1. One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Context Driven
Agile Leadership
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Todd Little
Sr. Development Manager
Landmark Graphics

2. The Problem: Software Delivery
Delivery failures are well documented in the software business.
This is the classic report from Standish showing only 35% of projects delivered on time with expected features. 46% were challenged and 19% were killed. This is from 2006, and is a substantial improvement from the 19% success rate in 1996.
Standish Group 2006, reported by CEO Jim Johnson, CIO.com, ‘How to Spot a Failing Project’ 2

3. Why is Software Late? Genuchten 1991 IEEE
General Manager
Project Manager
Item H
Customer/management changes L
Overall complexity
Unrealistic project plan M
Staffing problems
Insufficient front end planning

4. Hurricane Rita

5. It Depends
Uncertainty: We expect uncertainty and manage for it through iterations, anticipation, and adaptation.
Context: We improve effectiveness and reliability through situationally specific strategies, processes and practices.

6. Hurricane Context Where is it? Where is it going?
How fast are the winds?
How big is it?
How large are the swells?

7. Project Context

8. Uncertainty
Uncertainty: We expect uncertainty and manage for it through iterations, anticipation, and adaptation.

9. Context Leadership Model
High
Uncertainty
Low
Low
High
Project Complexity

10. Uncertainty and Complexity
Attribute
Range
Market
Mature or New
Team Size
<5 to > 100
Technical
Proven or New
Mission Critical
Speculative or Business Critical
# Customers
1 or many
Team Location
Local or Distributed
Duration
3 months or
2 years
Team Maturity
New or Experienced
Change
Change control or Embrace change
Domain Gaps
Gaps or Team of domain experts
Dependencies
None or Several

11. Context Leadership Model
Project Complexity
Uncertainty
SheepDogs
Cows
Bulls
Colts
High
Low
Low
High

12. Context Leadership Model
High
Colts
Bulls
Simple, young projects.
Agility to handle uncertainty
Need agility
Process definition to cope with complexity
Tight Teams
Uncertainty
Cows
SheepDogs
Complex, mature market
laissez faire
Need defined interfaces
Low
Low
High
Project Complexity

13. Reduce Uncertainty or Complexity
Opportunities to Reduce Uncertainty:
Use proven technologies
Reduce project duration
Opportunities to Reduce Complexity:
Collocate the team
Break project into sub-projects
Attribute
Score
Market
███
Technical
# Customers
█████████
Duration
Change
Attribute
Score
Team Size
█████████
Mission Critical
Team Location
Team Maturity
███
Domain Gaps
Dependencies

14. Swiss Stock Exchange Colts Bulls Cows SheepDogs Uncertainty
High
Colts
Bulls
User Interface
The Complete Release
Uncertainty
Cows
SheepDogs
Backend
Legacy Products
Low
Low
High
Project Complexity

15. Partitioning Remember: Loose Coupling and Strong Cohesion Colt Project
Bull Program
SheepDog Project
Cow Project
Remember: Loose Coupling and Strong Cohesion

16. First Integration Release
High
Colts
Bulls
New acquisitions
The Integration Release
Uncertainty
Cows
SheepDogs
Integration data model
Existing Products
Low
Low
High
Project Complexity

17. Integrating Software by Integrating People
Developers’ Conference Yearly
Creating the Future
PMM Quarterly
Weekly

18. Products Lifecycle PathsB C

19. Project Leadership Guide
Create
Change
Embrace
Change
High
Invent
Deploy
Differentiating
Market
Ad Hoc
Agile
Eliminate
Change
Control Change
Manage
Offload
Low
Outsource
Structured
Low
Mission Critical
High

20. A Tale of 4 Projects Colts Bulls SheepDogs Cows Uncertainty
High
Colts
Bulls
New Product
Weekly Iterations
Collocated team
Very active Product Owner
The Complete Release
Paired Project Management
Frequent Integration
SheepDogs
Cows
Uncertainty
Relatively Mature Product
Small collocated team
Same team for many releases
Developers are domain experts
Iterationless
Relatively Mature Product
1 dominant customer
20 member distributed team
3 week Iterations
Significant automation testing
Low
Low
High
Project Complexity

21. A Tale of 4 Projects A Cow A Colt A Dog A Bull Team Size 25 (4 teams)
A Cow
A Colt
A Dog
A Bull
Team Size 25
(4 teams) 8 5 38
(6 teams)
Distributed
Global (3 sites)
Local
Scrums
MWF and T-Th
Daily
MWF
As needed
Iteration Length
3 weeks
1 week
Iterationless
Testing
Multi-level regression tests
Automated Smoke Test
Unit tests
Product Owner very involved
Unit tests, limited automation tests
Automated Smoke Test and regression tests

22. Leadership Development
People
Business
Process
Technology

23. Leadership Development
High
Colts
Bulls
Business
& Technology
Uncertainty
People
& Process
Cows
SheepDogs
Low
Low
High
Project Complexity

24. Portfolio Management Uncertainty Project Complexity Colts Bulls Cows
SheepDogs
Project Complexity

25. Great Leadership Create a place where people want to be not have to be
Make sure everyone has what they need to succeed.
Great Leadership

26. Contact Todd Little tlittle@lgc.com www.toddlittleweb.com

27. Questions? www.synerzip.com Hemant Elhence hemant@synerzip.com 27 27 27 27

28. Synerzip in a Nut-shell
Software product development partner for small/mid-sized technology companies
Exclusive focus on small/mid-sized technology companies
By definition, all Synerzip work is the IP of its respective clients
Deep experience in full SDLC – design, dev, QA/testing, deployment
Technology and industry domain agnostic
Dedicated team of high caliber software professionals
Seamlessly extends client’s local team, offering full transparency
NOT just “staff augmentation”, but provide full mgmt support
Actually reduces risk of development/delivery
Experienced team - uses appropriate level of engineering discipline
Practices Agile development – responsive, yet disciplined
Reduces cost – dual-shore team, 50% cost advantage
Offers long term flexibility – allows (facilitates) taking offshore team captive – aka “BOT” option 28 28 28

29. Our Clients 29 29 29

30. Thanks! Call Us for a Free Consultation! www.synerzip.com
Hemant Elhence 30 30 30 30

31. Your Questions?
Stand Back and Deliver