My last few months of working with a larger, more traditional organisation has lead me to conclude that the roles and processes involved in traditional project management only serve to get in the way of creating something meaningful.
I’m sure I could deliver so much more for them, with less risk, without the big plan, estimates, project managers, deadlines or a hierarchy. Whilst this conclusion is driven by frustration rather than anything more rational, I’d feel a fraud if I couldn’t suggest an alternative. So it begs the question…
What do I need?
A shared purpose
We’ll invite anyone who cares and ask “What do we want to change?”
A diverse mix of curious people
If we Invite people for what they know and we’ll get the same thing that they built last time. Invite them for their curiosity and they’ll learn the new skills we really need.
Foundations
They’ll be a set of skills we’ll need to get started. We’ll invite Designers, Engineers, Business People who understand the challenges.
Space
We’ll need a place to create that we can call our own.
And what could we do?
Create
Without the distractions this can be our main focus.
Collaborate
Pair, mob, self organise – let purpose be our leader. We’ll know we’ve got this right when a supportive, challenging, appreciative culture emerges.
Take one step at a time
Please stop trying to predict all the things we’re going to need; We’ll build the next most important thing, use it and then decide what comes next. We’ll rigorously call out untested assumptions and test them before we move on. We’ll keep options open and feedback loops tiny.
Build capability
Through continual improvement, reflection and a focus on learning, we can build our capability whilst staying small and nimble.
Release
Abandon fixed scope or fixed time and big releases. We’ll release every day and you’ll adopt when you see the value.
Keep learning, keep releasing
It’s never done, theres no end, only evolution and revolution.
Can this be done instead of a traditional “Enterprise Project”? Anyone want to try?
Diary of a ScrumMaster 