I'm speaking at EVM World on several topics. Embedding agile in Earned Value Management Systems in one. The briefing has been given several times, and gets updated every time.I've used materials from Scott Ambler in the past. His site has a very nice picture of a sail boat as the paradigm of Disciplined Agile.
I was a coastal sailor while in college before moving to Colorado, in Shields, Soling, and Tempest. That experience was life changing in that it was the first time true team work was required with absolutely correct functioning of personal roles. Iin racing, there is no one to pick up the slack when an individual is having trouble. On the Tempest and Soling there are only two crew. The Shields crew varies, but is typically 3.
Scott's book, but mostly the book cover is a paradigm for how agile is applied in our domain - aerospace, defense, nuclear cleanup, enterprise IT. This paradigm is means:
- Individual functions must be performed without error
- The "rules" for racing the boat are defined outside the class and are inforced by a judge. Violating the rules is cause for disqualification. Rules of physics also apply. Violating those rules means losing.
- Emergent situations are the norm. Competitors, weather, seas, technical equipment, changing strategy, all require rapid response within the "rules."
- Team work is mandatory, but command and control is a critical success factor. All the crew must work in unison, but the skipper of the boat is in command. We win or lose with both.
- While sailing the boat, self interest is never in place, it is about the crew. Once on shore, ego's can come back, opinions expressed, and sea stories told.
- Skill, practice, strategies, and tactics are developed before the race starts. Strategies and Tactics emerge while underway, but skills and the lessons learned from practice must be in place - no on the job learning if you're going to have any chance of crossing the line without embarrassment.
The notion of disciplined agile is the basis of success in sail boat racing and mission critical software development.
