Episode 4 – Managing complexity
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In a complex system, the key is not just the components but their interaction. The interaction of elements results in an unpredictable behaviour. You cannot use analysis to create a predictable solution to the behaviour. The inter-relation of elements has a significant effect. Therefore deconstructing the system into its elements does not allow you to understand its behaviour. Typically software development has a strong emergent factor where learning comes as part of doing. This seems to be inherent in the value which software development brings.
This podcast is AI-generated based on material from the “Agile Plays” website and book.
Transcript
Welcome back everyone. Today, we're going deep on a topic I know a lot of you struggle with. How do you plan and track work when you're in a super complex environment? Yeah. Those nice neat project plans, they kinda go out the window, don't they?
Exactly. So we're diving into the world of agile where change is the only constant, and adapting is the name of the game. Yes. We've got 2 awesome sources to guide us. 2024 agile.pdf and, the new new product development dash game dot pdf.
These are both classics for a reason. They really know why traditional project management often falls apart in software development. So right off the bat, let's talk about why software development is so different. Why is agile even necessary? 2024agile.pdf makes this really important distinction between complicated systems and complex ones.
Think of a car engine. Right? It's complicated, lots of parts, but it's predictable. You know what to do. You follow the steps.
Boom. You've built an engine. Right. But software, it's complex. You've got people, technology, constantly changing needs.
It's more like an ecosystem. You start a project thinking, okay. I got this, and then, bam, new challenges pop up, things you never even considered. And that's where traditional scientific management just breaks down. It's too rigid, too focused on controlling every little detail.
Like, if we go way back to Taylorism and those ideas, they worked great for factories, mass production. But in software, that kind of top down control stifles creativity, and it makes it really hard to adapt when inevitably something changes. Okay. So enter the Agile manifesto. It's not so much a set of rules as it is, I don't know, a philosophy, a set of values.
It's definitely more about guiding principles than rigid processes. Right. Like, it prioritizes individuals and their interactions over processes and tools, and working software actually delivering something usable over tons of documentation. It's also big on customer collaboration working with your customers, not just battling them over contracts. And this is key, responding to change rather than clinging to a plan that's no longer relevant.
2024agile.pdf has this awesome analogy. It's like using a compass for direction instead of trying to follow a rigid map. Love that. Perfect analogy because you need that flexibility. So how does this play out in practice?
Well, we hear this word sprints all the time in Agile. What are they really about? Yeah. Break that down for us. So a sprint is a fixed time box, usually about 2 weeks long.
The team focuses on delivering a set of valuable features within that sprint. But here's the thing. While the time box is fixed, what you achieve within that sprint can change based on what you learn. Oh, okay. So it's like you've got this container, the sprint, but the contents can shift around as needed.
Exactly. It's about creating that space to adapt. But now I'm thinking, how do you even estimate work when things are constantly in flux? That always trips me up. Right.
It's tough. And 2024agile.pdf introduces this really cool concept, story points, instead of getting stuck trying to guess how many hours something will take. Which, let's be honest, is usually totally wrong. Yeah. It's unreliable.
Story points are all about relative complexity. So it's not this will take 8 hours, but more like this task is way bigger and harder than that other one. Precisely. So if building a basic feature is a 3 in terms of complexity, a more complex one might be an 8. You're comparing, not measuring with time.
This makes a ton of sense. But how does it help with actual planning and tracking? Well, that's where we bring in velocity. By looking at how many story points a team delivers per sprint, you start to get a handle on their capacity. So you're using what they've done before to predict what they can realistically do in the future.
Exactly. It's data driven, not just guesswork. Okay. This is already making those dense project management books seem a bit less scary. But there's so much more to explore.
So we've got these sprints. We're estimating with story points instead of hours. But how do we make sure it actually leads to delivering, like, real value to the customer? And how does that connect back to the big picture goals of the business? Right.
That's key. Well, understanding value streams is crucial here. And the new new product development dash game dot pdf uses this awesome analogy from sports. They say traditional product development. It's like a relay race.
Each department does its part, passes the baton. Okay. I can see that. Handoffs, everyone in their lane. Exactly.
Yeah. But they argue agile is more like rugby. Rugby. Okay. How so?
Well, in rugby, the whole team is working together to move the ball down the field. Right? It's fluid. You adapt to what the other team is doing. Everyone contributes to that shared goal.
So instead of tossing the project over the wall from department to department. You've got this cross functional team working together from start to finish, and 2024 agile.pdf really emphasizes breaking down those silos we often see in organizations. Those walls between departments. Yeah. Makes collaboration tough.
