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	<title>Agile Training Toronto - Kanban, Lean, Scrum Coach &#187; Agile</title>
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		<title>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide &#8211; Full Video!</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/12/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-video/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/12/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-video/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:12:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adoption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transformation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transition]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agilitrix.com/?p=2517</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am very grateful to New England Agile (and Ron Verge in particular) for videotaping my presentation. For those of you who haven&#8217;t heard me speak about culture and adoption, I believe this is a crucial message for anyone acting as an Agile change agent. Enjoy. Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide from Agile New England [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-agile-new-england/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England'>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England</a> <small>Here is the latest version of my talk that I...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-presentation/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide (Presentation)'>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide (Presentation)</a> <small>I am very excited to share some learnings over the...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/12/agile-failure-and-corporate-culture/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Failure and Corporate Culture'>Agile Failure and Corporate Culture</a> <small>Last week I presented Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide at Agile...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am very grateful to New England Agile (and Ron Verge in particular) for videotaping my presentation. For those of you who haven&#8217;t heard me speak about culture and adoption, I believe this is a crucial message for anyone acting as an Agile change agent. Enjoy.</p>
<p><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/33462968?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0" frameborder="0" width="520" height="390"></iframe></p>
<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/33462968">Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/agilenewengland">Agile New England</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p>P.S. I am actively working on an eBook for those who prefer print. Drop me an email if you want to help review it before it comes out.</p>
<p>P.P.S Slides are <a href="/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-agile-new-england/">here</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-agile-new-england/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England'>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England</a> <small>Here is the latest version of my talk that I...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-presentation/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide (Presentation)'>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide (Presentation)</a> <small>I am very excited to share some learnings over the...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/12/agile-failure-and-corporate-culture/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Failure and Corporate Culture'>Agile Failure and Corporate Culture</a> <small>Last week I presented Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide at Agile...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Agile Failure and Corporate Culture</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/12/agile-failure-and-corporate-culture/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/12/agile-failure-and-corporate-culture/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adoption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agilitrix.com/?p=2503</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last week I presented Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide at Agile New England. My message was around needing to understand corporate culture before undertaking Agile adoption or Agile transformation. The message resonated really strongly with participant and I received many personal thanks from people afterwards. The purpose of this post is to share additional data from [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/agile-culture-is-all-about-people/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture'>Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture</a> <small>What is Agile Culture? In an earlier post, I talked...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-agile-new-england/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England'>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England</a> <small>Here is the latest version of my talk that I...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Failure.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-2504" title="Failure" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Failure.jpg" alt="" width="173" height="320" /></a><br />
Last week I presented <a title="Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England" href="/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-agile-new-england/">Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide</a> at Agile New England. My message was around needing to understand corporate culture before undertaking Agile adoption or Agile transformation. The message resonated really strongly with participant and I received many personal thanks from people afterwards. The purpose of this post is to share additional data from that session.</p>
<h2>Agile Failure</h2>
<p>I did a hand vote to see how much failure people had seen with Agile adoption they were involved in. See photo on the right: most of the group rated their experiences with Agile success at 3 out of 5.</p>
<p>The results were pretty much consistent with the other times I have  run this: about 50% failure. I guess we can call this one &#8211; <em>Agile is heading for the trough of disillusionment</em>. But I haven&#8217;t given up &#8211; it&#8217;s time to up our game and turn this around.</p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Culture at Participant Companies</span></p>
<p><a href="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Culture.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2505 alignright" title="Culture" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Culture.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="264" /></a> Participants were worked in small groups to discuss what was the dominant culture at their company using the <a href="/2011/03/how-to-make-your-culture-work/">Schneider Model</a>.  The photo below shows a histogram of the dominant culture. The peak is 30 participants identifying a control culture. It is interesting to note the relatively high 16 for Competence culture (vs. previous workshops) that represents the high density of hard-core engineering companies in the Boston area.</p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Closing Thoughts</span></p>
