Lightweight teams in heavyweight organizations

Agile Special Forces

Sergey Prokhorenko

Luxoft Agile Practice

18 May 2014

2

Clients’ Perception of Agile

18 May 2014

Fixing issues

• Doing right things

• Doing things right

• Clear progress

• Change for free

Traditional restrictions

• Cost reduction

• Budget commitments

• Zero tolerance for failures

• Shareholders’ pressure

3

Clash of Management Theories

4

Traditional Hierarchy

Commander-in-Chief

US Army

10 active divisions

4 regiments and BCTs

Special Operations Command

USMC USN USAF USCG

SecDef CJCS

5

US Army Special Operations Command

Special Forces (“green berets”)

CAG aka Delta Force

(classified anti-terrorist unit)

75th Rangers Regiment (elite

strike force)

Various support and

logistics units

“Operations conducted by,

with, or through irregular

forces in support of a

resistance movement, an

insurgency, or conventional

military operations.”

FM 3-05.201, (S/NF) Special Forces

Unconventional Warfare (U)

28 September 2007

6

Challenges UW Concept USAF

OEF-A Context (2001)

Abandoned since

1991

Almost no presence

of CIA

Landlocked country

No up-to-date

invasion plan

Six months estimate

for planning phase

Massive bombing of

key targets

Engaging targets from

high altitude due to

AA emplacements

Flying from Oman or

Indian ocean

No real results

“True Believers”

Deploy to Uzbekistan

as CSAR teams

Infiltrate Afghanistan

Help USAF with air

control

Train local forces and

prepare for full-scale

invasion

7

Cross-Functional Teams

Operational Detachment Alpha (ODA) structure

FM 3-21.20 (7-20), The Infantry Battalion

13 December 2006

8

Case Study: ODA 574

Challenge for US SF:

– Support Hamid Karzai (future president of Afghanistan) in heading anti-Taliban

movement in southeastern Afghanistan (Oct-Dec 2001)

9

Case Study: ODA 574

Responding to change

10

Case Study: ODA 574 – Analysis

Mission Accomplished

Motivation

Autonomy

Mastery

Purpose

Resources

USAF bombers

Supply drops

Money

Infrastructure

CCT

Satellite links

Equipment

11

More Peaceful – Marshmallow Challenge

18 minutes

Teams of four

Tallest freestanding structure

Marshmallow has to be on top

12

Lessons Learned

Kindergarten graduates perform better than business school graduates

Prototyping matters

Diverse skills matter

Incentives + low skills = failure

Incentives + skills = success

Does Agile approach fit any activity?

13

Back to ODA Structure

“Truck number” ≥ 2

“Split team” concept

Fully cross-component

Able to operate independently in

a hostile environment

Highly skilled professionals (rank

is SSG and higher)

No novices – at all

Typical career path: regular

Army or Rangers, then SF

Often teamed up with USAF

combat controllers

14

Big Question Marks

Which projects can leverage

junior team members in self-

organized teams?

Is Agile really a silver bullet?

How to train juniors for large

business-critical Agile projects?

15

Case Study: Battle of Tora Bora

Challenge for CAG (aka Delta Force):

– Kill or capture Osama bin Laden in Tora Bora cave complex (Dec 2001)

16

Case Study: Battle of Tora Bora

Failure to kill or

capture OBL

Victory

• Tora Bora complex captured

• Taliban presence eliminated

17

Case Study: Battle of Tora Bora – Analysis

Mission Failed

Motivation

Autonomy

Mastery

Purpose

Resources

USAF bombers

Area blocking

Money

Infrastructure

CCT

Satellite links

Equipment

18

Lessons to Learn

One of the best operators in the world

Best equipment

All might of the US Air Force

vs

Allies not seeing clear purpose

Risk-averse approach

Political issues

Lack of support from SF and Rangers

Would conventional (non-Agile) approach fit better?

19 18 May 2014

Cynefin Framework

20

Agile Principle #5

Autonomy

Mastery

Purpose Environment

Support

21

Team Development

18 May 2014

Forming

Storming

Norming

Performing

Shu

Ha

Ri

Successful Agile teams are as valuable outcome of the

project as the product itself

22

Easy Scaling?

23

Organizational Culture

Theory X

• Thorough planning

• Resource-based organization

• Strict hierarchy

• Easy scaling

• Good for keeping up

Theory Y

• Responding to change

• Team-based organization

• Steep learning curve

• Good for rapid engagements

24

What’s Next?

Unconventional Development?

– Means for Agile teams to find a place in large enterprise organizations

– Leading the way in challenging projects

– Opportunity for most skilled people

– “Bootcamps” and qualification courses for the rest of organization

Clear grading system to identify missing skills

Quantity to quality

– Organizational transformation

– Education and coaching at senior levels

25

Personal Development Opportunities

18 May 2014

26

Further Reading

Your

QR Code Thank you!

14 March 2014

Sergey Prokhorenko

Luxoft

sprokhorenko@luxoft.com

ua.linkedin.com/in/sergeyprokhorenko