right person in charge” of global decisions
– Empower each role authentically
Slide 8
Sensing and Knowing When to Step in
Going Slow to Go Fast

Slide 9
Agile Leaders Know When & How to Act
• As an Agile PM, you are the greatest funnel of information on your
team

• Need to actively monitor through a variety of means

• When Acting, Act Fast

Slide 10
Agile PMs Build Their Intuition & Tacit Knowledge
Professional Development
Constantly Monitor (Growth & Opportunities)

• Feed the mental model Individual External

Motivation Trends
• Metrics and meetings (Self) Stress Changes
(Environment)
Happiness Politics
– Team velocity
– Team happiness
– Stakeholder opinion flow Team Dynamics Culture Stakeholder Management
(Loyalty & Engagement) (Trust & Excitement)
– Sponsor interest & Creativity
Process
communication
Internal
(Team)
Slide 11
 Professional Development
(Growth & Opportunities)
Agile PMs Act as Needed
Individual External
(Self) (Environment)
Motivation Trends
• Two-Way Interaction Cycle Stress Changes
Happiness Politics
• First, Learn from Team
– Collect Data Team Dynamics Stakeholder Management
(Loyalty & (Trust & Excitement)
– Build Intuition Engagement) Culture
Creativity
– Increase Tacit Knowledge Process
Learn From Team Influence Team
• Collect Data Internal • Facilitate
• Then Influence Team • Build Intuition (Team) • Negotiate
• Tacit Knowledge • Re-Align
– Lead Discussions
– Negotiate
– Re-orient Teams
https://www.maxpixel.net/Quiz-Think-Question-
Thinking-Brain-Answer-2004314 Slide 12
Decision Maker’s Mind
More Powerful than You Think!
In the age of supercomputer and
cloud computing, humans are still
better than the best devices!
• Memory
- Greater than Library of Congress
- Greater than any laptop
• Computing
- Greater than DeepMind!
- Greater than the Condor!

Humans are 500k to 1M times

Smarter than Computers Today

Slide 13
Going Slow to Go Fast
• The greatest investors of our time use data Tuttleman
Large holdings of Walmart, Home Depot,
and intuition & Starbucks
– Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway
Tuttleman on reading four (4) hours a day:
– Steve Tuttleman, Blue 9 Capital
“It’s a big scan for sure..but..It gives me a
• Both exhaustively scan of the environment, foundation for what I do”
but act swiftly and with impact!
– Both religiously read, and emphasize it
– Both emphasize value investing, and good
hands-off leadership
– Both have outperformed the stock market & all Buffett
Large holdings of Goldman Sachs,
trading algorithms! Coke, & GM
Slide 14
Agile Leaders Sense Deliberately over Time
• Great Project Managers do the same four hours of sensing every day, in order
to act swiftly

• PMs must actively listen and take in information from their scanning of
External and Internal Environments.
– Quality and Accuracy - you get better at ingesting new info
– Power and Efficiency - you make more connections
– Timeliness and Speed - it becomes a habit!

Actively Listening enables better decision making

to Plan, Organize, Control and Actuate
Slide 15
Agile Leaders Act Dynamically and Quickly
• When Lacking Leadership
– Influence – setting solution space & conditions
– Facilitate deliberations – internal & external
– Link in stakeholders – bring in key influencers
– Set the pace – mid and long-term decisions

• When Lacking Management

– Tactical planning – adjust plan to reduce uncertainty
– Technical solutioning – adjust design/skills for uncertainty
– Business solutioning – verify & validate needs or reqs

Slide 16
Tapping Team Unconscious
Nudges Behavior

Slide 17
We Don’t Know What’s Going on
• Since 95% of our thoughts belong to our “unconscious self” – what
chance do we have of knowing others?

• We can’t know the other’s mind, we can only observe their behavior
(and vice versa!)

Slide 18
Three Constraints to Leadership
from Mike Mears, Founder of CIA’s Leadership Academy

• If you tell them, they won’t listen

• What’s in their head is not in your head (and vice versa)

• They won’t tell you what’s in their head (and they don’t know!)

Slide 19
Nudge Theory Says Positivity & Liberty Works
• Types of nudges: Four Elements of a Nudge
– Default rules
– Simplification
– Social norms Easy
– Added convenience
– Disclosure Attractive Timely
– Pre-commitment
– Reminders
Social
– Eliciting intentions
– Inform with data from past behavior
Slide 20
Nudges Influence the Team to Align Behaviors
from Mike Mears, Founder of CIA’s Leadership Academy

• Focus on behaviors (that’s all you got)

• Always focus on the future behaviors, especially with criticism

• Leverage social and environmental tweaks to “Nudge” individual

changes

Slide 21
 When a Nudge Isn’t Enough!
Negotiation Field Guide

Slide 22
Handling Conflict Negotiation is an Art

• Highly situational and goal-dependent

• You have a natural “style” that you should be mindful of when engaging

• You should adjust your style based on the need and the other party
involved

Slide 23
 Thomas Kilmann Conflict Modes

owl
shark
Competing fox
Collaborating
Win-Lose Win-Win
Assertiveness
Focusing on your Compromising
Win Some – Lose Some teddy
needs turtle bear

Avoiding Accommodating
Lose-Lose Lose-Win

Cooperativeness
Focusing on others’ needs and the relationship
Slide 24
Sharks: Eyes on the Prize!