<p>Maybe the 50% failure is because 50% of the companies are control culture. Probably not entirely true, but this may be a helpful meme that allows us to change our approaches and behaviours to succeed.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/agile-culture-is-all-about-people/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture'>Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture</a> <small>What is Agile Culture? In an earlier post, I talked...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-agile-new-england/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England'>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England</a> <small>Here is the latest version of my talk that I...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @Agile New England</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-agile-new-england/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-agile-new-england/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:03:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adoption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agile New England]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transition]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agilitrix.com/?p=2491</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here is the latest version of my talk that I will give at Agile New England &#8211; minor updates and tweaks since the Agile Tour Toronto version last month. Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @ Agile New England View more presentations from Michael Sahota Related posts:Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide (Presentation) I am [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-presentation/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide (Presentation)'>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide (Presentation)</a> <small>I am very excited to share some learnings over the...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/slides-agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly &#8211; Slides'>Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly &#8211; Slides</a> <small>I was thrilled when I had a chance to turn...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here is the latest version of my talk that I will give at Agile New England &#8211; minor updates and tweaks since the Agile Tour Toronto version last month.</p>
<div style="width:510px" id="__ss_10405538"> <strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/michael.sahota/agile-new-england-agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide" title="Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @ Agile New England" target="_blank">Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide @ Agile New England</a></strong> <iframe src="http://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/10405538" width="510" height="426" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
<div style="padding:5px 0 12px"> View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/michael.sahota" target="_blank">Michael Sahota</a> </div>
</p></div>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-presentation/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide (Presentation)'>Agile Culture and Adoption Survival Guide (Presentation)</a> <small>I am very excited to share some learnings over the...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/slides-agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly &#8211; Slides'>Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly &#8211; Slides</a> <small>I was thrilled when I had a chance to turn...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<item>
		<title>How to Help a Large Project</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/09/how-to-help-a-large-project/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/09/how-to-help-a-large-project/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Sep 2011 02:38:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agile in the Large]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Project Management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agilitrix.com/?p=2423</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have seen a recurring pattern in large organizations &#8211; there are large-scale projects that span many separate functional groups, departments and geographic locations. These projects often perform poorly and are difficult to manage effectively. In most cases, Agile is not the most valuable approach to get these projects on track. At Agile Coach Camp [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/02/agile-failures/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shhh! Agile Failures (in the large)'>Shhh! Agile Failures (in the large)</a> <small>Agile failure is a sensitive topic but one that we...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have seen a recurring pattern in large organizations &#8211; there are large-scale projects that span many separate functional groups, departments and geographic locations. These projects often perform poorly and are difficult to manage effectively. In most cases, Agile is not the most valuable approach to get these projects on track.</p>
<p>At Agile Coach Camp I convened a session to explore this problem and identify some compensations to improve the situation. Many thanks to all the contributors &#8211; this is a group work product.</p>
<h2>The Problem</h2>
<p>Some of the common problems notes by participants were:</p>
<ul>
<li>Groups working in silos with missing, slow or broken feedback loops &#8211; lot&#8217;s of little disconnected pieces</li>
<li>Incompatible vocabulary between technology and business</li>
<li>The environments register high for &#8220;complexity of self&#8221;</li>
<li>Staff in overload and multi-tasking</li>
<li>Low visibility, awareness, priority</li>
</ul>
<p>Please refer to the poster notes for full details.</p>
<p><a href="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Helping-Large-Projects-Problems.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2424" title="Helping Large Projects - Problems" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Helping-Large-Projects-Problems-529x630.jpg" alt="" width="529" height="630" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Helping-Large-Projects-Problems-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2425" title="Helping Large Projects - Problems- Part 2" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Helping-Large-Projects-Problems-1-513x630.jpg" alt="" width="513" height="630" /></a></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold;">Compensations</span></p>
<p>I use the word <em>compensation</em>, to indicate an action that can be taken to mitigate the problem. As there are systemic and widespread challenges in these environments, we did not discuss <em>solutions</em>.</p>
<p>Here are some of the key compensations:</p>
<ul>
<li>Draw a project map &#8211; who is where, what skills, what % on the project, what component</li>
<li>Recognize and articulate feedback loops and flow of value</li>
<li>Create a war-room with kanban boards for all groups</li>
<li>Measure working software AKA running tested features and &#8220;definition of done&#8221;</li>
<li>Conduct a project chartering session including clarification of business value</li>
<li>Find someone to play the role of project lead (e.g. Toyota Chief Engineer)</li>
<li>Make sure everyone has tooling for distributed communication</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Helping-Large-Projects-Compensations.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2426" title="Helping Large Projects - Compensations" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Helping-Large-Projects-Compensations-491x630.jpg" alt="" width="491" height="630" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Helping-Large-Projects-Compensations-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2427" title="Helping Large Projects - Compensations-Part 2" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Helping-Large-Projects-Compensations-1-630x474.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="474" /></a></p>
<h2>Contributors</h2>
<ul>
<li>Paul Boos</li>
<li>Dante Vilardi</li>
<li>Pascal Pinck</li>
</ul>
<p>Ooops. I can remember who was there. Please remind me by sending me an email so I can add your name here.</p>


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</ol></p>
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		<title>Exploring Agile Community Challenges through StrategicPlay® with Lego®</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/07/exploring-agile-community-challenges-through-strategicplay-with-lego/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/07/exploring-agile-community-challenges-through-strategicplay-with-lego/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:37:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adoption]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agilitrix.com/?p=2200</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Last weekend, a group of local Agilistas got together for BBQ, drink, and to play with Lego. Well, not just play, but StrategicPlay® &#8211; with a purpose. And wow, what a result! The outcome was some deep insights into the Agile community that we&#8217;d like to share with you. Setting the Stage After a [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/a-tour-of-agile-adoption-and-transformation-models/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models'>A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models</a> <small>In light of Agile adoption failures and awareness of cultural...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/02/agile-failures/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shhh! Agile Failures (in the large)'>Shhh! Agile Failures (in the large)</a> <small>Agile failure is a sensitive topic but one that we...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Last weekend, a group of local Agilistas got together for BBQ, drink, and to play with Lego. Well, not just play, but <a href="/facilitation/strategicplay/">StrategicPlay®</a> &#8211; with a purpose. And wow, what a result! The outcome was some deep insights into the Agile community that we&#8217;d like to share with you.</p>
