This document discusses how the Kanban method can be used as a foundation for leadership. It summarizes that Kanban focuses on visualizing workflow, limiting work in progress, measuring and managing flow, making process policies explicit, and using models to recognize improvement opportunities. The key aspects of leadership discussed are addressing stakeholder needs, starting with continuous improvement where you are, and doing what makes lean sense.

1. KanbanFoundation for Leadership Do What Makes Lean Sense Dean’s Twitter @leanopinions Email Dean.Stevens@Synaptus.com

2. “Management is doing things right; Leadership is doing the right things.” … Peter Drucker 2

3. Product Owner and Kanban Product Owner Role in Scrum Responsible for the business value of the project Feed business value increments to the development team Product Backlog Sprint Backlog This gets harder at scale Kanban Method Foundation for Leadership Based on Lean & Deming Principles Promotes adoption of Agile values and principles beyond the team Pull based Authority– Earn the authority to lead Do what makes Lean sense 3

4. Customer Stakeholders Lead Time Speed Time from start to finish Reliability & Quality Works as expected 4

5. Business Stakeholders Predictability “Make promises you can keep”… most of the time “Predictable service delivery” Velocity is average completion rate Return Forecasted Return? Actual Return! 5

6. Development Stakeholders Positive Work Environment Focus on one or two meaningful things at a time Work together productively across functions 6

7. Kanban Method “Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler.” … Albert Einstein “Do what makes Lean sense.” … Dean Stevens 7

8. Kanban MethodFive Core Properties Visualize Workflow Limit Work-in-progress Measure and Manage Flow Make Process Policies Explicit Use Models to Recognize Improvement Opportunities Key Thinking Address Stakeholder needs Start where you are Agile dev teams? Fine Start now 8 This is Leadership

9. Visualize Work FlowWhat We Want Value Dev Team Analyze(3) Develop(5) Ready(5) Accept(3) Ready for Release Ready for Accept Ready for Dev Dev Analyze Story Story Story Story Story Story Story Story Story Story Story Urgent Extended Team 9

10. Limit Work in ProgressLittle’s Law Lead Time = WIP / Throughput (time) = (items) / (items/time) Where: Lead Time: Time from start to finish WIP: Work in Progress Throughput: Average completion rate Reduce WIP to improve Lead Time 10 Makes Customer Happy

11. Limit Work in ProgressExposes Problems But, reducing WIP exposes hidden problems due to Complexity Delay Variability Reduce WIP AND solve problems to Establish predictable throughput Promote quality, team work and trust 11 This is Leadership Makes Employees Happy Makes Business Happy

12. Measure & Manage Flow “The easy way out usually leads back in.” … Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline “Beware of common sense.” … Dean Stevens 12

13. Measure & Manage FlowWhat’s the Problem? What’s the problem? Anything that inhibits flow Anything that inhibits our Why’s Why Flow? Speed Return Predictability Quality Work Environment 13

14. Measure & Manage Flow Look for Causes – Agile Manifesto Individuals and interactions over process and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan 14 Causes – too much of the items on the right Lead to complexity, delay and variation

15. Measure & Manage Flow Potential Solutions – Agile Manifesto Individuals and interactions over process and tools Working software over comprehensive documentation Customer collaboration over contract negotiation Responding to change over following a plan 15 Experiment with potential solutions Bias for more on the left and less on the right

16. Measure & Manage Flow Analyze for Causes – Lean Thinking Remember, reducing WIP exposes hidden problems due to Complexity Delay Variability No problem, no good Expose problems Look for root cause 5 Why, not 5 Who 16

17. Measure & Manage Flow Potential Solutions – Lean Thinking Kanban Method Recipe for Success Focus on Quality Reduce Work-in-Progress Deliver Often Balance Demand against Throughput Prioritize Attack Sources of Variability to Improve Predictability 17 Experiment with potential solutions

18. Measure & Manage Flow Decide on Solutions Transaction Costs: Set up and clean up activities Coordination Costs: Activities that involves communicating or scheduling Failure Load: Demand that may have been avoided through higher initial quality Speak in business language 18

19. Make Process Policies ExplicitAction Plan “So much of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to work.” … Peter Drucker Help your team discover “the right things” 19 This is Leadership

20. Make Process Policies Explicit Customer/ Business “Make promises you can keep”… most of the time Establish SLA with the business Project/ Process Leadership Lead to better ways to work together Reach agreements collaboratively Do what makes Lean sense 20

21. Continuous Improvement A3 Thinking – PDCA Reflect on the system Do it again 21 Change is Hard

22. Summary Get started – visualize work flow Earn the authority to lead Do what makes Lean sense 22

23. Further Reading Leanopinions.blogspot.com DennisStevens.com 23