chapter 6

More support from other agile resources

“You shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.”

Maya Angelou

A sneak preview of Chapter 6

There’s an unparalleled array of support and other useful resources on tap within the agile community, much of which is completely free:

• International organisations: With guidance, training, conferences and much more beside only a click away.
• On-line discussion groups: Plenty to choose from but with LinkedIn consistently a premium destination for all things agile.
• Likeminded soulmates: Face-to-face MeetUps offering wide ranging interest group and often free pizza too.
• Training, mentoring and coaching: If funds are available, a wide range of expert guidance is on offer.

A little help from your friends

Even though the basics are easy enough to grasp, there’ll be plenty of questions along the way about the nuances. Like many other things, there’s plenty of devil in the detail. The good news is there’s an awe-inspiring range of support available, much of which is completely free. Covering anything from the general stuff asked at the start of the journey to specific issues raised by more experienced practitioners.

There’s a sense of community within the agile world that feels almost evangelical at times because of the passion and devotion to the cause. Everything from non-profit organisations dedicated to spreading the word, right through to a long list of open social media-based forums chewing the cud about everything under the sun. Openness is very much the byword.

Paid-for stuff is on offer too, with plenty of training and expert advice to be found. Agile has become such big business that there are occasional rogues to contend with, as might be expected. A few organisations with debateable credentials and a growing band of false prophets claiming to be coaches. Caveat emptor, as it does pay to look before leaping.

But with a few notable exceptions, the cross-section of resources on tap is something exceptional. It’s always a big bonus when expert advice is widely available, and that’s especially true with agile. It means the right type of help is never far away, to help save time, heartache and even hard cash.

Visit an information hub

Discovering agile is a bit like hitting any new exciting place. It’s enjoyable to wander around and explore topics that spark an interest and the web is a great source of information. For a fast start, there are several information hubs hosted by organisations that know their onions and whose sole purpose is to support the cause.

It’s a measure of the success story that there are a growing number of well-established bodies dotted around the globe offering all sorts of support and resources. They’re a magnet for anyone interested in the subject and are a great source of pre-vetted, reliable subject matter information, plus a hell of a lot more, including training and conferences.

It might be argued that the biggest and the best general-purpose destination is the Agile Alliance. In its own words it’s ‘a non-profit organization with global membership, committed to advancing agile development principles and practices’. At around $100 for an individual membership, and at least half that per head for the corporate route, it’s good value. The annual conference is an agile showcase.

There are many fans of the Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org too. Both are unsurprisingly Scrum-centric, which is a bit of an advantage if it’s the framework of choice, but they’re broad churches anyway. They offer membership as part of their certification package and a basic membership too. Once again, their resources are a big draw and there’s a huge community on tap.

All are very safe bets and well worth the price of admission. There are completists who join them all but one is normally enough. Admittedly, not everyone is a fan and there are a few fissures appearing in the communities recently. But this is an almost inevitable result of exponential growth, not because of fundamental flaws.

Checkout agile gurus

Members of the community are usually quite modest with countless unsung heroes. But there are many characters who are considered to be the keepers of the flame and it’s well worth paying attention to what the gurus have to say. It’s impossible to pin down a Top 10 but there are certain characters who are well worth keeping an eye on. Agile is continually evolving and it’s a great way to keep in touch with new ideas.

Find agile soulmates

There’s nothing more productive and fun than hooking up with like-minded people to shoot the breeze. Openly sharing experiences, both good and bad, is very much part of the agile ethos. Talking to colleagues is part of the daily regime but there’s much to be gained from exposure to people outside the inner circle. An excellent place to seek out new soulmates and tap into their experiences is at www.meetup.com.

Meetup.com is a social networking site that allows you to find and join groups related to your own personal interests. However, instead of just talking about these interests online, Meetup.com is used to organise face-to-face get-togethers with a broad agenda. There are meet-ups for all sorts of mainstream and niche subjects including anything from mountaineering to stamp collecting. It will come as no surprise that agile groups are flourishing and there’s very likely to be one within striking distance.

There’s no standard format for agile meet-ups and that’s part of the attraction. Some are regular but many others convene infrequently, some stick to a trusted itinerary but many prefer to experiment. However, the common denominator is far more important: individuals with a passion for the subject looking to share their thoughts and ideas with their peers. The formula is very agile in its own right and checking out a few sessions is highly recommended.