<h2>Setting the Stage</h2>
<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-2202" title="Disconnection in the Agile Community" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Disconnection-in-the-Agile-Community-300x215.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="215" />After a brief introduction and practice with StrategicPlay® model building and sharing, everyone proposed a topic for the session by building a model and explaining it. After voting (with little wee Lego coins), the group decided on the model/topic show to the left: it contrasts the low level of connection within the Agile community and outside with other communities with the ideal/future state where there is a very powerful coherent tower of strength in the community.</p>
<h2>Individual Visions of Agile Community Challenges</h2>
<p>Now that the topic was establish, everyone built their own model of it and took turns explaining them. Below, for example, is an individual model. Even though it was by the same participant who created the topic, the process of listening and sharing resulted in a dramatically different model. It tells the story of seemingly growing success of Agile as a movement, but coupled with a disconnect in making a difference with much of the corporate world. The possible elephant in the room is that perhaps Agile is and always has been about innovators and early adopters.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2206" title="Individual Model of Agile Community Challenge" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Individual-Model-of-Agile-Community-Challenge-630x472.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="472" /></p>
<p>Here is another one &#8211; showing factions arguing with each other in order to produce commercial success while the great challenge of waterfall waste is left largely unchallenged.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2216" title="Individual Model" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Individual-Model-630x535.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="535" /></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold;"> A Shared Vision of Agile Community Challenges</span></p>
<p>The next challenge was for the group to work together to create a shared model that:</p>
<ul>
<li>Represented the most important concept from each person&#8217;s individual model, AND</li>
<li>Everyone felt comfortable will all parts of the shared model</li>
</ul>
<div>After a period of intense collaboration and negotiation, they created the shared model:</div>
<div><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-2209" title="Lego Shared Model of Agile Community Challenges" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Lego-Shared-Model-of-Agile-Community-Challenges-630x472.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="472" /></div>
<div>Some of the key take-away messages are:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The community consists of factions and talking heads with increasing importance on commercial success. (photo left)</li>
<li>Many customer are still trapped with bad IT.  (White man under cargo net in the middle)</li>
<li>Within the community, there is a common sense of purpose to help people reach a meaningful improvement (Green on right)</li>
<li>But there is a difficult bridge or chasm to cross to get there. Interestingly, the bridge in this model was unstable.</li>
<li>By creating rich connections and communication including transparency it is possible to illuminate the way forward (top, middle)</li>
</ul>
<div><strong>Watch the video. It really tells the story.</strong></div>
</div>
<p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-vXIcsQ9KI4?hd=1" frameborder="0" width="560" height="349"></iframe></p>
<p>Although I only facilitated the process, I felt a strong connection with the model and ideas in it.</p>
<h2>Credits</h2>
<p>Credit for the model goes to : Alistair McKinnell, Jason Cheong-Kee-You, Jeff Anderson, Siraj Berhen, Todd Charron, and Sam DeBoni. Great work!</p>
<h2>StrategicPlay® looks powerful &#8211; What can I use it for?</h2>
<p>StrategicPlay® is great for working out solutions to complex problems. The more complex, the better.</p>
<p>It has a wide variety of applications from: team building and organizational change to product innovation to developing company strategy.</p>
<p>If you are curious to learn more about applications or the science behind why this stuff works so well, please read a <a href="/facilitation/strategicplay/">more detailed description</a>.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/a-tour-of-agile-adoption-and-transformation-models/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models'>A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models</a> <small>In light of Agile adoption failures and awareness of cultural...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/02/agile-failures/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Shhh! Agile Failures (in the large)'>Shhh! Agile Failures (in the large)</a> <small>Agile failure is a sensitive topic but one that we...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<title>Declaration of Interdependence? Cultural Shotgun</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/doi-cultural-shotgun/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/doi-cultural-shotgun/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 May 2011 14:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Project Management]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agilitrix.com/?p=2000</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The purpose of this post is to share a cultural analysis of the Declaration of Interdependence (DOI). For those of you not familiar with it, the DOI could be characterized by re-write of the Agile Manifesto to be more positive and less waterfall-bashing. I have had an uneasy relationship with the Declaration of Interdependence. On the one [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/agile-culture-is-all-about-people/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture'>Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture</a> <small>What is Agile Culture? In an earlier post, I talked...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/how-to-make-your-culture-work/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Make Your Culture Work (Schneider)'>How to Make Your Culture Work (Schneider)</a> <small>(This post is part 1 of Agile Culture Series &#8211;...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The purpose of this post is to share a cultural analysis of the <a href="http://pmdoi.org">Declaration of Interdependence</a> (DOI).</p>
<p>For those of you not familiar with it, the DOI could be characterized by re-write of the <a href="http://agilemanifesto.org/">Agile Manifesto</a> to be more positive and less waterfall-bashing.</p>
<p>I have had an uneasy relationship with the Declaration of Interdependence. On the one hand, people that I respect were part of creating it or supporting it. On the other hand, it never really resonated with me.</p>
<p>At last week&#8217;s XPToronto meeting, three groups picked the DOI to do a culture assessment based on <a href="/2011/03/how-to-make-your-culture-work/">Schneider&#8217;s model</a>. Here&#8217;s what they came up with:</p>

<a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/doi-cultural-shotgun/declaration-of-interdependence/' title='Declaration of Interdependence'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Declaration-of-Interdependence-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Declaration of Interdependence" title="Declaration of Interdependence" /></a>
<a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/doi-cultural-shotgun/declaration-of-interdependence-1/' title='Declaration of Interdependence-1'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Declaration-of-Interdependence-1-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Declaration of Interdependence-1" title="Declaration of Interdependence-1" /></a>
