Agents Unleashed

Building large, complex, interlinked, cyber-physical systems the lean way (#16)

"Experiment like a scientist, not a mad scientist" - Mark RichardsHave you ever pondered, "How can a lean approach work wonders for massive systems?" That’s exactly where we dive into this episode of SPCs Unleashed. Hosted by Swiss SPCTs Stephan and Niko, Dutch SPCT Ali, and Aussie SAFE Fellow Mark Richards, the show continues to unravel the complexities of enterprise solution delivery, this time with a focus on lean systems engineering.Ali kicks off by revisiting the less glamorous but crucial core competency of lean systems engineering, which aims to trim the fat from system development by integrating and evolving systems incrementally. The discussion reveals how managing large systems can be challenging, but incremental improvements, like those from Mark's Australian Post story and Niko’s Swiss bank example, can lead to agile success.Stephan draws parallels with his army experience, emphasizing the need for clarity and cohesion in large, complex operations. Mark and Niko share insights on navigating legacy systems and adapting roadmaps, while Ali highlights the importance of aligning long-term goals with agile, iterative development. Each story showcases how even the most intricate systems can benefit from lean principles, turning vast, monolithic challenges into manageable, incremental deliverables.References:Refactoring Databases: Evolutionary Database Design - Scott W. AmblerSAFe Solution Intent ArticleCast:Ali Hajou(Moderator)Niko KaintantzisStephan NeckMark Richards  

Effective Collaboration is the Backbone of Large Solution success (#15)

“It's a wonderful toolbox, but you don't have to stand up a large solution to start using the toolbox.” - Mark RichardsIn this engaging episode of SPCs Unleashed, hosts Nikolaos Kaintantzis, Mark Richards, Stephan Neck, and Ali Hajou dive deep into the complexities of enterprise solution delivery, focusing on coordinating large solutions, managing suppliers, and integrating hardware. The conversation touches on the challenges and strategies SPCs can use to navigate this intricate terrain. Profit even if you have no large solutions.Key Takeaways:The Importance of Integration: Niko emphasizes that integrating suppliers and ensuring alignment across large solutions is crucial, even for organizations that do not primarily deal with large-scale solutions. The team discusses how the principles of large solution management can be applied universally.Collaborative Complexity: Stephan highlights that the key to success in large solutions is effective collaboration and partnership. He underscores the necessity of having a clear, shared vision and the importance of alignment across teams.Communication is Key: Ali brings a unique perspective on the need for continuous communication and synchronization among teams and suppliers, comparing it to the flow of information in a tightly-knit community. This analogy underscores the significance of staying in constant touch to manage dependencies effectively.Overcoming Challenges: Mark reflects on his experiences with large-scale software projects and emphasizes the importance of maintaining the autonomy and mission of individual Agile Release Trains (ARTs) within a larger solution train. He cautions against the risk of losing identity and ownership when integrating multiple teams.Practical Insights: The team discusses practical approaches to managing the supply chain, including the use of synchronized roadmaps, managing dependencies, and the importance of not treating plans as rigid but rather as forecasts that require constant adjustment.This episode is a must-listen for SPCs looking to deepen their understanding of enterprise solution delivery and learn from the real-world experiences of seasoned experts.  

Authentic Leadership - Inspiring Future Leaders Through Coaching and Example (#5)

