Bored with boards? Using Kanban for projects and change. - John Clapham

It started a few years ago – white boards sprouted in the corners of our offices, decorated with strange columns, symbols and mystical sigils. Now those kanban boards are reaching epidemic proportions, a key part of understanding work in agile teams.Many organisations continue with Kanban isolated at team level, but they fail to exploit the full potential of the method. It has more to offer than fine grained team coordination, the original intent was as both a project management and continuous improvement tool. Drawing on years of successful project delivery, this talk looks at taking Kanban to the next level; to manage and understand agile projects, and to encourage positive organisational change.

John Clapham@JohnC_Bristol

Cotelic

www.cotelic.uk

Bored with boards? Using Kanban for projects and change.

“The team controls the work, all we do is make it possible.”

- Stephen Nelson-Smith (this morning)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47741487@N06/6022222554

Origins

Time challenged eight year old:

Time challenged eight year old:- Pressure from too many things to do

Time challenged eight year old:- Pressure from too many things to do- Not finishing anything

Time challenged eight year old:- Pressure from too many things to do- Not finishing anything- Asking ‘where does my time go?’

http://www.personalkanban.com/pk/applications/one-kidz-kanban-board/#sthash.Q2rK81Vf.dpbs

https://www.flickr.com/photos/otacke/10034579444/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stop-play/9134103448/

Kanban uses a pull system…

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stop-play/9134103448/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/15549713137/

Kanban uses a pull system……so we don’t exceed our capacity.

What’s in it for me?

What’s in it for me?- Kinesthetic feedback

What’s in it for me?- Kinesthetic feedback - Focus on completion plays to our unit bias

What’s in it for me?- Kinesthetic feedback - Focus on completion plays to our unit bias- Self measurement of achievement

What’s in it for me?- Kinesthetic feedback - Focus on completion plays to our unit bias- Self measurement of achievement- Clarity of demand and progress

“Work ceases to be a collection of unrelated tasks and instead becomes a series of events and options.”

- Tonianne DeMaria Barry

What’s in it for teams?

What’s in it for teams?- Reduced coordination overhead

What’s in it for teams?- Reduced coordination overhead- Shared understanding of process

What’s in it for teams?- Reduced coordination overhead- Shared understanding of process- Encourage swarming and support

What’s in it for teams?- Reduced coordination overhead- Shared understanding of process- Encourage swarming and support- Open progress reporting

https://www.flickr.com/photos/helico/3060694963/

WorkInProgress

? Ever been part of a kanban

?

?

Its not just work that flows:

Its not just work that flows: “Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment.“

1. Knowing what to do2. Knowing how to do it3. Knowing how well you are doing4. Knowing where to go 5. High perceived challenges6. High perceived skills7. Freedom from distractions

Schaffer - Seven conditions of flow

1. Knowing what to do2. Knowing how to do it3. Knowing how well you are doing4. Knowing where to go 5. High perceived challenges6. High perceived skills7. Freedom from distractions

Schaffer - Seven conditions of flow

1. Knowing what to do2. Knowing how to do it3. Knowing how well you are doing4. Knowing where to go 5. High perceived challenges6. High perceived skills7. Freedom from distractions

Schaffer - Seven conditions of flow

1. Knowing what to do2. Knowing how to do it3. Knowing how well you are doing4. Knowing where to go 5. High perceived challenges6. High perceived skills7. Freedom from distractions

Schaffer - Seven conditions of flow

https://www.flickr.com/photos/milstan/5421435986/

Metrics

“What gets measured gets managed” - Peter Drucker

?

?Hours Output

“In God we trust; all others bring data.”- W Edwards Deming

Cycle Time

Dev

Dev Deploy Done

“Cycle time gives you the ability to shine a light on the things you want to improve”

- Dave Farley

Cycle Time

Dev

Dev Deploy Done

Dev

Dev Deploy Done

Dev

Dev Deploy Done

https://www.flickr.com/photos/arthurjohnpicton/4383221264/

Change

Worth investigating?

“Organisational change is hard – really hard.” - Me, everyone who has tried it

"The curse of knowledge: better-informed people find it difficult to think about problems from the perspective of

lesser-informed people.“

Kubler-Ross Change Curve

- We take time to get used to new ideas.

Roger’s innovation & Adoption Curve.

- We take time to get used to new ideas.- We react to change by stalling, supporting or suppressing.

Time

Capability

David Viney - J Curve Effect observed in change.

Time

Capability

David Viney - J Curve Effect observed in change.

Except this!

Time

Capability

David Viney - J Curve Effect observed in change.

Change ‘announced’here

Time

Capability

David Viney - J Curve Effect observed in change.

Swan Song forPrevious practice

Change ‘announced’here

Time

Capability

David Viney - J Curve Effect observed in change.

Swan Song forPrevious practice

Change ‘announced’here

Where we wantTo be

Time

Capability

David Viney - J Curve Effect observed in change.

How low can you go?Appetite for risk determines comfort in this area

- We take time to get used to new ideas.- We react to change by stalling, supporting or suppressing.- Our appetite for risk determines our pace of change.

Time

Capability

Time

Capability

Small ‘j’s reduce risk

Would you like to know more?https://www.flickr.com/photos/svenstorm/4452323687

Try it…

https://getkanban.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/uk_pictures/3483034558/

Reflections

Kanban Principles:

1. Visualise Workflow

2. Limit Work In Progress

3. Measure and manage flow

4. Make Policies Explicit

5. Improve continuously

Visualising work, works!- Engages individuals & teams

Visualising work, works!- Engages individuals & teams- Encourages collaboration

Data is good!- We use data to forecast, and to find

areas ripe for improvement.

Evolution, not revolution:- Start with what you do now.

Evolution, not revolution:- Start with what you do now- Take a sustainable pace

Evolution, not revolution:- Start with what you do now.- Take a sustainable pace- Inspect, adapt

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything”

- George Bernard Shaw

John Clapham@JohnC_Bristol

Cotelic

www.cotelic.uk

Thanks!

References…

My blog, Erratic Mumblings:http://johnclapham.wordpress.com/

Slideshare:http://www.slideshare.net/john.clapham/presentations

The Kubler-Ross Modelhttp://www.managetrainlearn.com/page/kubler-ross-model

Roger’s Adoption Curvehttp://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_rogers_innovation_adoption_curve.html

David Viney, J Curve (Book) – “The Intranet Portal Guide: How to Make the Business Case for a Corporate Portal, Then Successfully Deliver”