<a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/doi-cultural-shotgun/declaration-of-interdependence-2/' title='Declaration of Interdependence-2'><img width="150" height="150" src="http://agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Declaration-of-Interdependence-2-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail" alt="Declaration of Interdependence-2" title="Declaration of Interdependence-2" /></a>

<p>Some of the comments made by attendees were:</p>
<ul>
<li>&#8220;The ideas span all the cultures.&#8221; (Including opposing ones)</li>
<li>&#8220;It looks like a shotgun of ideas.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Even specific statements have conflicting cultural focus; it was hard to place them.&#8221;</li>
</ul>
<h2>Discussion</h2>
<p>From the perspective of the Schneider culture model, the DOI is unfocussed. Schneider suggests that groups that are successful typically have one dominant culture. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the DOI has never really caught.</p>
<p>If it works for the companies you work with, please share your stories via comments.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/agile-culture-is-all-about-people/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture'>Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture</a> <small>What is Agile Culture? In an earlier post, I talked...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/how-to-make-your-culture-work/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Make Your Culture Work (Schneider)'>How to Make Your Culture Work (Schneider)</a> <small>(This post is part 1 of Agile Culture Series &#8211;...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<title>Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly &#8211; Slides</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/slides-agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/slides-agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2011 12:48:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adoption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Organizational Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transition]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://agilitrix.com/?p=1986</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was thrilled when I had a chance to turn my Agile Culture Series and conclusions into a session to run at XPToronto (my local Agile user group). Slides are below. There were some interesting results that came up in the workshop component that I will share in upcoming posts. As well, I am thinking of doing [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly'>Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</a> <small>This is your chance to hear about the Ugly harsh...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/post-chasm-agile-blues/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Post-Chasm Agile Blues'>Post-Chasm Agile Blues</a> <small>Agile has crossed the chasm and things are different over...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/agile-culture-is-all-about-people/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture'>Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture</a> <small>What is Agile Culture? In an earlier post, I talked...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was thrilled when I had a chance to turn my <a rel="bookmark" href="/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/">Agile Culture Series</a> and conclusions into a session to run at XPToronto (my local Agile user group). Slides are below.</p>
<p>There were some interesting results that came up in the workshop component that I will share in upcoming posts. As well, I am thinking of doing a screencast of this so I can get my message out better.</p>
<div style="width: 425px;"><strong><a title="Agile - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" href="http://www.slideshare.net/michael.sahota/agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly">Agile &#8211; the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</a></strong><object id="__sse8080275" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="355" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=agile-goodbadandugly-upload-may2011-110524073218-phpapp02&amp;stripped_title=agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly&amp;userName=michael.sahota" /><param name="name" value="__sse8080275" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed id="__sse8080275" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="355" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=agile-goodbadandugly-upload-may2011-110524073218-phpapp02&amp;stripped_title=agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly&amp;userName=michael.sahota" name="__sse8080275" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="padding: 5px 0 12px;">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/michael.sahota">Michael Sahota</a>.</div>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly'>Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</a> <small>This is your chance to hear about the Ugly harsh...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/post-chasm-agile-blues/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Post-Chasm Agile Blues'>Post-Chasm Agile Blues</a> <small>Agile has crossed the chasm and things are different over...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/agile-culture-is-all-about-people/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture'>Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture</a> <small>What is Agile Culture? In an earlier post, I talked...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Agile &#8211; The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/05/agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2011 13:24:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adoption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Organizational Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transition]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agilitrix.com/?p=1873</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is your chance to hear about the Ugly harsh realities, the Bad news and the Good opportunities for Agile. In many ways this concludes the past months series on Agile Culture. Stop reading now if you want to take the blue pill and ignore the harsh realities of the Agile industry. Along with a menagerie of problems, [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/ways-to-make-progress-with-culture-gaps/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps'>Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps</a> <small>In an earlier post, I talked about how Agile Fits...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/problems-with-agile-check-your-culture/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Fits Better in Some Company Cultures than Others'>Agile Fits Better in Some Company Cultures than Others</a> <small>At XPDays Benelux last November, Pascal Van Cauwenberghe told me...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.livemusicguide.com/blog/columns/the-most-memorable-musical-moments-in-movies.html"><img class="alignleft" title="The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" src="http://www.livemusicguide.com/cp/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/imagemanager/files/good_bad_ugly.jpg" alt="" width="205" height="195" /></a></p>
<p>This is your chance to hear about the Ugly harsh realities, the Bad news and the Good opportunities for Agile. In many ways this concludes the <a href="/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/">past months series on Agile Culture</a>.</p>
<div>Stop reading now if you want to take the <a href="/2011/03/red-pill-blue-pill/">blue pill</a> and ignore the harsh realities of the Agile industry.</div>
<div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pictureperfectpose/76138988/sizes/s/"><img class="aligncenter" title="Caution" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/6/76138988_28394182ec_m.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="160" /></a></div>
<div>Along with a menagerie of problems, the vast majority of so-called &#8220;Agile Coaches&#8221; are <em>unconsciously incompetent </em>with respect to adopting and transitioning to Agile and a wider toolkit is called for in many situations. But there&#8217;s hope for us all: we can stop the madness by changing our outlook and learn the tools at hand to turn this industry around.</div>
<h2>The Ugly: Harsh Reality</h2>
<h3>Failure is now commonplace</h3>