“the drummer sets the beat and the rhythm that the band shines against… a good leader sets the beat, and they create the backdrop against which great performances happen from their people.” - Mark RichardsIn this enlightening podcast episode about Leading by Example, Mark, Stephan, and Niko emphasize the critical role of leaders in fostering an environment where team members feel safe to express their ideas, which is essential for innovation. Mark highlights that leaders must listen to their teams, understand their perspectives, and value their input. Stefan adds that creating psychological safety is crucial, allowing team members to share without fear of judgment or retribution. This safety leads to greater innovation, as people are more willing to take risks and suggest creative solutions.Trust is identified as foundational to effective collaboration. Leaders build this trust through transparency, modeling desired behaviors, and leading by example. Mark shares a personal story about a leader named Nat who inspired him, emphasizing her dedication to learning and caring for her team. Niko contributes to the discussion by emphasizing the importance of authenticity in leadership. He stresses the need for leaders to be consistent in their behavior inside and outside formal settings and to embrace feedback as part of their growth journey genuinely. Stephan shared his struggles with impostor syndrome and found solace in the concept of "confident humility" from Adam Grant, highlighting the importance of being confident in what you do while being humble about what you don’t know.Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of listening, psychological safety, trust, leading by example, and genuine care in effective leadership. Each speaker brings a unique perspective and personal experiences that underscore these principles in practice.Key Takeaways:Authenticity and humility are crucial for effective leadership.Leaders should focus on creating a safe environment that encourages learning and innovation.It's important for leaders to invest in their own development and lead by example.Coaching should start by amplifying leaders' strengths rather than critiquing their weaknesses.Cast:Niko Kaintantzis (Moderator)Stephan NeckMark Richards 

The severe impact of Lean and Agile Leadership on the success, effectiveness, and motivation of your Agile Teams (#4)

"When joining, the all-blacks gave you a book with all jerseys of the team across all times, with blank pages at the end for you to fill in" - Stephan NeckIn this episode of SPCs Unleashed, the hosts Stephan Neck, Niko Kaintantzis, Ali Hajou, and Mark Richards delve into the Lean-Agile Leadership core competency, focusing on mindset, values, and principles. The discussion emphasizes going beyond superficial understandings of these concepts to explore their practical applications in real-world scenarios. They discuss the importance of embedding Lean-Agile values in leadership, decision-making, and actions across organizations. The episode features insights on how sticking to core values can be challenging but ultimately rewarding, with examples like Patagonia’s commitment to its principles. Mark Richards shares a story of a government executive who effectively modeled leadership values, breaking down hierarchical barriers. Stephan Neck highlights the significance of alignment and trust in leadership, drawing from his experience in the Swiss Army. Niko Kaintantzis discusses the fine line between being stubborn and upholding values, sharing how a project leader successfully navigated resistance to drive change.Book References:Let my people go surfing - Yvon ChouinardCast:Ali Hajou(Moderator)Niko KaintantzisStephan NeckMark Richards  

Deliver Great Products with Giants, Legends and GOAT teams (#3)

“If you don’t have great teams, you’ll never have great ARTs” - Mark RichardsMark Richards, Ali Hajou, and Niko Kaintantzis join Stephan Neck in the second ‘reprise’ episode after the initial reprise of SPC’s Unleashed with Lean Thinking People and Agile Teams from the Organizational Agility competency -  we proceeded with the Dimension of Agile Teams in the Team and Technical Agility competency.We start by sharing our passion, followed by a deep dive into agile practices to foster the right attitude using Scrum, Kanban, or a hybrid as the team’s core method. Mark reminds us about the giants whose shoulders SAFe’s team stands atop.Next, we reflect on how “Legends are not made but emerge” by discussing finding the right Scrum Master/Team Coach, as they have a crucial role. We agree that naming or choosing them based on certification isn’t enough. Once you find them, you have to mentor and grow them.The third topic includes “GOAT Teams”: Team Topologies opened up a fruitful discussion about team collaboration rather than “categorization” and avoiding the binary “Feature teams good, Component teams bad” trap.Our final topic was the team responsibility wheel with the five focus areas. Our conclusion was that delivering value is the ultimate goal, and all other responsibilities lead to it.Cast:Stephan Neck  (Moderator)Niko KaintantzisAli Hajou  Mark Richards  Links:Team Topologies - Skelton and Pais 

You need Agile Business People to achieve Business Agility (#2)

