Meet an agile legend

Hey, readers. I have a question for YOU today. How many times in life do you get to meet someone who changed the course of your industry? ~ The CMMI Appraiser

Jim Highsmith, an outstanding author, and one of the original signatories of the Agile Manifesto, is such a man. And we all get a chance to meet him. Jim will be the Keynote Speaker at AgileDC 2012 on October 23.

Are you getting excited? This is a great opportunity to learn something new for those of you who work in the federal government sector. And it’s a great opportunity to meet Jim for agilistas, ScrumMasters, engineers, and software executives whose careers and lives have been shaped – like mine – by Jim’s work.

This CMMI Appraiser will be presenting at AgileDC as well. All are invited to come and learn about ways to make agile survive and thrive in the Federal Government.

If you’ve been reading Ask the CMMI Appraiser’s recent posts, you know how passionate I am about making agile survive by making it stronger. I think the way to make it stronger is with CMMI.

One point I emphasize in my presentation is that agile methods and values – indeed, every part of the agile architecture except for the techniques – are applicable to both agile and Waterfall. And CMMI is applicable to those also! This means, no matter what approach you take to developing software engineering solutions, the CMMI helps you get better at what you are ALREADY doing.

Here’s the link to register for the AgileDC conference, October 23, 2012, in Washington DC.

Come learn more!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

How do we strengthen our agile approach when the Federal Government keeps changing what we're doing?

Dear CMMI Appraiser,

Just found your blog.  We’re a Virginia-based contractor to the Federal Government and a “Waterfall” lifecycle company. For the past two years we’ve been switching some of our projects over to agile methods like Scrum, but so far we haven’t been able to scale it beyond the smallest projects. Part of the problem is that our government clients keep trying to change what we’re doing so it looks more "waterfall."  How would you deal with this? ~ Pete McC.

Pete, welcome to Ask the CMMI Appraiser. It’s good to have new readers. Thanks for your question.

The way this CMMI Appraiser sees it, you're fighting a two-headed monster.  And it's an ugly one, at that.

The first head of the monster that you face in adopting Scrum, or any of the agile methods, is internal. While you are off trying to be a Scrum team, your company’s leaders are off trying to be a Waterfall team.  In fact, I bet if I were to look through all of your departments, not just software engineering, but accounting, marketing and sales, operations, I would find that your CEO, CIO and COO are off living in a Waterfall world.  That's one reason Scrum projects can’t scale and why you might feel you're not getting much traction. 

The second head of the monster is external. By trying to change what you are doing, the Federal Government is actively, but probably un-knowingly, weakening your agile values. And if it’s a struggle between the Federal Government and agile, we all know who is going to win!

Both of these challenges are fixable, Pete.  But neither is going to get solved this year. The problem is bigger than you and I. I recommend that you start working on techniques you can use to strengthen Agile, and build a process integration layer to get your agile teams to talk to the business leaders. The CMMI is the perfect tool for that.

By using CMMI as a framework (as opposed to slavishly adhering to practices) you’ll be in a position to deal with BOTH heads of the monster. Consider:

First, the CMMI provides a framework for your agile teams to talk to the business leaders, helping them understand how well agile methods are working for THEM, and to communicate important information to other stakeholders like middle management, customers, and accounting. And when you're ready to test it - go ahead and have a CMMI Appraisal.

Yes, I said it.  CMMI Appraisals can be very beneficial for Agile organizations - assuming the Lead Appraiser you're working with gets it - not necessarily an easy task!

Second, the practices that CMMI makes available to you include those that help bring greater clarity and strength to the Scrum ceremonies themselves (the “Specific Practices” in the CMMI), and those that help strengthen the understanding, adoption, and continuous improvement of the Agile values and behaviors (the “Generic Practices” in the CMMI).  So, the way to make agile survive and flourish in the Federal Government is to make it stronger. And the way to make agile stronger is with CMMI.

Don't CHANGE it - make it better!

Now that you found us, keep checking this blog for updates, Pete.  I will be posting much more on the topic of using the CMMI to strengthen agile, so that you will be in a better position to defeat the two-headed monster once and for all.

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

So your boss asked you to look into CMMI and Agile - but you’re not sure he gets it. How do you brief him?

Hey, software and engineering professionals –

Regular followers of Ask the CMMI Appraiser know that this CMMI Appraiser gets a wide range of questions about engineering strategy, performance innovation and process improvement. But we also get questions about executive leadership – sometimes from people who don’t want to go “on record” asking the question, for fear of making their boss look bad.

For example, after one of my CMMI training classes recently, a software developer from a large Michigan-based automotive company (you’ve heard of them) approached me somewhat timidly. She confided in me that she had orders from her boss to get "certified at CMMI ML3" while also transitioning them to be "an agile shop."

She was concerned that her boss didn’t know what he was asking her to do. She said, “Now that I’ve taken the Introduction to CMMI training, I understand that adopting the CMMI is about taking on a large-scale business transformation initiative. What can I do to help my boss understand how big it is?”

I responded the same way I’d respond to anyone who said their boss told them to “go get certified” at CMMI ML3, become agile, or any other major culture change. I said he was showing signs that he needed some help - a little remedial training, if you will.  We call it a CMMI Executive Briefing.