<div id="_mcePaste">There is a lot of failure and no shortage of lesson&#8217;s learned. Check out Google for <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?q=agile+failure">top 10 lists on failure</a>.  And then of course there is <a href="http://www.agilecollab.com/interview-with-ken-schwaber">Ken Schwaber&#8217;s infamous quote</a>: &#8220;75% of those organizations using Scrum will not succeed in getting the benefits that they hope for from it.&#8221; (I am in fact misquoting him but will do so anyway since he understates the problem). Of course there is my own <a href="/2011/02/agile-failures/">informal study</a>.</div>
<div><strong>Agile is an idea, not a product</strong></div>
<div id="_mcePaste">Many of us in the community have misunderstood that Agile is largely an idea disguised as a process (See <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/lazygolfer/doing-agile-isnt-the-same-as-being-agile">Doing Agile isn’t the same as being Agile</a>). Transforming companies to a new mindset is much much harder than adopting a process. Real success requires more than an accidental approach to adoption.</div>
<div><strong>Post-Chasm Most Companies want a quick fix</strong></div>
<div id="_mcePaste">Agile is post chasm and it&#8217;s painful (See <a href="/2011/03/post-chasm-agile-blues/">Post-Chasm Agile Blues</a>). Rare and far-between are the companies that have a strategic focus in adoption Agile where top company priorities are tied Agile delivery success. Often there is little buy-in to make undertake changes to really make Agile work.</div>
<div><strong>Agile only fits in some company cultures</strong></div>
<div id="_mcePaste">The sad truth is that <a href="/2011/04/problems-with-agile-check-your-culture/">Agile doesn&#8217;t fit all company cultures</a>. Agile is about collaboration and cultivation while many companies are dominated by control culture. So, many Agile adoptions in progress right now are going to fail for this reason.</div>
<h2>The Bad: Wake-up call for Coaches</h2>
<h3>Unconscious Ingnorance &#8211; where the majority of coaches are right now</h3>
<div id="_mcePaste">As the ranks for so called Agile coaches has grown, I would argue that many do not really understand Agile very well (due in part to Semantic Diffusion). This is sad, but there is something worse: Among those who understand it reasonably well, the vast majority are in what I consider to be <em>unconscious incompetence</em> with regard to helping organizations with Agile. This is not a random insult, but a wake-up call.</div>
<div id="_mcePaste">If we consider &#8220;helping organizations with Agile&#8221; as a skill, then we can apply the <a href="http://www.businessballs.com/consciouscompetencelearningmodel.htm">Conscious Competence Learning Model</a> to understand this. See levels in diagram below.</div>
<div><a href="http://www.agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Unconscious-Incompetence.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1894" title="Unconscious Incompetence" src="http://www.agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Unconscious-Incompetence-630x496.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="496" /></a></div>
<div><strong><br />
</strong></div>
<div>It could be argued that many are just at the Su level of Shu-Ha-Ri, and there is no need to be so negative. However, there is a step before Shu where someone does not know about or have interest in a particular skill &#8211; <em>accidental </em>is perhaps a more gentle word than <em>unconscious incompetence</em>.</div>
<div>I thought a lot about where to draw the red line. I think that mostly the community is is at the unconscious incompetence level with only a small number beyond this. Although there are some thought leaders sharing valuable insights, there is no coherent message that people agree on. We need to shift the curve to the right perhaps through a shaping meme in the Agile community. My hope is that this post will help with this.</div>
<div>Looking from a perspective of culture and the levels of failure, I think strong language is required for a <strong>wake-up-call</strong> and call to action.</div>
<blockquote>
<div id="_mcePaste">The days where we pretend that Agile is the greatest things since sliced bread and we can just drop it in to any company are <em>over</em>.</div>
</blockquote>
<div><strong>Sorry, you need more tools</strong></div>
<div id="_mcePaste">The skills required to be a good Agile Coach are immense. The best coaches are constantly learning and know that they have to be very selective in what knowledge to pursue. For example, see <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/agileskillsprojectwiki/">Agile Skills Project</a> for skills just needed to use Agile, not to coach organizations. Mike Cottmeyer has a very broad list of tools that go waaaaay beyond Agile in <a href="http://www.leadingagile.com/2011/01/12-key-knowledge-areas/">12 Key Knowledge Areas</a>. What&#8217;s missing in all this?</div>
<div>Although there is a lot of talk about coaching, there is not much discussion of consulting effectively with Agile or no coherent story around organizational change. Interestingly the <a href="http://www.scrumalliance.org/pages/certified_scrum_coach">Certified Scrum Coach designation</a> (which I have and think is valuable) has among other things clear requirements around Advisory and Consultation skills as well as Organizational Development. So, it&#8217;s time to read books like: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Change-John-P-Kotter/dp/0875847471">Leading Change</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Facilitating-Organization-Change-Lessons-Complexity/dp/078795330X">Facilitating Organizational Change</a>, <a href="/2010/11/secrets-of-consulting/">Secrets of Consulting</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Flawless-Consulting-Guide-Getting-Expertise/dp/0470620749">Flawless Consulting</a>. To ease the load of learning everything, my recommendation is to <a href="/2010/08/agile-coaches-are-like-superheroes/">work in teams</a>.</div>
<h2>The Good: Tools for success</h2>
<h3>First step is understanding</h3>
<div id="_mcePaste">A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step &#8211; Lao-tzu. And that first step is to honestly reflect on what is happening in your world. For many, this will be a <a href="/2011/03/red-pill-blue-pill/">red pill, blue pill</a> moment &#8211; except that this time its about you and not your client.</div>
<h3>Look at the big picture</h3>
<div id="_mcePaste">Understanding the company culture using the <a href="/2011/03/how-to-make-your-culture-work/">Schneider Culture Model</a> or other model is critical. This can be used to inform whether to use an adoption approach or a transformation approach. Israel Gat argues that &#8220;Long-term Agile sustainability requires all four dimensions — benefits, risk mitigation, strategic business value, and culture — to be addressed.&#8221; (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Concise-Executive-Guide-ReadyNotes-ebook/dp/B003TZLNKY">Concise Executive Guide To Agile</a>). Work towards making Agile one of the top 3 company priorities or stop. <a href="http://agile-readiness-assessment.wikispaces.com/">Agile readiness assessments</a> play a big part but this body of knowledge still needs development.</div>
<div><strong>Use an Explicit Transition Model</strong></div>
<div id="_mcePaste">In an earlier post, I outlined different <a href="/2011/04/a-tour-of-agile-adoption-and-transformation-models/">adoption and transition models</a>. It is critcal, that everyone know and understand the approach that is used and what the goals are.</div>
<div><strong>Consider Kanban and Craftsmanship</strong></div>
<div id="_mcePaste">Kanban is a great way to start chipping away at years of process atrophy and dysfunction. It <a href="/2011/04/kanban-aligns-with-control-culture/">fits well with control cultures</a> that dominate the IT scene. This is a good thing and meant in a positive sense - <a href="/2011/05/kanban-is-like-an-oreo-cookie/">Kanban is like an Oreo Cookie</a>: Dark Crunchy Control on the outside, but Sweet White Goodness (collaboration, cultivation and craftsmanship) on the inside!  So for those hard-core Scrum-heads or Agile zealots &#8211; let it go &#8211; Kanban is the only way to help many companies. And attempting Agile in those places will just bring harm to all involved.</div>
<div id="_mcePaste">Competence culture has always been part of eXtreme Programming (XP), but has been washed out of Agile culture by the success of Scrum. Much of the technical emphasis has subsequently been developed into the <a href="/2011/04/software-craftsmanship-promotes-competence-culture/">Craftsmanship movement</a>. Many companies are well suited to improving technical practices, so why not start there? Yup. That&#8217;s the opposite of Scrum.</div>