“I think a good SPC has to be a coach, too … You have to use the language of the people who have to become agile because agile isn’t the goal. It’s using the agile things to become faster, to become better, to have better user feedback” - Niko KaintantzisStephan Neck and Niko Kaintantzis join Mark Richards in the first ‘reprise’ episode.  The initial iteration of SPC’s Unleashed delved into some critical dimensions in a theoretical manner.  We felt the need to revisit these dimensions, infusing our unique perspectives and real-life experiences from the field. And what better place to start than with Lean Thinking People and Agile Teams from the Organizational Agility competency?We kick off by sharing our practical experiences of teaching the SAFe courses to non-technical audiences.  Niko enlightens us about ‘Greifin’ (touching or grabbing), and Stephan underscores the significance of linking the audience’s pain points to breathe life into the concepts in their own context.There’s a natural progression from training to coaching, so the second topic we explore is coaching non-technical people. Stephan’s first ART was actually in HR, so he has some great stories to share. Niko stresses the importance of coaching skills and ‘using the language of the people’ to connect worlds.Next, we reflect on how valuable the recent evolution of SAFe’s built-in quality article has been in supporting non-technical teams.Our final topic was the Patterns for Agile Business and Technology.  Questioning which of the five patterns was most popular revealed that we have tried making every ART a Business-Enabled ART for years.  Niko and Stephan share some great insights about their experiences coaching Agile Executive Teams and Combined Portfolios.Cast:Mark Richards (Moderator)Niko Kaintantzis  Stephan Neck Links:Marshmallow ChallengePair Drawing ActivityOrganizational Agility ArticleBuilt-in-Quality Article

Exploring DevOps Frontiers - Stories of Collaboration and Resilience (#14)

“Not having good DevOps is a lot more expensive than having DevOps” - Mark RichardsIn this enlightening podcast episode, Niko takes the reins as the host, guiding Ali, Stephan, and Mark through a rich discussion on the essence of DevOps and its implications for modern organizations.Niko initiates the dialogue by delving into ownership and collaboration in DevOps. Ali highlights the importance of agreements and ownership within teams, highlighting how these agreements facilitate smooth collaboration between development, operations, and other domains. Stephan chimes in, emphasizing the significance of value stream mapping and its role in fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility within teams.Mark redirects the conversation toward the early integration of DevOps principles in the development lifecycle. He underscores the misconception of DevOps as solely a production-focused endeavor, advocating instead for its integration right from the outset. Mark shares insights from his experience, emphasizing the importance of practicing DevOps principles during the development, testing, and pre-production stages.As the discussion evolves, Niko steers the conversation toward the learning journey inherent in DevOps. Stephan articulates the three fundamental ways described in the DevOps handbook: establishing flow, establishing feedback mechanisms, and continual experimentation. Ali adds depth to the conversation by highlighting the importance of resilience and proactive approaches to disaster recovery and business continuity.The dialogue extends to the cultural shift required for successful DevOps implementation. The panelists agree that DevOps is more than just a set of tools—it necessitates organizational cultural transformation. They emphasize the importance of embracing a people-centric approach, fostering a team-oriented mindset, and aligning goals and practices across the entire value stream.The key takeaway is that DevOps is not merely about adopting tools with fancy names—it’s about fostering a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and resilience within organizations. The panelists leave listeners with a call to action, urging them to rethink their approach to DevOps and embark on a journey toward organizational transformation.Cast:Niko Kaintantzis (Moderator)Stephan Neck Ali Hajou  Mark Richards Book References:The DevOps Handbook - by Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, & John WillisThe Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win - Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford

Learn fast by Developing on Cadence and Releasing on Demand (#13)

