Willpower is the force that is between the brain activity (I want to do this or I need to do this) and the action itself (start coding). If there is not enough willpower, people find it difficult to start any activity (especially that involves decision making). What is the standard approach when you feel tired and find it difficult to concentrate? Take some coffee (but latest research shows that coffee depletes the brain activity, even when body has more energy), take some sweets (but sugar ends quickly and gives even more exhaustion to the body)? These widely used strategies generally do not work, and in long-term even add harm to the body and brain. The willpower is not endless (so-called muscle theory of willpower), it can be saved, it can be trained, there are approaches how to keep the willpower level high. To keep the willpower (and thus, productivity) on the high level, people should know and use different approaches that lay in the field on the social and cognitive science. There are a lot of evidences that SCRUM improves the developer’s productivity in terms of speed of development, code quality, and accuracy of design. Unfortunately mainly all recommendations from SCRUM coaches look like “believe me, if you do this, you will have better velocity”. Yes, it works. But why does it work? Sometimes SCRUM does not give such great results even when main elements are in place. The question “Why” and “What makes the difference” is here again. I will describe the model of relationship between the willpower related brain metabolism on very low level (specific amino acid cycle) and the SCRUM practices. I can prove that SCRUM addresses the productivity of the people’s brain using 3 different flows simultaneously. There are several tips that make these productivity flows working or not. You can make Agile productive, you can have non-productive Agile. I will show you where the difference is. Overall there are 10 productivity tips that can be put into 3 flows. As the outcome of this session, Agile coaches, and all people who can change the process (in fact that is any team member) will review their SCRUM: does the way they have it improve the productivity or they are losing all the power? The changes are cheap, the outcome can be huge.

1. How Scrum boosts your willpower
and productivity
Anna Obukhova,
Agile Coach

2. Is 400% productivity in SCRUM a myth, a luck…or?
2

3. 3

4. 4

5. What the productivity is?
5

6. Willpower energy is not endless
6

7. That means it can dry up
7

8. Lysine is the specific willpower fuel
8

9. Lysine – what it affects and regulates:
Regulates
 Energy metabolism and body recovery
 Lipids metabolism
 Immune system
 Short-term memory
 Attention concentration, focus
Not enough Lysine
 Anxiety, nervousness, cannot feel happiness
 Lower height or bad powerlifting results
 Allopecia – less hair on the head
 Problems with potency
9

10. Strategies for productivity:
1 - Don’t spend Lysine
2 - Don’t allow others to spend our Lysine
3 - Get Results and feel happiness
10

11. Why it is about SCRUM?
11

12. Strategy 1 - Don’t spend Lysine
 Habit
 Ritual
 Flow
12

13. Strategy 1 in SCRUM: Don’t Spend willpower
1. Standup
2. Sprint Pulse
3. Picking the tasks
13

14. Strategy 2- Don’t allow others to spend your Lysine
 Anxiety
 Uncertainty
 Stress
14

15. Strategy 2 in SCRUM: reduce uncertainty and stress
4. PBR meetings
5. Story tests and DOD
6. Change Requests
7. UT and Test
Automation
15

16. Strategy 3 – Get the result and get happy
 Get the result
 Authorize the result
 Sell the result
16

17. Strategy 3 in SCRUM: Success Well
8. Story - done
9. Tasks <= 1 day
10. Fixed Price Agile
17

18. Compound Effect
18

19. What hyperproductivity potential your team has?
19

20. 1. Standup - identical
2. Sprint Pulse present and constant
3. Tasks picked by developers
4. PBR meetings prepare for commitment
5. Story tests used for Demo
6. Change Requests – Request for new
result
7. UT and Test Automation – green tick
8. Story Done – visible acceptance
9. Tasks <= 1 day
10. Fixed Price Agile - result >money
20

21. Is 400% productivity in SCRUM a myth, a luck…or?
21

22. Anna.Obukhova@luxoft.com
Anna.Obukhova@mail.ru
LinkedIn: Anna Obukhova
22