Quite often there are guest speakers or set topics to discuss. Some even post sample videos, and looking back over recent material is bound to give you a feel. The best bits are before or after the main event when people mingle freely and discuss whatever they fancy. It’s a brilliant opportunity, especially if there are agile things on your mind.

Sessions are frequented by a mixed bunch with a variety of experiences to share and a welcoming, friendly vibe is the de facto norm. Agile hasn’t reached the point where there’s the equivalent of a tourist information office in every major city but this is the next best thing.

Be agile on a beach

Sticking with the theme of linking up with like-minded souls, there are opportunities to take it up a notch from meet-ups with specialist, dedicated gatherings that last a full day or more. Some are called workshops, while others are dubbed conferences, but these handles do not adequately convey what’s on offer when the agile community organises a get-together. Let’s take a closer look at a fine example.

Surely it was a moment of pure genius when ‘Agile On The Beach’ was set up. It’s a conference and it’s staged in a beautiful location in Falmouth, Cornwall – the promo shots would do any holiday brochure proud. The MVP launched in 2011 with help but now it’s self-sustaining. Its grown to 50 plus speakers and sessions spanning two days, with over 400 gathering to explore the latest thinking within the community.

Check out www.agileonthebeach.com to find out more or dip into any of the typical social media outlets such as its YouTube channel. Getting people to interact and share experiences is the key to success, and it’s a recurring agile theme that there’s nothing wrong with enjoying what you do. Although this event is special, it’s worth searching for other gatherings near to home. Standard rules apply and there’s no need to get clever: search for agile, conference and the closest decent-sized town is more than enough.

Join a group

Maybe joining an organisation, popping along to a meet-up, or diving into a beachside conference feels a bit too much? If so, a much gentler entry point is to check out one of the many excellent agile social media-based discussion groups. There’s plenty to choose from and all the decent ones have public profiles to check out and reply to polite enquiries. Quite often the group name alone is usually enough to gauge the content.

A welcoming agile vibe is guaranteed. Plenty of like-minded people with shared interests, hallmarked by an incredible generosity and openness. There’s a sympathetic ethos and nothing seems too much trouble – even when topics have been around the block a few times before. At times it’s hard to believe how closely the detail is scrutinised in discussion threads and the best posts generate a fantastic cross-section of feedback.

There are a number of popular destinations but it’s hard to go wrong with LinkedIn. It’s well known as an excellent all-round information hub and it’s especially well geared up to the world of agile. Articles and think-pieces representing the latest thinking are widely available, and the discussion groups are excellent, especially for newcomers. LinkedIn is a highly effective way to launch into agile groups.

These days all professionals are expected to have a LinkedIn account but if you’ve been working from a remote island until recently, then sign up for a free account straightaway at www.linkedin.com and take it from there.

No agile stone is ever left unturned in the best groups and get ready to witness passionate discussions over apparently light subjects. Don’t be afraid to post a question – these are frequented by the most inclusive and forgiving people in town – but be streetwise. Asking for training recommendations is a perennial favourite that usually generates decent advice but expect the vultures to start circling too.

Getting ready to launch

Chances are you won’t be on a solo operation and an extended crew needs to be brought up to speed. If so, even with a tried and trusted framework plus guidance from a decent book, it’s never plain sailing when launching on a bigger scale. It pays dividends to draft in an expert, a coach, to guarantee a smooth lift-off. It’s cheaper to go the DIY route but that’s usually a false economy as there are tripwires to negotiate.

Coaching is a very broad term and at times it seems like everyone and their dog is claiming to have these skills. It can be quite a challenge to find one who fits the bill and with whom you feel a rapport. It’s a bit like finding the right doctor or dentist, and it’s best to ask around first as recommendations are worth their weight in gold. Usually somebody knows somebody who knows somebody.

There’s an extensive range of independent coaches available (not all with dogs) and a reasonable smattering of organisations that offer a wide range of training services:

