Has someone experience with agile organization?

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Nira
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27 Jun 2018, 12:56 pm

Today we had training about agile. We will have probably something like spotify agile.

Has someone any experience with agile organization?
How do you cope it?

- Daily standups,
- pair(or crowd 8O - 4-5 people) programming (the lecturer talked about other work in pair too, not only programming),
- job description isn't clear (I can help with other work sometimes but I don't want change my job description permanently),
- self-organizing team - I think, it will be more about interpersonal relationships.
- I don't know, who will be my superior, who will evaluate me.
- Communication with more people is needed. (I have one colleague and one boss, seldom someone other)
- Often changes
- shared workplaces
...

I am afraid of it and I am not sure if change job can solve it. Other companies can be agile or plan it too.


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upfromashes
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29 Jun 2018, 9:54 pm

I don’t specifically, but do with large scale implementations.

Did you read the Agile website? If not, research it. And other articles.
I can post more tomorrow. Agile is not your issue. The implementation of not Agile is.

:D



Nira
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01 Jul 2018, 4:02 pm

I read something and I was on training. I'm not saying agile is wrong in everything.

In my job we will upgrade our application. The governance model has changed and now it's all wrong. Some change is needed. But before that it worked well and if someone had other opinion, he didn't try solve it with us and our managers.
In my department is other application and they don't have problems. Why change something that works?

A lot of things from training were interesting. And a lot of things we do without agile. But a lot of things were scary too.

I have some bad experience with the team of our suppliers - they are "agile". Daily standups insist in this team hour. The team leader is jerk. In our team we have releases four times a year and often we deploy between that. And they too have releases four times a year... I don't see improvement. Maybe they just do it wrong...

For me is good work alone or with my colleague. I can explain her something and she is able explain it to all others. But I am not good in work with more people. I never fit in group well. I need to sit somewhere where there is peace. I need know my job description. For me is better have one boss. My current boss don't know about my Aspergers, but over time he understood and he takes my problems into account. I don't remember faces and sitting order helps me very much remember me my colleagues.

upfromashes wrote:
I can post more tomorrow. Agile is not your issue. The implementation of not Agile is.

:D

I don't understand if it is funny or why the implementation of not agile is my issue. Maybe it can help my employer. (But I doubt, because break all organization structure and create new is too much change what will break a lot of working things.)
I am particularly afraid of the impact on me. That's why I am interested in having someone with ASD experience with Agile and how he cope it.

/ I found viewtopic.php?t=164139 viewtopic.php?t=172629 viewtopic.php?t=164375 Similar Topics is a great feature. :)


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upfromashes
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02 Jul 2018, 12:35 am

sorry. this is why I dislike this kind of communication. The face emote was trying to smile to encourage you. I did not realize it means laughing

But you clarified a lot in this post. Your issue is the people implementing it. Which I suspected.

Your question was about Agile which is why I think no one answered. My bet is there is a lot of collective help on dealing with problematic managers from those on this forum. you may want to reask your question because I think there are many who can help.

Agile is about options to work so you feel most comfortable. not enforced workstations. It is about increasing productivity by creating a variety of workspaces so people can chose the one that works. Pointing that out to an out of control manager may not be wise.

Dealing with management depends a lot on how much power and reputation you have. How indispensible you are. The answer to why they change things that work? People have egos and they want to feel like they are doing something big. Important to feed that ego when suggesting input. So there is delicate balance in suggesting adjustments to someone's grand implementation plan. It is easy for them to take it personally. Alot depends on what kind of people are over you on what your options are. Some higher manager decided to change the governance.

So my main suggestion, reask your question.
Problem managers are a huge issue for lots of people and more people on the forum can help you. I am not as helpful because my fear of getting fired is low. I tend to volunteer as soon as I hear about change to have an opportunity to prevent problems.

This is why autistic people are needed on these teams. You are seeing issues no one else sees. My other bet is down the road, other people will be bothered by exactly what you see. But you don't want to be a complainer, office gossip, or negative talker about management. Tough spot. But that ability to see the difference and be a positive force, is a skill that if developed is valuable to employers.



Nira
Snowy Owl
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07 Jul 2018, 2:54 pm

Thank you for your reply.

Quote:
sorry. this is why I dislike this kind of communication. The face emote was trying to smile to encourage you. I did not realize it means laughing

Maybe I misunderstood. Whisperer write Very Happy.

Quote:
Your question was about Agile which is why I think no one answered. My bet is there is a lot of collective help on dealing with problematic managers from those on this forum. you may want to reask your question because I think there are many who can help.
Maybe is here few people with experience with agile.
My current managers are good. Only Team leader of the team of our suppliers is jerk, but he this month ends. FINALLY. :D

Quote:
Agile is about options to work so you feel most comfortable. not enforced workstations. It is about increasing productivity by creating a variety of workspaces so people can chose the one that works. Pointing that out to an out of control manager may not be wise.
I don't think I will feel most comfortable with these changes.
Something can be useful, like backlog.
But why demolish the walls? I like have my own place with my items, my computer with my settings (I have notebook too, but it weighs something and I don't want carry it every day), clear keyboard and mouse and well-set chair. If 50-100 people will change their places every day randomly, how leaders can have an overview who is where? More noise, more conflicts with air conditioning and heating.

Quote:
Dealing with management depends a lot on how much power and reputation you have. How indispensible you are. The answer to why they change things that work? People have egos and they want to feel like they are doing something big. Important to feed that ego when suggesting input. So there is delicate balance in suggesting adjustments to someone's grand implementation plan. It is easy for them to take it personally. Alot depends on what kind of people are over you on what your options are. Some higher manager decided to change the governance.

It is stupid, manager change job after 1-3 years. He start with changes, leave and he then does not solve what he caused. Then come new and breaks what the previous did not break. :(

Quote:
I tend to volunteer as soon as I hear about change to have an opportunity to prevent problems.
I don't know how prevent these problems.


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SocOfAutism
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09 Jul 2018, 10:46 am

I managed a small department in a software development company for several years using Agile methodology.

If I had gone for my PhD, I was thinking about writing something about how unnatural Agile methodology is for autistic workers.

As of when I last checked, there was very little written about Agile that is critical, and nothing about autism and Agile. So I’m left with my own observations and experience. Whatever sources I had are now buried deep in my basement.

The frequent meetings waste time, because NTs need to small talk and joke in order to start business talks. It becomes clear on any Agile team who is buckling down and doing work and who is social loafing, or not carrying their load. In a good environment, the rest of the team will peer pressure the social loafer to produce, or give them help. Autistics are usually high producers of work, so this peer pressure can benefit them. The person who has been giving you the runaround may, under Agile starting getting things to you on time.

However, I have found that manipulative people can thrive under Agile. This is where the autistic worker should beware. If you get a manipulator on your team, you may end up their target, whereas under Waterfall methodology, they would have never noticed you.

Another thing that is often implemented along with Agile are physical changes to the workspace. Half cubes instead of full ones, sharing offices. An autistic person will have to advocate for themselves if they are put in a distracting or sensory overloading workspace. I have seen this become “a problem” because the worker did not want to claim autism and the others did not understand the workspace requirements the person was asking for. This guy I’m thinking of was probably in our top 3 developers. He ended up in a four-way half cube facing three other people from his team. He ended up leaving the company after the cube changes. I’m not sure how much of that was because of the cubes. He was also struggling with the meetings and general social requirements. Despite putting out work three times faster and of better quality than the rest of his team.

I would try to stay task focused, learn to use the buzzwords that go with Agile, and keep a good relationship with your boss.