<div>
<h3 style="font-size: 1.17em;">Just Say &#8220;no&#8221;</h3>
<div id="_mcePaste">With the understanding above about what successsful Agile is and the conditions for success, it is clear that many Agile adoptions may be better off halted and others not even started.</div>
<div id="_mcePaste">For people who work professionally as coaches and whose livelihood depend on maladapted Agile, the way to help themselves and to help their clients is to do something different that will work or stop.</div>
</div>
<h2>Quo Vadis?</h2>
<h3>Agile makes the world a better place</h3>
<div id="_mcePaste">Agile is an important way to bring joy to work and make software creation a humane activity. There is a revolution happening in the world of work where people are beginning to realize the economic value of <em>play</em>. For example, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHwXlcHcTHc">Stuart Brown: Why play is vital &#8212; no matter your age</a> and <a href="http://janemcgonigal.com/">Jane McGonigal on why gaming can make the world better</a>. And this is part of an even bigger movement of creating a <em>democratic workplace</em> &#8211; checkout <a href="http://www.worldblu.com/">WorldBlu</a> &#8211; this is a must see.</div>
<h3>What&#8217;s your play book?</h3>
<div id="_mcePaste">For a change agent or coach, where are you right now? Where do you want to be in 3 months? What are you going to do to get there?</div>
<div id="_mcePaste"><strong>School me!</strong></div>
<div id="_mcePaste">For sure some readers will be thinking &#8220;This doesn&#8217;t apply to me, I&#8217;m in the <em>consciously competent </em>category!&#8221;. In this case, please share your stories of success and how you get there.</div>
<div id="_mcePaste">Thanks for taking the red pill &#8230;</div>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide'>Agile Culture, Adoption, &#038; Transformation Reading Guide</a> <small>This is a reading guide to the series that explores...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/ways-to-make-progress-with-culture-gaps/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps'>Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps</a> <small>In an earlier post, I talked about how Agile Fits...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/problems-with-agile-check-your-culture/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile Fits Better in Some Company Cultures than Others'>Agile Fits Better in Some Company Cultures than Others</a> <small>At XPDays Benelux last November, Pascal Van Cauwenberghe told me...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Agile Culture, Adoption, &amp; Transformation Reading Guide</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/agile-culture-series-reading-guide/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:10:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adoption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Organizational Change]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agilitrix.com/?p=1846</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is a reading guide to the series that explores corporate culture and how that has a direct impact (sometimes very negative) on efforts towards Agile adoption and transformation. It is a must-read for every Agile Change Agent. The role of Kanban is quite distinct and is discussed throughout. Below is a quick synopsis of [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/a-tour-of-agile-adoption-and-transformation-models/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models'>A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models</a> <small>In light of Agile adoption failures and awareness of cultural...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/agile-culture-is-all-about-people/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture'>Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture</a> <small>What is Agile Culture? In an earlier post, I talked...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/ways-to-make-progress-with-culture-gaps/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps'>Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps</a> <small>In an earlier post, I talked about how Agile Fits...</small></li>
</ol>

Related posts brought to you by <a href='http://yarpp.org'>Yet Another Related Posts Plugin</a>.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is a reading guide to the series that explores corporate culture and how that has a direct impact (sometimes very negative) on efforts towards Agile adoption and transformation. It is a must-read for every Agile Change Agent. The role of Kanban is quite distinct and is discussed throughout.</p>
<p>Below is a quick synopsis of each post in the series on Organizational Culture, Adoption and Transformation so you it&#8217;s easy to find the most relevant content for you and start with what interests you most.</p>
<h2>Best Summary</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="/2011/12/agile-culture-and-adoption-survival-guide-video/">1 Hour Video explanation (and slides) of Culture; adoption/transformation meta-framework</a> &#8211; If you really want to understand, I encourage you to watch the video. Don&#8217;t have time &#8211; just scan the presentation slides. Agile New England, Dec. 2011</li>
<li><a href="http://www.methodsandtools.com/archive/agileculture.php">How to Make Your Culture Work with Agile, Kanban &amp; Software Craftsmanship</a> &#8211; Method and Tools Article, Dec. 2011</li>
<li>eBook &#8211; In progress. Drop me a note if you want to be a reviewer.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Juicy Conclusions</h2>
<p>Read about why it matters to you:</p>
<ul>
<li><a title="Agile Fits Better in Some Company Cultures than Others" href="/2011/04/problems-with-agile-check-your-culture/" rel="bookmark">Agile Fits Better in Some Company Cultures than Others</a> &#8211; Agile is a great way of thinking about software development but that doesn&#8217;t mean it fits in with all company cultures. Ditto for Kanban.</li>
<li><a href="/2011/05/agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/">Agile &#8211; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly</a> &#8211; Links cultural issues central to challenges faced with Agile Adoption and Transition. What you need to know as a change agent.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Change Agent&#8217;s Toolkit</h2>
<p>Read this to expand your toolkit:</p>
<ul>
<li><a title="A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models" href="/2011/04/a-tour-of-agile-adoption-and-transformation-models/" rel="bookmark">A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models</a> &#8211; Review of Agile Adoption and Transformation models. What tools people in the community are using and where they are effective.</li>
<li><a title="Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps" href="/2011/04/ways-to-make-progress-with-culture-gaps/" rel="bookmark">Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps</a> &#8211; Different ways for coaches to make progress with Agile when it doesn&#8217;t fit with the culture.</li>
<li><a href="/2011/05/agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/">Agile &#8211; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly</a> &#8211; See final section &#8211; &#8220;The Good&#8221;</li>
</ul>
<h2>Reading Order from Beginning to End</h2>
<p>If you want to understand the logic in linear order, start here:</p>
<ol>
<li><a title="How to Make Your Culture Work (Schneider)" href="/2011/03/how-to-make-your-culture-work/" rel="bookmark">How to Make Your Culture Work (Schneider)</a> &#8211; Explanation of Schneider culture model that is used as a base for the analysis and provides a framework for discourse.</li>
<li><a href="/2011/03/agile-culture-is-all-about-people/" rel="bookmark">Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture</a> &#8211; Analysis of Agile/Scrum core values and associated culture.</li>
<li><a title="Kanban aligns with Control Culture" href="/2011/04/kanban-aligns-with-control-culture/" rel="bookmark">Kanban aligns with Control Culture</a> &#8211; Analysis of Kanban cultural bias.</li>
<li><a title="Software Craftsmanship promotes Competence Culture" href="/2011/04/software-craftsmanship-promotes-competence-culture/" rel="bookmark">Software Craftsmanship promotes Competence Culture</a> &#8211; Analysis of Craftsmanship cultural bias.</li>