What are the signs that your boss may need an Executive Briefing? Here are a few:

• You walk out of a meeting with your boss, and you suspect he doesn’t know what he’s just asked for;
• The leaders asking the question don’t understand that CMMI and Agile are game-changers, which means changing the way people behave, not the forms they fill out; 
• The boss asks for a CMMI certification or CMMI appraisal or some other "achievement,"– without saying why or how he thinks it will help; 
• You’ve been assigned a task that is impossible to complete, given the time and the money they’ve allocated toward accomplishing it; 
• They ask you to change all of your projects over to agile this week; 
• They tell you to “get a level.”

The source of confusion for executives is understandable. The CMMI does indeed have “levels” associated with it, which in retrospect may have been a mistake because it’s too easy for companies to say, “Three is more than two so Level 3 is better than Level 2,” which does a great disservice to the organization.

What your boss really should be saying is, “I want to completely change the way people behave in our company,” which is the same as asking for a massive re-engineering of the organization. Getting “CMMI certified” has zero to do with that outcome.

The important thing to remember is that adopting the CMMI is all about solving business problems. It’s not about documents, forms, certificates or ratings. It’s about adopting a model that's about how great organizations perform. Transitioning to "agile" is not much different. It's also about solving business problems, changing behaviors, and not about documents or ratings.

So that’s why we recommend the Executive Briefing. We want to help executives understand the size and complexity of what they’ve asked for. The Executive Briefing gives them the tools they need to help their teams be successful in adopting the CMMI and Agile together.

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Why CMMI?

Hey CMMI Appraiser, I found your blog via a Google search for “Maryland CMMI.” We are a Maryland manufacturing company that uses both Waterfall and agile methods. Quick question: Why CMMI? ~ Todd L.

Hey, Todd - Why CMMI? Well, let me ask YOU quick question … Why dance?

The point is that, like dancing, adopting the CMMI can be a liberating experience. I find it fascinating that the misperception continues, even among CMMI appraisers today, that the CMMI is this heavy, command and control, document-centric cauldron of hard, dreary work and pure nonsense.

CMMI has none of that. It doesn’t tell you how to do anything. It doesn’t “require” anything. The CMMI says, “Here’s what great companies do.” That’s all it essentially says.

Let’s break it down a little more. Here’s what the CMMI is and does:

• The CMMI is a tool to help solve business problems.
• The CMMI helps you change and improve requirements churn and volatility, so that you can spend less time and money on requirements.
• The CMMI helps you be on-time and on-budget.
• The CMMI helps you motivate your staff, and make them better at what they do.
• The CMMI helps you understand and deal with risk, before it hurts you
• The CMMI helps you avoid having too many meetings, unhappy customers and unpredictable projects.

And the CMMI can do this whether you choose agile, waterfall, and any other set of methods.

Why CMMI?  Back to you, Todd: Why not?

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec! 

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

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Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

What are some fun ways to introduce CMMI to our team?

Hey Appraiser,

Most of the people I meet who talk about CMMI are BORING and don't seem to have any fun!  When they present to our engineers it really turns them off.  What should I do?  ~Ross T.

zzzzzzzz. What...er, oh, hold on while I wake up, that instructor was talking about something.....

Ross, I totally know what you mean.  Sometimes, depending on the speaker, a CMMI Instructor can come off as very academic and boring.  But it's not a total loss.  There are plenty of energetic, smart, and engaging people out in our community talking about CMMI.

One thing you might try is introducing your staff the to the CMMI Song.  Yes!  There is one.  It's called "I Learn the CMMI"and here's the YouTube link to the song and the lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRgCFxJjUvY

Here's the MP3 link on the SEI website:

http://www.sei.cmu.edu/library/abstracts/podcasts/cmmisong.cfm

Another thing to show them is fantastic little video my friend James Peachey created in Xtranormal about a CMMI Appraisal interview:

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/12871955/project-7-interview

So don't lose hope.  There are plenty of entertaining, fun, and energetic CMMI professionals out there.

Enjoy!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec!

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

When is Broadsword Presenting at SEPG 2012?

Hey, CMMI Appraiser, 

Our engineering executives don't seem to get that the CMMI Appraisal process is more about organizational performance improvement and less about getting a CMMI certificate. Will you be presenting on this topic again at the SEPG conference next month? If so, when?  I'd like them to attend.  Cheers, Sean M.

Hey, Sean,

Yes, for the 7th consecutive year, Broadsword has been selected to speak at the SEPG North America 2012 Conference on March 12-15, 2012 in Albuquerque, NM. But to be clear, it’s not only me. This year, three senior CMMI consultants from Broadsword have been tapped to speak.

Joining me will be Broadsword’s own Julie Calfin and Laura Adkins. Julie and Laura are senior CMMI consultants who share your passion for using the CMMI as a tool to pursue organizational performance improvement.

As you know, some of the best thinkers and speakers in our industry are selected for these presentations. The review process is conducted anonymously, and speakers are chosen based on expertise, not name or company affiliation. That’s why I’m so proud and excited for our team!