• Basic training: Typically a group induction before lift-off but can be run when the need arises post-launch. A general agile primer can also be beneficial to those outside the main line of fire. These tend to be non-framework specific and focus on more general themes such as the benefits of collaborating in small teams. Often as little as a half day and never more than one.
• Certified training: Usually this is specific to the job role or framework, such as a primer for Product Management or the basics of Scrum Mastery. The value of these is a hot potato and many believe they aren’t great investments. If money isn’t an issue, they’re certainly worth considering. Usually a minimum of a couple of days in duration.
• Tailored training: It’s easy to get basic or certified training tailored to an organisation’s specific requirements. The core material will be bog-standard, but the nuances and examples can be more targeted. The same duration can be expected but minimum quotas of six to eight people are the norm and expect to pay a bit more per head to cover the customisation.
• Developmental support: Once the journey begins, it pays dividends to reinforce good habits and keep everyone on message. This is most effective when it involves the whole team to really drill into the detail of being agile. In the aftermath of a launch it’s well worth having a day of coaching here and there with the frequency diminishing over time.
• Doctor’s surgery: Independent health checks guarantee that no serious malaise develops into a lifestyle-threatening condition. Best executed by observing the whole team in action, but it can focus on specific individuals if really necessary. This can be incorporated into the developmental support sessions or whenever there’s an unexpected agile crisis.
• Relationship counselling: Agile is a people business and passions sometimes run high, so it’s not surprising that personal spats occur that benefit from counselling. At times this is merely about offering a sounding board to air frustrations but more often it’s for long-term run-ins or when a team is dysfunctional for no obvious reason. This is very much on-demand.
• One-off specials: There are times when it pays to bring in a specialist facilitator for an event or with an end product in mind. The most popular slot is when developing the Team Charter. The outcome needs to be on the money and an experienced, independent facilitator makes all the difference. As and when needed of course.

Building a flexible working relationship with a coach is important. At times your needs will be wide ranging and intense and at other times a light touch will suffice. Aim to establish a link-up early on, preferably even before lift-off. If the budget allows, get a coach in to deliver an agile primer for everyone and see them in action. If all goes well, appropriate follow-up sessions can be organised.

The agile community is knee-deep with coaches these days but finding the right one can be a mighty struggle. Asking if anyone can recommend a great one in a LinkedIn group is an option but expect the vultures to start hovering. Personal endorsements based on experience are definitely a better option and this is one area where MeetUp contacts can come in particularly useful.

There are specialist coaching/training organisations around that offer an array of options in terms of material and resources. But there’s much to be said for building up a relationship with an independent. There are pros and cons. The best solo artists will never be available on demand, whereas dealing with a company may mean dealing with more than one person.

Whatever the source, be a bit wary of anyone without hands-on experience in the past few years.

Bargain basement training

Apart from the polished, highly professional courses on offer, there’s a shed load of inexpensive web-based agile training available too. Low-cost repositories such as www.lynda.com and www.udemy.com offer more courses than anyone could possibly find the time to watch. There are two big advantages: primarily cheap as chips and easy to dip into.

If you already have access to the subscription-based www.lynda.com then it’s a no-brainer to try out a couple of courses. But there’s no highly rated agile material getting rave reviews and the same applies to www.udemy.com. So before signing up for a £12.99 bargain (usually down from £199.99 and only available for another 12 hours), ask yourself: is it the course content that is attractive or the price?

Although it generally pays to be wary of bargain basement online training, there are a few exceptions. For example, it’s well worth checking out www.scrumtrainingseries.com. It’s free and watching the whole shooting match will only require an investment of about two hours, plus thinking time. There’s a slight IT slant but nothing to stress about – not a bad way to while away a spare evening.

‘Definitely not convinced’ is an expression that springs to mind here. The best of the material is OK but that’s hardly a ringing endorsement. Far better to explore the other resources we’ve covered elsewhere. Be especially wary of anything on sale more often than DFS furniture.

The final word

One of the biggest attractions of agile is the negligible entry cost of joining the club. No expensive membership charges, no up-front license fees and no hidden running costs. Getting up to speed can be done for next to nothing if the budget is extremely tight – with diverse and wide-ranging resources freely available. If there’s a bit of cash to splash, even more options open up.

Excellent subject matter reading material is available, for the most part openly shared. A grounding can be achieved with a laptop, access to the internet and an inquisitive mind. Forums are widely available, and the community prides itself on supporting fellow travellers. Meet-ups are out there offering subject matter expertise and often free nosh too.

Be a bit wary of operating on a zero budget as corners can be cut when there’s cash to invest wisely. Agile looks very easy to do, but as many DIYers confess, it’s often worth getting an expert along to provide a helping hand when the time is right, or the need is great. Think about the benefits of getting coaching, at least on a limited basis.

Another note of caution: the biggest danger is of spending too much time preparing to fly, which isn’t very agile at all. As with learning to ride a bike, there comes a point where enough is enough and you need to jump on to the saddle.