I am about to possibly rock your world — or the organizations around you.
Welcome back to yet another week at www.implementingscrum.com. I appreciate all the comments from the last posting and comic strip, and it feels good for me to get back into posting the comics and new thoughts.
It seems like you enjoy them too (thank you).
If you ARE in this situation, start the difficult conversations today about how to fix it… and SHARE this posting within your organization.
If you are NOT in this situation, well… count yourself lucky and SHARE this posting with your friends who might be in the following situation!
Is your organization struggling to come up with an “Enterprise Plan” for rolling out Agile [and Scrum in particular]?
I am working with clients today that have a similar problem. I have worked with many many many large [and small] enterprises over the years and have seen many patterns that work. I have also been personally involved with ideas that have failed (and yeah, some were even my ideas).
Here is the number one reason I have seen that “Enterprise Rollouts” of Agile and Scrum FAIL:
They try to implement it too fast and furious.
Does this sound familiar?
Here is some great advice (and I know most people will ignore it AND possibly even disagree with me) for successfully rolling out Agile and Scrum projects:
Start with ONE project.
That’s it. Sound too easy? Hmm… Remember that the easiest and obvious answer may be that way for a reason!
“But Mike,” people say to me.
“WE are different.”
“WE need to get our entire portfolio up and running using Agile and Scrum across the worldwide distributed enterprise so that we can get metrics and tools in place to increase our time to market, lower costs, and make everyone feel like it is a party coming to work every day.”
OK… so the “party” part in that last statement was made up by me (smile). Just making sure you are with me.
The idea that, “We are different” and “we need to do bla bla bla bla” ALL RIGHT NOW will kill your Agile and Scrum implementation.
Don’t believe me?
OK… try it and get back to me. Or… continue down this thread with me….
If you are jumping on the Agile Bandwagon and using Scrum to transform your entire enterprise because “everyone else is now doing it” (yeah… Agile and Scrum have hit mainstream!) here is another word of advice.
STOP.
Right now.
Please.
Remember it took your organization years (and maybe decades) to paint yourself into the corner you are in today. Your organization has probably spent years coming up with incredibly complicated frameworks, processes, or methodologies to get things done. People have been promoted and rewarded for building empires and silos of expertise.
You also know that if you keep doing this, you are screwed.
Because your competitors are now all “Agile” and a lot are using this thing called “Scrum.”
There is still a major failure rate out there using Scrum (and the other Agile techniques).
Why is this?
Organizations — made up of really smart people (usually) — are making one of the greatest and most common mistakes in history… trying to inject too much change at one time.
Remember what happens when you try to do this (on a regular basis even)?
The organization will always always always go back to the way it was.
Dysfunctional.
Comfortable, but Dysfunctional.
AND… just as screwed as before you wanted to start this Enterprise Rollout of Agile and Scrum.
So.
Listen.
PLEASE.
If you are just getting started (or have already been down the path to where now “Scrum” or “Agile” is a bad and forbidden word in your organization) with a Scrum and Agile change management process….
Start with ONE Scrum project.
Get Executive Sponsorship as high up into the organization as possible (they need to take the fire cover for you and will be burning political favors).
Worry about scaling it later.
Otherwise, you’ll be just as comfortably dysfunctional and screwed at the end of the day.
Don’t believe me?
That’s OK.
Your competitors do.
Let me know your thoughts.
I am listening!
Original Posting: March 4, 2008
Hi,
As many of you know, next week is a HUGE conference in Orlando, Florida. The comic strip above was created a few years ago when I was speaking at a different conference, but I wanted to re-post it for both the people who ARE and ARE NOT going to the conference.
The original posting addressed seven things I try to do to get the most value out of any conference setting. I encourage you to review those tips — or see them for the first time — here.
So… first… for those of you NOT going… I will be posting a lot of real time information of my happenings there via twitter (this is really micro-level blogging these days!) and on FaceBook for larger thoughts than just 140 characters. For those of you who know about hash tags and groups on Twitter and FaceBook… look into those.
Why is this important if you are NOT going?
You’ll get some great tidbits of information from me and a bunch of other people who will be on the ground there. Meeting. Face-to-Face. Hearing about stuff both inside and outside the Scrum World. Because this really is important to what we do on a daily basis.
And.
Last week I announced to my e-mail followers that I have listened and will not post much more than new (or re-purposed — like this one) comic strips about Implementing Scrum on this blog. For those of you interested in following my fun travel exploits (well, I think they are fun… but yeah… outside the scope of this!) and other stuff that I’ll blog about outside of Scrum — head over to www.michaelvizdos.com and subscribe via email (you’ll see how to do it there!). I will be adding an RSS Feed there soon, but it is not up yet.
For those of you who WILL be going — or know people who will be going — please review the seven tips here. Help pass on the word about these tips!