<li><a title="Agile Fits Better in Some Company Cultures than Others" href="/2011/04/problems-with-agile-check-your-culture/" rel="bookmark">Agile Fits Better in Some Company Cultures than Others</a> &#8211; Juicy conclusions that points to a different way for coaches to approach and engage with clients.</li>
<li><a title="A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models" href="/2011/04/a-tour-of-agile-adoption-and-transformation-models/" rel="bookmark">A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models</a> &#8211; Review of Agile Adoption and Transformation models. What tools people in the community are using and where they are effective.</li>
<li><a title="Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps" href="/2011/04/ways-to-make-progress-with-culture-gaps/" rel="bookmark">Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps</a> &#8211; Different ways for coaches to make progress with Agile when it doesn&#8217;t fit with the culture.</li>
<li><a href="/2011/05/agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/">Agile &#8211; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly</a> &#8211; Links cultural issues central to challenges faced with Agile Adoption and Transition. See also <a href="/2011/05/slides-agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/">slides</a>.</li>
</ol>
<h2>Post-Script</h2>
<p>Here are some more bits and pieces around culture:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="/2011/05/doi-cultural-shotgun/">DOI? Cultural Shotgun</a> &#8211; Culture analysis of the Declaration of Interdependence</li>
<li><a title="Permanent Link to Culture of “Good To Great” Companies and Why it Matters" href="http://agilitrix.com/2011/06/culture-of-good-to-great-companies-and-why-it-matters/" rel="bookmark">Culture of “Good To Great” Companies and Why it Matters</a> &#8211; Why competence matters.</li>
<li><a title="Permanent link to Workshop Results on Culture" href="http://agilitrix.com/2011/11/workshop-results-on-culture/" rel="bookmark">Workshop Results on Culture</a> - Walk-through of workshop results supporting cultural claims.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<h2>Video/Screencasts (older)</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="/2011/05/screencast-how-to-make-your-culture-work-with-agile/">Part 1: Schneider Culture Model and Analysis of Manifestos &amp; Principles</a></li>
<li><a href="/2011/05/agile-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-screencast/">Part 2: Agile &#8211; the Good, the Bad and the Ugly</a> - Links cultural issues central to challenges faced with Agile Adoption and Transition.</li>
</ul>
</div>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/a-tour-of-agile-adoption-and-transformation-models/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models'>A Tour of Agile Adoption and Transformation Models</a> <small>In light of Agile adoption failures and awareness of cultural...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/03/agile-culture-is-all-about-people/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture'>Agile is about Collaboration and Cultivation Culture</a> <small>What is Agile Culture? In an earlier post, I talked...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/ways-to-make-progress-with-culture-gaps/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps'>Ways to Make Progress with Culture Gaps</a> <small>In an earlier post, I talked about how Agile Fits...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Sustaining Agility Game</title>
		<link>http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/sustaining-agility-game/</link>
		<comments>http://agilitrix.com/2011/04/sustaining-agility-game/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:36:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael Sahota</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Agile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technical Practices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Craftsmanship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Games and Simulations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Product Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Project Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technical Debt]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.agilitrix.com/?p=1726</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you been on a software project where each release gets harder and harder? Many projects fall into the tar pit of the Design Dead Core. Why do nearly all software projects fail to balance short term choices with long term consequences? Through game-play you will experience how hard it is to make effective choices. [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/02/how-to-facilitate-a-great-game-debrief/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Facilitate a Great Game Debrief'>How to Facilitate a Great Game Debrief</a> <small>Ilja Preuß ran a peer workshop at Play4Agile on Tips...</small></li>
</ol>

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Have you been on a software project where each release gets harder and harder? Many projects fall into the tar pit of the Design Dead Core.</p>
<p>Why do nearly all software projects fail to balance short term choices with long term consequences?</p>
<p>Through game-play you will experience how hard it is to make effective choices. Game learnings will be tied into well-known models in and beyond software such as Technical Debt, Stephen Covey’s Production Capability, and Alistair Cockburn&#8217;s theory of competing games.</p>
<h2>Recipe</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Game Objective</strong>: Participants experience the attraction of short-term thinking and feel the long-term consequences. The game helps executives and managers understand the importance of investment in sustainable development practices. The game is intended to help them get through a <a href="http://www.agilitrix.com/2011/03/red-pill-blue-pill/">Red Pill, Blue Pill</a> moment.</li>
<li><strong>Number of participants</strong>: 6 to 50 (Has been playtested with 40 at XP Toronto User Group Meeting).</li>
<li><strong>Team size</strong>: 3 to 5 people per team.</li>
<li><strong>Duration</strong>: 90 to 110 minutes</li>
<li><strong>Materials</strong>: Game cards (can print or write by hand), pennies (15 per team), dice (two per team)</li>
<li><strong>Setup</strong>: (optional) video projector, tables for group work, whiteboard or flipchart.</li>
<li><strong>Credits</strong>: This game was created by <strong>Alistair McKinnell</strong> and Michael Sahota.</li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>Session Timetable</strong></h2>
<ol>
<li>Intro &amp; Motivate Game [3 min]</li>
<li>Break into teams of four or five people. [2 min]</li>
<li>Setup Game [5 min]</li>
<li>Year 1 [30+ min]</li>
<li>Year 2 [20+ min]</li>
<li>Year 3 [15 min]</li>
<li>Debrief [15 min]</li>
</ol>
<p>There is a backdrop story that motivates the game situation and is used throughout the game to provide entertainment and inject new rules.</p>
<h2>What&#8217;s Your Choice?</h2>
<p>Here is a photo showing the project choices available to management teams:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Investment-Choices.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1820" title="Investment Choices" src="http://www.agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Investment-Choices-630x170.jpg" alt="" width="630" height="170" /></a></p>
<h2>Game Narrative</h2>
<div>
<p>You’re working at a large organization. (Although situation entirely applies to smaller companies). Your goal in this game is to get promoted within your organization through delivery excellence. You need 50 Career Points to get promoted.  You’ll keep track of your Career Points as the game progresses.</p>
<p>Together with the other people on your team, you form the management team of a software development division. Your team is competing with other teams to get promoted.</p>
<p>[Handout Steady and Fast Cards and Scoring Sheet]<br />
[Each steady project generates $3M revenue. Each fast project generates $4M revenue.]</p>
<p>[Optional Colour: You have two strategies that you can follow for any one of the projects in your project portfolio: (1) negotiate with the development organization and let them influence the deadlines; or (2) pressure the development organization to deliver to meet this quarter's business targets. You may choose a hybrid of these strategies for your project portfolio: running some of your projects with a steady, negotiated delivery pace and some of your projects with a fast delivery pace.]</p>
