Abstract: Another movement sweeping through the corporate world with the same steam as Agile is that of Business Intelligence & Big Data. I always gravitated to data and enjoy identifying patterns to tell a story. I am also a passionate Agilist, playing the role of change agent in Agile Transformations. Therefore, my natural inclination has always been to couple the two together to drive change. Unfortunately, the sad truth is this approach has not always lead to the desired outcome.
Like everything else that could be used for good, unfortunately, data can also be leveraged for evil. This paper and talk centers on the power of data and the ability for it to be both detrimental and invaluable to change initiatives. I have learned the hard way that without an environment of safety, experimentation, and short feedback loops, collecting team metrics and insights can actually lead to more harm than good. However, once the prerequisite of safety is established, data no longer becomes your enemy as a change agent, but your ally, and a powerful tool in your Agile coaching toolbox.
Lessons Learned from Your Experience: - 1. Collecting data in many different forms can be used as another feedback loop in Agile environments.
- 2. Data can be used to do more harm than good in the early stages of Agile adoption
- 3. The culture of the organization will drive whether or not it is safe for change agents to introduce team metrics. Without a culture that promotes an environment of safety, trust, and feedback, data will not help the cause.
- 4. For more mature Agile organizations, data is no longer your enemy as a change agent, but your ally, and a powerful tool in your Agile coaching toolbox.
- 5. There are many different techniques for collecting data related to teams, it all depends what the organization wants to achieve.
- 6. Aggregating data points to to tell a meaningful story helps Agile coaches identify coaching needs, continuous improvement opportunities, and investment decisions.
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