If you have more tips or suggestions — please add them to the comments section of this entry.
I am making the personal investment to head down to the conference to meet people — both new and those who I have not seen in a while.
I am not speaking at this conference.
For me, it is ALL about the networking. Meeting PEOPLE. Real People. Outside of the side of the screen you are reading now!
This is also one of the first postings in a long time on this site, and I know the important thing about this site is the comic strips and how they can help people start tough conversations.
Some of the toughest conversations always need to take place face-to-face.
It does not matter if you are heading to the conference or not… the important thing to reflect on with this comic strip is to make sure you get out into the world once in a while — especially in this industry.
A lot of changes are happening on a constant basis.
The updated focus of this blog going forward is to start reminding myself and you that it is VERY important to have tough conversations.
Get out there and start.
Maybe it is just with the person sitting next to you….
Or… Maybe we can meet face to face — contact me if you are interested!
Hi,
I sincerely apologize for not posting a lot of new information each week (like I used to do — with new comic strips and very useful write-ups).
Here are the top five impediments for me, and as I break through them the consistency of this site will pick up once again…..
1) Family. My father passed away in April. While I know it has been a long time, it is still an issue with me and I am working through it. I’ve also got some other pressing family matters that are being taken care of as I write this. You’ll learn more about that stuff in some upcoming posts.
2) FaceBook. I have found that using facebook is a very powerful medium to “meet” old and new friends for connections. I can be found there at http://www.facebook.com/ImplementingScrum.
3) Twitter. Wow. Talk about instant feedback. This is the place I can get it — and share with others immediately. If you are not connected to me there please take the time and do it here: http://twitter.com/mvizdos.
4) I have been traveling the world and one of the new things I am working on is another book. I should be under contract soon, so that takes some priorities away from available time for me.
5) Clients. And I want to say a sincere THANK YOU SO MUCH for connecting with me as either a potential client, current client, or new client. And. Thank you for paying me. I have seen such tremendous change in the world (and I have been around the world a LOT lately!) and really do see that — when applied correctly — Scrum can truly transform the way we work.
So.
That’s my list and I am sticking to it. As I slowly remove barriers in order to get out new comics — or use some of the almost 100 on the site with new write-ups and lessons learned — they will start coming again.
Thank you for being either an email subscriber or RSS reader.
Keep the comments coming.
Remember.
This site is for you — the Scrum Community!
Thank you.
- mike vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com
Hey all.
First, let me apologize for not getting the latest comic strip to you.
As I write this, I am reflecting on the past week (plus) where I traveled to London, did a free talk as soon as I landed, facilitated my first [awesome] CSM class in London, hopped back on a plane to the USA, spent the morning with my youngest kid, drove three hours south to Raleigh, NC, and have spent the past two days teaching one of the most advanced public class I have done in a while — and thank all the participants here for helping me up my own game.
And now.
I am cooked.
I am actually holding back driving to Richmond tonight so I do not wind up on the side of the road. Or rather, in a ditch somewhere.
So.
Cartoon.
Coming soon.
I’ll probably be “off the grid” for the next few days (see my facebook and twitter status – link to me via the sidebar on the right of the site) for blogging.
On Sunday I am headed to Boise, Idaho for an incredible group on Monday and Tuesday, then am heading over to Phoenix on Wednesday, where I teach Thursday and Friday. (www.michaelvizdos.com/enroll). It sounds like user group meetings will happen in each place I am.
So.
I am trying to keep the “balance” on in life (whatever that is), and accept responsibility for not “being there” for all you, constant readers.
I hope there is a lesson in it for all of us 
.
Keep pluggin’ along where you are.
You are making a difference!
- mike
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com
Hi,
Last week I spent a lot of time on improving my own skills… so we’ll see how that plays out in the future!
I have been talking about connecting people looking for Scrum Jobs with REAL people who have Scrum Job Openings in their Organization.
Over the past few weeks I have been silently getting names of people who are looking for Scrum Jobs. I expect now that anyone who visits www.implementingscrum.com/scrum-jobs and is looking for a job WILL go out and do this. NOW.
Also… and here is the challenge… if you are in an organization who is looking for a person with Scrum Jobs skills, please go to www.implementingscrum.com/scrum-jobs and see if I can help you make a connection.
What is the fee for this?
FREE. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
Why am I doing this?
Mainly good Karma.
Pass it on! Twitter this link. Retwitter it if you see it. Put it up on FaceBook. E-mail it to your friends. Start to create some buzzzzzz for this. Please.
So… can you help me meet the challenge of actually making the ultimate hook-up of at least one person looking for a Scrum Job with a person in an organization who needs a qualified person here.
Transparency.
Trust.
Walking what I teach…
Let’s see how it works!
Good luck.
- mike vizdos
www.michaelvizdos.com
www.implementingscrum.com
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