Go Agile, Don’t Fear the PMBOK

Agile2007 Day 4. There’s a wonderful Saturday Night Live sketch from 2000 where Will Ferrell shows the world how to really play a cowbell (you have to see it to believe it, your cheeks will hurt. Google "More Cowbell" on YouTube for a look) on the old Blue Öyster Cult hit, (Don't Fear) The Reaper. Now, you may ask, ‘What does Will Ferrell beating a cowbell have to do with agile?’ Well, my mind works in fun ways. Let’s just say that there were mini-cowbells on the tables at the Agile2007 banquet and they reminded me of the ‘More Cowbell’ sketch and that led me to thinking about some of the outstanding sessions I was able to see today. Like I said, my mind is a fun place to visit.

So, I started out this morning listening to Stacia Broderick discussing agile for traditional (read, PMPs and PMBOK followers) project managers. She did a great job of mapping the PMBOK process groups and knowledge areas to agile equivalents. She also pointed out that much of what is now considered agile draws on many of Edwards Deming’s theories about quality and production productivity, including his Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. Stacia gave a great example of how a sailor will make a plan, but will adapt it based on winds and tides. She made the point that project managers need to take the same approach on projects: plan to go to a destination, but, through the use of agile methods such as continuous review, collaboration and communication, adapt your plan as needed and get to where you need to go without being rigid. Stacia also has a good article about the project manager (ScrumMaster) as a servant leader here.

Another fantastic session was with Sanjiv Angustine. Sanjiv presented an excellent overview on transitioning from traditional project management to agile project management (APM). According to Sanjiv, APM focuses on ‘project throughput, teamwork and leadership.’ This approach changes the focus for the PM from managing the flow of activities and puts the focus on ‘project context, not content' along with leadership that is based on commitments rather than commands. He had some of us participate in an eye-opening exercise to make vivid the change from a waterfall approach to an agile approach. Four people sat around a table and moved (after flipping all pennies first) 30 pennies from person A to B to C to D against the clock. Before person B could start their flipping, all the pennies needed to arrive from person A and so on. The first pass took 2 minutes and 38 seconds. The feedback was that there was pressure on the one person doing the ‘work’ and others became ‘bored’ waiting for their turn. The next round broke the penny flipping process down to more agile chunks by allowing the pennies to be passed to the next person in line as soon as the penny was flipped. The results of this agile example were impressive: 36 seconds to process the same amount of work. Comments from participates after the second pass included that they felt a ‘sense of urgency,’ that ‘they stayed focused,’ and that ‘(I) felt like a team.’ Although it was a simple example, it made the point that agile projects are more effective that a traditional waterfall project.

Michele Sliger presented an excellent session that addressed being agile in a waterfall environment. Current thinking puts the PMP and PMBOK right in the middle of the waterfall project mindset and, although this assumption is a myth, it does have enough validity to create the myth of truth for many of us. Michele gave a number of great tips on how to navigate everything from culture to contracts when adopting agile in the existing waterfall enterprise environment. An overarching key to success using agile methods in a waterfall environment is communication. Some of the good ideas that will help your agile project succeed in the traditional waterfall environment include getting a sponsor on your side, socializing agile in your organization rather than lecturing on agile, and invite and include ‘non-agile’ representatives to all of your agile planning meetings.

Michele is also working on a book with Stacia, The Software Project Manager’s Bridge to Agility, that I’m looking forward to reading when it appears in early 2008. You can look at many of the draft chapters here (one-time registration is needed). The origin of the book came from a wonderful four-part series, Relating PMBOK Practices to Agile Practices, that helped me see that being a PMP and having read the PMBOK didn’t preclude me from being an agile proponent.

So, don’t fear the PMBOK, just fill the framework with ‘more agile.’ ;-)

The views expressed on this blog are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer, Robbins-Gioia.