Exactly. And it's about moving away from that rigid top down hierarchy where someone at the top calls all the shots. So less about giving orders, more about supporting the team. Right. 2024agile.pdf talks about leaders becoming facilitators, helping the team succeed, removing roadblocks, creating an environment where everyone can do their best work.
And this trust thing, it extends to how we track and report progress too. Because 2024agile.pdf is pretty clear. Ditch those old school metrics like time sheets. They just measure how busy people are, not what they're actually accomplishing. Gantt charts too, they don't really work in this kind of environment.
They're artifacts of a time when work was more predictable. Right? Like, you could map it all out on a timeline and it would actually stay that way. Agile says, nope. That's not reality.
So we need different ways to measure success. Okay. So what are some better ways to track progress when you're embracing complexity and, well, accepting that things will change? 2024 agile.pdf points to metrics that reflect flow and quality, things like cycle time. Cycle time.
Remind me what that is again. Sure. It's basically how long it takes to complete a task from start to finish. So you're looking at how efficiently work is moving through the system, and another one is escape frequency. Escape frequency?
That sounds ominous. It is, kind of. It measures how often defects like bugs and software make it into production. So it's about quality control, catching those issues early. Gotcha.
So it's not just about speed. It's about delivering value and making sure the value is high quality. But how do we ensure the team is building the right things to begin with, the stuff that customers actually want? Right. That's where the product owner comes in, a role that's super important in 2024agile.pdf.
They're like the voice of the customer, making sure the team understands those needs, the priorities, the big vision for what we're building. Okay. So the product owner is bridging the gap between the team and the customer. Exactly. And also making sure the team's work aligns with the business's overall strategy.
It's about connecting all those dots. This is reminding me of something we've talked about before, continuous improvement. Agile isn't a destination. It's an ongoing journey. Absolutely.
And the new new product development deck, game dot pdf, calls it multi learning. This idea that learning happens at the individual level, the team level, and across the organization, it's all connected. And a key part of that highlighted in 2024agile.pdf is retrospectives, those dedicated times to reflect on a sprint. Right. What went well?
What could we do better next time? How can we adapt our approach? It's structured, but it's also about creating a culture of honest feedback. So it's not just about bowling on mistakes, but turning them into opportunities to learn and improve. Exactly.
Retrospectives help build that continuous improvement muscle, and that's what makes agile so effective in complex environments. It's not about fighting change. It's about embracing it. Okay. So we've talked about adapting to change using tools like sprints and story points.
But what about the people actually doing the work? How do we make sure they can thrive in this kind of environment where complexity is just part of the deal? That's where this idea of psychological safety comes in. And 2024agile.pdf really hammers this home. It's about creating a space where everyone on the team feels safe to speak their mind.
So no fear of being judged or, like, punished for bringing up a concern or admitting they made a mistake? Exactly. Because in complex environments, we know things are gonna go wrong sometimes. It's inevitable. It's a part of the process.
Right. And if people are afraid to point out those potential problems or to suggest new ideas, then the team can't really improve. Makes sense. So psychological safety is kind of the foundation for everything else to work well. Absolutely.
It's the foundation for innovation, for continuous improvement, for really delivering that value to the customer. And this ties back to what we were saying about teamwork and collaboration being so crucial. Totally. When people feel supported, they're more likely to share their unique perspectives, their talents, and that's what makes a team really powerful. And it's not just about individual teams either.
The new new product development game dot pdf had this awesome concept of what was it called? Multi learning. Yes. Multi learning. So it's about learning happening not just within a team, but across the whole organization.
Right? Exactly. Breaking down those silos, sharing knowledge and insights freely. It's like cross pollination for ideas. The more we share, the more we all learn and grow, the better we become as a whole.
Love that analogy. Yeah. So agile is way more than just a set of processes or a bunch of tools. It's really a different way of thinking and working. It's a mindset, a philosophy that says, hey, complexity is a given, so let's embrace it.
Let's empower people to do their best work. Okay. So as we wrap up this deep dive into the world of agile, we wanna leave you with a question. How can you be more agile, whether in your work, your projects, or even just how you approach life in general? Start small.
Experiment with the things we've talked about. Try using those fixed time boxes, those sprints, even for just a day or 2. Yeah. See if it helps you focus. And don't get hung up on trying to plan everything down to the minute, set a direction, and then be willing to adapt along the way.
And remember, it's not about being perfect. It's about being open to learning, to changing course, to continuously improving. That's the real heart of Agile. So keep those questions in mind. Keep experimenting, and keep diving deep.
Until next time. Until next time.
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