</div>
<h2>Year One</h2>
<div><strong>Turn 1: Q1</strong><br />
Start of Turn: We are going to walk you through the first turn.<br />
Allocation: You can fund 10 projects. When you take over the following strategy is already in place: 8 steady projects and 2 fast projects.<br />
Scoring: Calculate revenue.<br />
Calculate change in Career Points. Calculate cumulative Career Points.</div>
<div>[Each quarter, you get 1 Career Point for every $1M revenue over $28M and you lose 1 Career Point for every $1M revenue below $28M. You start with 12 Career Points. Need 50 Career Points to win]</div>
<div>
<p><strong>Turn 2: Q2</strong><br />
Start of Turn: Your team has achieved more autonomy from the senior management team and you may choose whatever project delivery strategy you like.<br />
Allocation: You can fund 10 projects. Choose an allocation strategy.<br />
Scoring: as above.</p>
<p><strong>Turn 3: Q3</strong><br />
Start of Turn: At the company town hall, your CEO shares her latest business thinking with the organization. Last quarter she attending a seminar based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and going forward she wants the organization to consider not just production but also production capacity.</p>
<p>Some consultants have been hired and have started to put in place some metrics around production capacity.</p>
<p>The consultants present a report to your management team. It turns out that projects that are designated for fast delivery appear to be lowering the development organization’s production capacity by one unit of production capacity for each fast project.</p>
<p>[Fill in last 4 columns to spreadsheet: Invest, Delta Production Capacity, Production Capacity, and Fundable Projects. You start with a production capacity of 105. Update these columns for the first two turns (Q1 and Q2).]</p>
<p>[Each fast project reduces production capacity by 1. You start with a production capacity of 105. The number of Fundable Projects is calculated by dividing your production capacity by 10 and rounding down.]</p>
<p>Explain <em>Invest</em>. Your management team has been given a new portfolio management strategy: in addition to delivering project using either a steady or fast delivery strategy you may also invest in projects to increase your delivery capacity.</p>
<p>Scoring:<br />
[Each invest project generates an opportunity to gain production capacity by rolling a 1d6 where each pip is a unit of production capacity. ]</p>
<p>[In order to avoid getting fired you must meet satisfy these 3 conditions: (1) no more than 5 Career Points lost in any one quarter.; (2) never two quarters in a row with Career Points lost; and (3)  never allow Career Points to go below zero.]</p>
<p><strong>Turn 4: Q4<br />
</strong>Start of Turn: The consultants present another report to your management team. It turns out that projects that are designated for steady delivery appear to be lowering the development organization’s production capacity as well.<br />
[Reduce production capacity by one for every 4 projects (steady or fast) (rounded down).]</p>
<p>End of Turn: Audit Event. Each team requires two independent auditors from other teams to verify the calculations.</p>
<h2>Game Events (Year 2)</h2>
</div>
<div><strong>Q1</strong></div>
<div>
<p>Beginning of Q1: At the all-hands meeting to kickoff the New Year your CEO exhorts everyone to work harder and to stay focused on delivery. She announces that Agile software development is on her radar and to stay tuned.The senior management team has set a revenue target of $33M for this quarter.</p>
<p>[Rules: You must meet it or loose an additional 5 career points (usual Career Point loss limit is increased to 10 Career Points). THIS TURN ONLY]</p>
</div>
<div><strong>Q2</strong><br />
Beginning of Q2: Your management team becomes aware that an Agile consulting firm has been hired to help the development organization transition to Scrum. [Possible rule: you must do at least 3 fast projects while you still can]</div>
<div><strong>Q3</strong><br />
Beginning of Q3: At the company town hall, as usual, your CEO shares her latest business thinking with the organization. Pick one option:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Discuss design dead core and how it gets created. [3 min] <a href="about:blank">(http://www.agilitrix.com/2010/02/inventors-dilemma-and-the-dead-core/)</a></li>
<li><a href="about:blank"></a>Show Schwaber video [11 min] The lights are dimmed and she signals the Audio Visual guys to play the Design-Dead Core video presented by Ken Schwaber. [Ken <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyNPeTn8fpo&amp;t=35m38s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyNPeTn8fpo&amp;t=35m38s</a> (to 45:07)]</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Q4</strong></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><strong> </strong>Beginning of Q4: CEO announces that promotion criteria are under review and they are working on revised policies for Q1 that reflect the need for sustainable development.</p>
<h2>Game Events (Year 3)</h2>
</div>
<div><strong>Q1</strong></div>
<div>
<p>Beginning of Q1: At the company town hall, as usual, your CEO shares her latest business thinking with the organization.Agile consultant explains Alistair Cockburn&#8217;s model of Competing games (current/next): Current Project (bounded game) and Product/Company (unbounded game)</p>
<p>[Rule change: Promotion Criteria is now 35 Career Points and 13 Production]</p>
<p>[CFO: Teams that have very low production capacity can revert to original game starting conditions]</p>
</div>
<div>
<h2>Debrief</h2>
<p>Here is an example debrief using ORID <a href="about:blank">(http://pacific-edge.info/orid/)</a>:</p>
<ol>
<li>What did you notice during in the game?</li>
<li>What emotions did the game raise for you?</li>
<li>What does this mean for you and your organization?</li>
<li>What will you do with these learnings?</li>
</ol>
</div>
<h2>Resources</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sustaining-Agility-Game-Options.pdf">Sustaining Agility Game Options</a> &#8211; PDF to print 3&#8243; x 5&#8243; index cards (one set per team)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.agilitrix.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sustaining-Agility-Score-Sheet.xls">Sustaining Agility Score Sheet</a> &#8211; Excel spreadsheet to print (one sheet per team)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Facilitation Tips</h2>
<ul>
<li>It is useful to create memorable even stereotyped characters to help participants connect with the storyline. e.g. CEO has a Texan drawl, CFO is from NYC, Consultant is from California.</li>
<li>Write Rule fragments on flipchart or whiteboard so everyone can see the rules. I suggest skipping text and just put keywords such as &#8220;Invest &#8211;&gt;+1D6 Production Capacity&#8221;.</li>
<li>If you have not played the game before, I suggest you playtest it on your own.</li>
<li>It may be helpful to write up rules on flipchart in advance and then share them when it is time.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Feedback from first run (XPToronto)</h2>
<ul>
<li>“Fantastic, Magical” &#8211; Jorgen Baker</li>
<li>“Real pressures bottled up” &#8211; Alex Aitken</li>
<li>“Good fun, valuable, opportunity to learn” &#8211; Tom Huras</li>
<li>“Thought-provoking, Fun, Interesting” &#8211; Nick Faulkener</li>
<li>“Lively, Interactive, Team-focused” &#8211; Hedi Buchner</li>
</ul>
<h2>Feedback from second run (Agile Games 2011)</h2>
<ul>
<li>&#8220;This game relates hugely to my current work situation where we struggle daily to do thing the right way or increase our technical debt. This game can give great insight to our companies leader to make the right decisions as much as possible.&#8221; &#8211; A.F.</li>
<li>&#8220;Very interesting game. I&#8217;m going to try it myself.&#8221; &#8211; A.J.</li>
<li>&#8220;Good mix of presentation and game. Provided great thoughts about career goals, revenue and investing in production capability and the future.&#8221; &#8211; J.V.</li>
<li>&#8220;Great, practical game about strategy and the impact of long-term choices and short-term consequences&#8221; &#8211; T.M.</li>
</ul>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://agilitrix.com/2011/02/how-to-facilitate-a-great-game-debrief/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: How to Facilitate a Great Game Debrief'>How to Facilitate a Great Game Debrief</a> <small>Ilja Preuß ran a peer workshop at Play4Agile on Tips...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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