This document discusses how to fail at being agile by not truly embracing its principles. It notes that while scrum may make problems obvious, it does not solve them. True agility involves teams regularly reflecting to improve, trusting one another, eliminating waste through continuous learning and improvement, and respecting people. It emphasizes celebrating learning over success or failure, and choosing not to blame but rather focus on problem solving to rebuild trust.

1. How to Fail at Agile
(by really trying)
Steve Holyer
Presented at One-Schweiz / Internet Briefing
Agile Web Development
May 9, 2012

2. Scrum
is not going to
solve your
problems ...

3. ... it’s just going to make them in
your face obvious.

4. Every day.
thehackerchickblog.com

7. Pierre Spring drew this ...

12. §

13. §

15. Pierre Spring drew this ...

17. Agile is writing software ...

18. in teams that regularly reflect on how
to become more effective ...

19. trusting that team ...

20. to adjust its behavior
accordingly.

23. Eliminate waste through
continuous improvement

24. amplify learning ...
Photo credit: some rights reserved by Sebastian Bergmann

25. ... and practice respect for
people.

28. First rule of holes, when you’re in one ...

29. ... stop digging!

38. Eliminate waste through
continuous improvement

48. Predictable Performance
is Driven by Feedback
Mary Poppendiek

49. A predictable organization does
not guess about the future and
call it a plan...
... it develops the capacity to
rapidly respond to the future as
it unfolds.
Mary Poppendiek

56. The only way to work out of blame
orientation is to choose not to
blame.

57. Instead, demonstrate problem-
solving, and gradually rebuild trust
with those with whom you work
directly.
Esther Derby

58. §

59. Failure is actually a good thing in
learning systems...
...this is one of the ways most
information is generated.
Donald G. Reinerstsen, LeanSSC 2010

60. §

62. Celebrate learning, not success or failure.
Jurgen Appelo

64. Making your problems in your
face obvious.

65. Every day.

66. Lean Agile Tea Community of Practice
First Wednesday of every month
https://leanagiletea.wordpress.com
Steve Holyer
Agile Web Development
Steve.Holyer@liip.ch
@zurcherart
@liip