• Dangers of being A Shark:

– You get the deal, but a bad result
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shark_silhouette.svg
– Burning bridges
• Compete (I Win - You Lose)!
– Focus on winning instead of profits
• When to use: – Exhaustion
– There’s no time!
– Defending against Sharks • Defense against Sharks:
– No Long-Term Relationship – Don’t Cave In! Compete back!
– Competitive Market – Can’t build relationship, so don’t try
– Can’t compromise (e.g. ethics) – Use clear, demanding language
Slide 25
Turtles: No Stress, Thank You!
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turtle.svg
• Avoid (I Lose - You Lose)!
• When to use:
– It’s not important
– It’ll take too many resources!
– You came unprepared to negotiate
– Everyone needs to cool down
• Dangers of being a Turtle:
– Being waited out for better terms
– Not leveraging urgency
– Losing relationships
– Can increase conflict
• Defense against Turtles:
– Set clear expectations of timing
– Define milestones to move forward
– Escalate as needed to get motion
– Offer a resolution process
Slide 26
Foxes: I’m Good If You’re Good!
• Dangers of being a Fox:
– Don’t compromise on must haves!
– Start with the most ambitious offer
https://pixabay.com/en/silhouette-fox-jump-animal-2506180/
– Eliminates opportunities
• Compromise – Don’t transition into competing!
(I Win/Lose - You Win/Lose)
• Defense against Foxes:
• When to use:
– It’s urgent and you trust them – Ensure that exchanges are fair
– Reducing strain on the relationship – Trade based on goals and interest
– Only way forward – Stay a little longer on each trade
– It’s a lousy deal, but you’re in it – Avoid extreme offers (dog fights!)
Slide 27
Teddy Bear: It’s All About Relationships!
https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-
image.php?image=142814&picture=teddy-bear
• Accommodate (I Lose - You Win)
• When to use:
– When you’re at fault
– To build a relationship
– If you can’t beat ‘em
– For the long-term win
• Dangers of being a Teddy Bear:
– Never use against a Shark
– Giving away too much too early
– Signaling weakness in negotiations
– Gift hurts you and they don’t want it
• Defense against a Teddy Bear:
– Beware a potential “Greek Gift”
– Point to mutual value of exchange
– Ensure deals are real, not scams
Slide 28
Owl: I Know We Can Solve It!

• Dangers of being an Owl:

– Avoid collaborating with Sharks
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Silhouette_of_an_owl.svg – Make sure both sides collaborate
• Collaborate (I Win - You Win)! – Share equal levels of details
– Make sure they have the authority!
• When to use:
– Goals and Relationships Important • Defense against an Owl:
– Must maintain a good reputation – Avoid if you don’t have the time!
– A lot on the line, need best solution – Compete, if you can go with it
– You have insight into both parties – Make sure you them to win, too
Slide 29
Negotiations Are a Constrained Activity
You Can’t Solve Everything!
• General Tips:
– Always be aware of your default style
– Know your stuff before negotiating
(be prepared!)
– Always look to match styles correctly
– Don’t overly use one style
– Be prepared to compete a little!

Slide 30
Influencing Processes and Controlling Authorities
Leading to Done

Slide 31
Reminder: Agile Leadership is a Process
• Facilitation is needed when
– Handling disagreements, competing needs
– Making big changes or setting direction
– “The Right Thing” is unclear

• Support (Service) is needed when

– Achieving the goal is highly uncertain
– “Doing Things Right” is unclear
– Environments or process impede the team

Slide 32
Agile is Designed for Continuous Improvement
Act

Plan Do Check

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scrum_Framework.png
Slide 33
Agile Leaders Empower Teams
• Designs a Continuously Improving Team Environment by
– Framing the purpose of the team
– Adapting team to new roles in agile workplace
– Building inclusive group interactions to source truth & solutions
– Motivating and empowering the team
– Expecting and exploiting conflicts

Agile Leaders use Engagement, Authenticity, and Restraint:

So teams are empowered to do the right things, the right way

Slide 34
Agile Separates Leadership and Authority
• Scrum Master Owns Process (Authority)
• Product Owner Owns the Product Backlog (Authority)
• Team Owns the Results of Collective Work (Authority)

“An individual’s responsibility for leadership is not dependent on authority.… the deep-

rooted assumption that authority should equal responsibility is the root of much
organizational evil.

I believe misunderstanding around this issue is rampant, problematic, and runs so deep in
our consciousness that we don’t even realize it.”

From the US Marine Corps Manual via “The Remarkable Chief Engineer” by John Shook, 2009
Sutherland, Jeff. Scrum (p. 177). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Slide 35
Leadership can steer the ship, but without a
well-managed ship – you sink!
• This course teaches about being a great Agile Leader
– Inspire, Align, and Direct
– Motivate, Organize, and Empower

• Next we’ll discuss what it takes to be a great Agile Manager

Slide 36
Great Teams Do Both!
Leadership Management

Set Direction Plan & Budget

Align People Execute Organize & Staff

Motivate & Inspire Control & Solve

Slide 37
Slide 37
Controlling Execution is Business Engineering!

Key Benefits: Other Techniques Include:

• Transparency • Agile Systems Engineering
• Stakeholder Agreement • Controlling through measurement
• Meaningful Milestones • 3Ps - People, Process, Product
• Authentic Insights • Scaled Decision Science that Works
Slide 38
• Continuous Improvement • Enterprise alignment of Agile Teams
Thank You! Good Luck! And Never Stop Asking Why!
Why That?
Why That Way?
Sponsors Why Then?
Why There?
Why Them?
Why Not You?
Agile PM

Product
Owner

Slide 39

stakeholders Development Team

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Agile Leadership Principles and
Practices

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