The Agile Imperative: Creating Self-Directed Teams That Get It Done

By G A Johnson

"The Agile Imperative" takes readers on a compelling journey through the application of agile principles in a mission-driven organization. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Rexella, a software engineer turned Scrum Master, readers gain insight into the power of agile methodologies and how they can transform the fate of an organization.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AgileColade
• Release date: Apr 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088158135

Book preview

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Chapter 1: The Challenge

In the dimly lit office, Rexella sat hunched over her laptop, squinting through a tangle of loose hair as she obsessively checked her inbox. It was 11:47 PM on a Friday, and she was the last soul in the building. While others were likely unwinding after a long work week, Rexella was desperate for an email – any sign that her fate in the company might be salvageable.

She was a brilliant software engineer; she knew it. She had the right blend of technical know-how and innovative thinking to make a difference in digital healthcare. But somehow, she was now reluctantly tasked as the Scrum Master for a floundering team responsible for delivering the company's make-or-break product: a state-of-the-art wristband monitoring system.

It wasn't a role she'd asked for, but it was the one she'd been thrust into after the new CEO's rallying cry for a more agile culture. The company was teetering on the edge of financial ruin after several misguided ventures, and this medical wristband was their last hope for salvation.

Rexella glanced at the motivational poster hanging above her desk. It was a quote from an old business guru: Lead, follow, or get out of the way. She sighed, wishing she could get out of the way and dive back into her technical work. But there was no turning back now.

As she guided her team through daily standups in the first weeks, facilitated retrospectives, and coached her colleagues to embrace agile methodologies, Rexella couldn't help but feel a growing sense of disdain from her peers. She was younger than most of her teammates, and her fresh-faced enthusiasm for the Scrum process only seemed to annoy them further. Rexella couldn't help but feel that her talents were being wasted and that her newfound role was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Months went by, and progress on the wristband project could have been faster. There were bugs in the software, communication breakdowns, and mounting pressure from the company's increasingly anxious board of directors. Rexella's resolve waned each day as she questioned her ability to lead her team to success.

But one day, as she sat alone in the break room, sipping stale coffee and reflecting on her predicament, a sudden thought struck her. What if agile wasn't about teaching others or forcing change? What if it was about learning and adapting herself? She remembered a quote from one of her favorite authors, Elihu Goldratt: Tell me how you measure me, and I will tell you how I will behave.

Rexella realized her value to the team wasn't in her technical abilities – she was there to inspire and empower her colleagues to find their unique strengths. And at that moment, she embraced her role as Scrum Master, not as a reluctant babysitter, but as a transformational leader who could guide her struggling team to greatness.

The year was 2023, and the company's future hung in the balance. Rexella knew that everything hinged on the wristband project's success, and she resolved to do everything she could to ensure its delivery.

The company's newest product was unlike anything else on the market. A sleek, thin band worn around the wrist housed a sophisticated array of sensors and wireless technology. The user slipped it onto their wrist, and it would begin streaming real-time data to an app on the phone. The wristband was designed to track vital signs, including blood pressure, pulse, and body temperature, and it also monitored activity levels and sleep patterns. It could even detect stress and provide instant breathing exercises when needed. With this information, users could better understand their bodies and behaviors and use that knowledge to improve their well-being.

Rexella's team had been tasked with developing a beta version of the wristband's software, but they needed help to meet their deadlines and keep up with the ever-changing requirements of their management.

Rexella's boss had warned her that this type of product development was always a challenge, but Rexella was determined to be up to the challenge. She had taken the classes and listened to the gurus in the early training.

Using agile project management techniques, she helped her team adopt an iterative approach to development, where they worked in short sprints toward tangible goals instead of waiting until the end to deliver a complete product. She also used scrum ceremonies and retroactive reviews to maintain transparency among her team members and encourage accountability.

Rexella often felt outnumbered and underappreciated, but she refused to let her colleagues' reluctance influence her work ethic. She remained focused on delivering a high-quality, functional product within the allotted time frame.

Unfortunately, as the weeks passed, Rexella's optimism began to fade. The company was still losing money, and the CEO had made several cost-cutting decisions. Rexella's team of engineers had never developed a commercialized medical device before, and they weren't used to having so much pressure on their shoulders.

One morning, a new issue arose, which Rexella saw as a significant roadblock to delivering the product on time. She shared the problem with her team during a meeting, but her suggestions were met with derision. One of her colleagues ridiculed her for suggesting they ask the CEO for help. Another claimed it was only possible to change the project's direction with the CEO's approval. Rexella was stunned. She hadn't expected such an adverse reaction from her colleagues, especially after all the hard work she'd put in.

She didn't want to give up, but she feared that her efforts were falling on deaf ears. Rexella decided to take things into her own hands.

Her first step was to analyze her team's performance metrics. She noted their daily output of story points and tasks completed and calculated a velocity. Next, she considered the scope of the product and the team's capacity to complete the project. Finally, she compared the velocity to the company's planned release date and realized they would only fall behind schedule if they took drastic measures.

Rexella was confident that her team members could do better. But how could she convince them to go above and beyond without threatening their self-esteem?

Rexella turned to Goldratt's Theory of Constraints, the fundamental tenet of which states change the constraint and change the result. She identified the biggest constraint on the wristband project: the timeline. She realized that the company could easily miss their deadline if they started over. She consulted her manager and explained the situation, but he ignored her concerns.

We're already behind, he said. There's no way we can move the timeline forward.

With the clock ticking, Rexella had no choice but to try something different. She remembered the exercises from her Scrum Alliance training from only months ago. Though she had achieved her agile scrum credential, applying the activities in the two-day class she attended seemed not as difficult as in real life. Besides, the people were