Technical Documentation in Agile Colin Greenberg

Agenda Are all team members created equal? Obstacles to integration into the Agile team Why writers need to step up How to overcome co-location issues Time-splicing strategies for busy pigs What can the doc team do? What every SCRUM team member should do And the doc manager….? Making magic – dedicated sprints Adopting other Agile practices Q&A

Are all team members created equal? “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” -George Orwell, Animal Farm

Obstacles to integration into the Agile team Inability to fit two key Agile tenets –Your teams: globally dispersed, no co-location –Your teams: out of time zone “Team” is a state of mind, not a location. Traditional Agile focus on development and testing ignores role of writers

Why writers need to step up Agile is focused on development and testing; The original Agile paradigm assumes that projects are small and need little to no documentation. Teams may prevent or restrict writers from entering tasks in a tracking program. It’s easy to marginalize writers if they are introduced in the middle of a project, instead of being there at the start.

How to overcome co-location issues Dispersed doesn’t mean dysfunctional! Being virtual starts with being personal. Communicate! Be visible and audible. To be treated like a team member, you must act like one.

Time-splicing strategies Making it work in multiple team assignments –Estimate velocity never 100%; adjust for variables such as number of teams, admin tasks and lead responsibility. –Identify and cultivate relationships with team stakeholders. –Address time zone issues to maximize attendance. –Attending in person or virtually?

What can the doc team do? Read all about it. Get trained. Know the obstacles from the start and face the fears. Promote the value writers bring to the product team. Social media has its place.

What every SCRUM team member should do Attend planning sessions. Focus on expectations – what do you get? Attend and participate. Resolve obstacles offline. Stakeholders need to know the doc tasks. Approach, schedule, and complete tasks like all product team members.

And the doc manager? At planning sessions, back up your writers. Negotiate and agree deliveries, and reviews Hear what is being said, answer concerns in real time Be open and accountable. “Done Criteria” definitions must be clear. Make changes painful.

Making magic – dedicated sprints Documentation Sprints –Dedicated iterations for reviewing and refining content –Rooted in Agile methodology –Technical ownership with the technical expert –Quality Quality Quality

Adopting other Agile practices Adapting XP development pairing –XP uses short term pairing –Task Cork boards –Short term ownership To documenting in SCRUM –Pairing length is iteration linked –Task Cork board –Ownership limited to 2 iterations The good –Knowledge spreads like wildfire –Writers handle the task types they enjoy –Ownership responsibilities are shared The bad –Stakeholders struggle with the changing ownership

Questions?

Summary Location, team dispersal, and team dynamic should not stop effective doc participation in SCRUM Doc team need to take ownership of what they do, how they do it. Maintain their place in the team Be innovative: doc sprints, pairing The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual. Vince Lombardi