6 Agile Principles I Learnt whilst Laminating
I recently found myself working with Sarah on a mini-production line with the goal to laminate a new sets of flashcards which we use during workshops. The setup was pretty simple:
Print A6 cards on A3 paper, six on a page
Place A3 into laminating sheet
Laminate
Let laminated sheet cool down
Cut flashcards from sheets
6. Round corners
7. Punch hole in cards
8. Stack cards in order
9. Put a ring through holes to keep them together
10. Celebrate victory
Our goal was to create two sets of 48 laminated, ringed cards of good quality for a workshop a few hours later. Through this process I was able to capture a few key guiding principles which can be applied to any production line whether it be software development, marketing material or mechanical engineering.
1. Planning is important, but only to a point
Before we started the production line, we spent some time on planning which tools (lamination machine, cutter, hole punch) should be placed where, which task should be performed by whom. No more than a minute after starting to work, we quickly adjusted tasks and rearranged the tools to allow for better flow.
Setting a team up for success is crucial, and part of it is to plan ahead and have the right people and processes in place. There is a balance to be found however. Spending a lot of time in advance anticipating specific interactions between people, processes and technology will only provide a false sense of security. Plan ahead of the next steps, but be quick to respond and adjust your process. Plan on the plan changing.
Responding To Change over Following A Plan
2. Keep the team working together as long as possible
15 minutes into our production line, we were pulled off to a meeting. It interrupted our flow and put us into a different state of mind. Once back into position, it took us a few minutes to get back to the flow we had before the meeting.
It’s no secret that context switching of any kind impacts team productivity. The impact on a two person team performing a straightforward task was just a few minutes of lost time. Imagine a six people team on a task that demands full attention, where one or two members constantly have to excuse themselves.
The very fact that meetings interrupt flow is one problem. While it would be great to decline all meetings, and maximise the efficiency of the production line, we do live in a world where some distractions/meetings are critical - read my previous blog on how to increase likelihood of productive meetings.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design
3. Adjust priorities if circumstances change
We started off with lofty goals: two sets, rounded corners, high quality. Returning to the production line after the meeting forced us to reevaluate our priorities. The focus shifted quickly from delivering fixed scope (two sets) to fixed schedule (one set in 20 min, rounded corners were no longer MVP, only if time permitted).
Postits
When facilitating discovery workshops, we always discuss project/product sliders with the sponsor. What trade offs are we willing to make? What is our main priority? Under which time or budgetary constraints do we operate?
Working software [Completed flashcards] is the primary measure of progress.
4. Stop starting, start finishing
It was interesting to see how our workflow changed after we adjusted our priorities from scope to schedule. Before, the slow laminating machine being the bottleneck that prevented Sarah from feeding more laminated sheets into the process. Now I had become the bottleneck, having to cut more sheets faster to allow Sarah to hole punch the cards. We did not have a second cutting machine, so Sarah made the most of it by rounding the corners of the cards that were already hole-punched.
Sounds complicated, but is just the result of changing priorities. Instead of feeding the process, we shifted focus onto completing cards.
5. A T-shaped team swarms to remove bottlenecks, but needs a QA
As part of the adjusted process I now had to laminate the last remaining sheets. This was a task Sarah had previously performed. The moment before placing the sheet upside down into the laminating machine, Sarah caught a mistake on my part and corrected it. It could have resulted in ruining the sheet, which would have seriously impacted our strict timelines.
The sentiment in Agile teams is that individuals are multi-disciplinary, allowing them to assist with many activities across the team. It is an effective approach to solve bottlenecks, creates more T-shaped team members and fuels collaboration.
Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design enhances
6. Environment supports Flow
Although we were working in a small storage room and were for no longer than the intended hour, we put on some background music. Only subtle, but enough to make the bland room appear much more appealing, and the menial task much more enjoyable.
Environments can help the team establish flow and increase productivity, or it can disrupt the flow and distract from the work to be done. For us, a little background music helped establish flow. For Agile teams, the environment consists of a myriad of things: (digital) tools, physical kanban boards, visualisation and props, photos, music, floor space, you name it. The effort and attention to detail that goes into creating a collaborative environment is often minimal compared to the results it can yield.
Build projects around motivated individuals.
Give them the environment and support they need,
and trust them to get the job done.