Discussion:
[SCRUMDEVELOPMENT] Manager Training Execise
Michael Wollin yahoo@mercurysw.com [SCRUMDEVELOPMENT]
2015-10-27 19:46:22 UTC
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I recently heard somewhere, and it might have been here, that there was an agile manager training exercise, where I would ask them to write on sticky notes everything they do in their jobs. Then I would have them put the notes on the wall under one of three categories, strategy, something, and baby-sitting. Then I answer the question about how their job changes; continue to do the first two things and drop the baby-siting activities. Can someone tell me what the three categories were for this exercise idea?
Pete Deemer petedeemer@goodagile.com [SCRUMDEVELOPMENT]
2015-10-28 08:47:03 UTC
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Hi Michael, this sounds like an exercise I do. As you describe, we first make a list of all the things a people manager does in their job day-to-day. Then we assign each item to one of three categories:

1. Still useful in Scrum (example: "teaching good development practices")
2. No longer needed in Scrum (ex: "creating project Gantt charts")
3. Conflicts with Scrum (ex: "deciding task assignments")

Then I ask managers to estimate how much of their day-to-day time is spent on each of the 3 categories. For most managers, group 1 = 10%, and groups 2 + 3 = 90%.

Then you ask, if you were to spend 100% of your time on group 1,

Q: How would that impact the effectiveness of the team day-to-day, and the results they're able to deliver long-term? and
Q: How would that impact your job satisfaction day-to-day, and your sense of achievement long-term?

For many managers, the answers to both questions is pretty positive. Either way though, generates important insights.

Then we do an exercise to write a new job description for the manager, often with the help of the person they report to. Important to formalize it imho.

Hope this is helpful!

(Btw, Google "the manager and scrum deemer" for a 20-page guide to the role of managers I wrote that you can share freely)

Pete
srinivas chillara ceezone@yahoo.co.in [SCRUMDEVELOPMENT]
2015-10-29 06:57:03 UTC
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Hello Michael,I recommend Pete's suggestions and his article without hesitation. This is one of the most crucial sources of guidance for enabling teams and organisations succeed using Scrum.
I often use these ideas in some form.... however many organisations/managers are so accustomed to a traditional command and control way of working that an alternate approach seems surreal; concomitantly in many organisations managers (at level n) spend too much time on managing activities at 'n-1' (ie micro managing). Therefore it could help if such managers are introduced to the idea that there could be alternative designs for organisations. You point them to :1. Holacracy2. Steve Denning's "radical management"3. Valve4. Eden McCallum LLP
hope this  helps
cheersSrinivashttp://ceezone.wordpress.com 

From: "Pete Deemer ***@goodagile.com [SCRUMDEVELOPMENT]" <***@yahoogroups.com>
To: ***@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 28 October 2015 1:17 PM
Subject: [SCRUMDEVELOPMENT] Re: Manager Training Execise

  Hi Michael, this sounds like an exercise I do. As you describe, we first make a list of all the things a people manager does in their job day-to-day. Then we assign each item to one of three categories:

1. Still useful in Scrum (example: "teaching good development practices")
2. No longer needed in Scrum (ex: "creating project Gantt charts")
3. Conflicts with Scrum (ex: "deciding task assignments")

Then I ask managers to estimate how much of their day-to-day time is spent on each of the 3 categories. For most managers, group 1 = 10%, and groups 2 + 3 = 90%.

Then you ask, if you were to spend 100% of your time on group 1,

Q: How would that impact the effectiveness of the team day-to-day, and the results they're able to deliver long-term? and
Q: How would that impact your job satisfaction day-to-day, and your sense of achievement long-term?

For many managers, the answers to both questions is pretty positive. Either way though, generates important insights.

Then we do an exercise to write a new job description for the manager, often with the help of the person they report to. Important to formalize it imho.

Hope this is helpful!

(Btw, Google "the manager and scrum deemer" for a 20-page guide to the role of managers I wrote that you can share freely)

Pete

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