“Can you integrate, and do you do that very frequently on a cadence?  Yes, then that generates learning, and so forth, and so forth!  Und so weiter, und so weiter!” - Ali HajouWhy is it important to Develop on Cadence and Release on Demand?  How fast can you learn?  Does it integrate?  Does it work?  Do your customers like it?  In this episode, Ali, Stephan, Niko, and Mark continue in their quest to provide insight and inspiration to SPCs and other change agents by sharing their personal journeys and war stories from the field.Stephan hosts and begins by asking Niko, Ali, and Mark how they help teams and ARTs establish a flow system.  Ali emphasizes the importance of the flow of knowledge as described in the DevOps handbook.  Niko reminds us to build our cadence around people, while Mark wants to minimize the batching impact of cadence.Exploring the inherent variability of product development, Niko focuses on Continuous Exploration, and Ali empathizes with management and ‘real-world’ commitments.  Mark balances the variability of estimates with the chance we’re building something that doesn’t meet customer needs.The Measure and Grow debate is divided into two camps.  Ali and Niko argue for the ART demonstrating an integrated solution in the System Demo".  Stephan and Mark, however, stress the importance of the ART addressing bottlenecks in the value stream.Cast:Stephan Neck (Moderator)Ali Hajou  Niko Kaintantzis Mark Richards Book References:The DevOps Handbook - by Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, & John Willis

Plan, commit, execute, and improve together with a Team of Agile Teams (#12)

"Team of teams is not a target state, but rather an opportunity for value creation and delivery" - Stephan NeckAs an SPC or other agile change agent, how do you bring the Team of Agile Teams dimension of SAFe's Team and Technical Agility competency to life in your organization? In this episode, Ali, Stephan, Niko, and Mark continue in their quest to provide insight and inspiration by sharing their personal journeys and war stories from the field.Mark hosts and begins by asking Ali, Stephan, and Niko to describe their first ART and their worst ART and the lessons they learned from both. Niko takes the opportunity to remind us that we're dealing with a living organism, not a machine, which makes a great segue to the secrets we've all found regarding ART design. Ali provides an excellent foundation for this discussion as he shares the story of an ART that took ten weeks to design. Getting an ART designed and launched is only the beginning of the journey, though, and we move on to critical moves to setting it up for self-sustaining success and avoiding the perils of the feature factory.The Measure and Grow debate is less divided this week. Ali, Mark, and Stephan all settled for "The ART being organized to optimize value delivery" as their favorite, and Niko provided the only contrast with his love of the trust required when "Our team can rely on the other teams to deliver work on which we are dependent."Cast:Stephan NeckAli Hajou  Niko Kaintantzis Mark Richards (Moderator)Show NotesBook References:Artful Making - by Robert Austin, Lee DevinScaling Software Agility - Dean LeffingwellOther References:12 signs you're working in a feature factory - John Cutler

Create an environment that supports creative thinking and curiosity if you want an Innovation Culture (#11)

"Experiment like a scientist, not a mad scientist" - Mark RichardsHave you ever asked yourself, "If Innovation was an animal, which one would it be?" That's how Niko started this episode's journey into the Innovation Culture dimension of SAFe's Continuous Learning Culture competency. It set the scene for an eventful discussion as Mark, Ali, and Stephan shared insights on lessons they'd learned and successes they'd seen.The conversation led from slices of cake inspiring innovation in semiconductor design through Hackathons and "Awesome Challenges" to ensuring there was time for Innovation in the IP iteration. We explored the challenges and possibilities of Pivoting without mercy and ignoring sunk costs before Niko and Stephan took us back into the world of slicing elephants of various flavors.No two of us agreed on a most critical Measure and Grow metric. Ali opted for "Leaders creating an environment that supports creative thinking, curiosity and challenging the status quo." Stephan asked for an organization that "cultivates the courage and aptitude for innovation and encourages risk-taking." At the same time, Niko wanted to "promote learning and exploration through experimentation without fear of failure." Mark is obsessed with "pivoting without blame or consideration of sunk cost."Cast:Stephan NeckAli Hajou  Niko Kaintantzis (Moderator)Mark RichardsShow NotesBook References:Lean Startup - Eric RiesRunning Lean - Ash MauriyaThe Startup Way - Eric RiesLet my people go surfing - Yvon ChouinardThe Culture Map - Erin MeyerOther References:Epic Fails Brought to You By the Genius Mind of Thomas Edison - Smithsonian Magazine