I’ll be happy to give you the details about our four presentations (including two trainings). But before I do, I want to touch on your comment about what the CMMI Appraisal process is all about.

In many companies, as you are experiencing, there is a tendency among executives to focus more on “CMMI certification.” You know that this is a misnomer – there’s no official CMMI certificate. But there is a good reason for this. Executives everywhere are hearing clients say things like, “We require you to have a CMMI certification.” They don’t hear them saying, “We want you to be a great company.”

So my advice is to let your executives come to their own conclusions about the CMMI. I think you’ll see them start to turn in the direction you want.

Here is more detail on our presentations:

• On Monday, March 12th, I will be speaking and delivering our famous "CMMI+Scrum Learning Experience" in a half-day format. We've delivered this course to many of our CMMI Consulting clients, and they've all loved it – especially the executives! Come by and see what all the hoopla is about.

• I will also be co-presenting with my good friends (and clients) from ADNET Systems about using the CMMI at NASA. These guys are super-smart and pretty cool! 

• On Tuesday, March 13th, Laura will be speaking about running successful process pilots. Something she knows A LOT about! Laura also helps us out with our CMMI Training classes.

• On Thursday, March 15th, Julie will be speaking about Organizational Change Management: The key differentiator for sustainable process improvement. Julie is a world-class thought-leader on OCM. Her presentation is packed with valuable information, not to be missed!

The SEI has worked hard to put together an outstanding slate of speakers again this year. No matter what sessions your executives attend, they are bound to gain valuable perspective on the CMMI. I’m confident that you’ll be able to go back to your company afterward and start to drive the changes you are seeking.

So we’ll see you and your executives in New Mexico, Sean – and please be sure to introduce yourselves!

THIS JUST IN: Jeff will be delivering the "CMMI+Scrum Learning Experience" at SEPG Europe in Madrid in June!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec! 

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

My boss said we need to choose between Agile and CMMI. Which should we choose?

Hey Jeff,


My boss is a software guy, and he seems to know a lot of life-cycles and software development processes.  The other day he was having an all-hands meeting and he said to us "look, you guys gotta choose.  It's either Agile or CMMI - but not both.  So let's cut the crap and get our act together." 


We need to do SOMETHING.  What should it be - Agile or CMMI? ~Ross

To CMMI or to Agile - that is the question.... to paraphrase Billy Shakespeare.

Well Ross, your boss is right, you've gotta choose.  But the question is, choose what?   We COULD spend some time choosing between two completely different concepts, or we could make the right choice.

Choosing between CMMI and Agile is like choosing between a hamburger and a tractor.  One is good if you're hungry, the other is good if you need to plow some dirt.  Huh?

Agile is a philosophy that stems from a set of guiding principles known as the "Agile Manifesto."  It is purposely vague so as to allow people to make the right decisions based on their individual projects.  CMMI is a model that suggests a set of best-practices you might use to improve what you are doing.  It's a "what to" not a "how to" set of suggestions.  So if "what you are doing" is using an Agile method like "Scrum" you could use the CMMI to make it better.  If you are approaching life in a waterfall fashion, then CMMI could make that better.  And don't let any CMMI Consultant tell you otherwise!

CMMI is not a collection of methods, and Agile is not a best-practices model.  See?  A hamburger and a tractor.

So instead of choosing between CMMI and Agile, choose between being a good company or being a great company.  If that were my choice, I would not be choosing between CMMI and Agile, I would be embracing both CMMI and Agile even more!  Except be sure you understand what they both mean.

As Mr. Shakespeare liked to say "Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course"

Agile methods are an excellent way to manage software project using iterative and incremental techniques such as Scrum, Spiral, and XP.  CMMI is an excellent tool to both improve upon HOW you adopt those methods, and to fill in any gaps you (or your management) might have.

CMMI is also an excellent tool to help you understand how well Agile methods are working for you, and to communicate important information to other stakeholders like Management, Customers, and Accounting. And if you want to test it - go ahead and have a CMMI Appraisal.

Many of my Agile purista friends argue that all that matters is what goes on inside a Scrum team. As a matter of fact some insist that no one else is allowed into their daily standup.  This just is not realistic in the real world - and it's not useful.  Customers, management, accounting, and marketing all have a legitimate stake in software projects - no matter how annoying software developers believe them to be.

To paraphrase the Bard again - "me thinks they know not from where they're paid.  Perhaps a bodkin is in order."

So make the right choice Ross.  Choose to be a great company.    Wrap your arms around both and hold on tight!

Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec.

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.

Do I have to take the High Maturity Class again with CMMI v1.3? Say it isn't so Jeff!

Dear Appraiser,

I have an issue asking you for help. I have taken the course of "Understanding CMMI High Maturity Practices." Now SEI has upgraded the course. I think there must exist some differences but not very big. However I hope I can get the copy of new version of the course lecture note. Of course, I can pay some dollars to SEI but I don't want to attend the course. Is there a way to solve this issue? Please help me to solve this issue. ~Bosheng


Bosheng,


I don't blame you - I wouldn't want to take that CMMI training course again either!

The Understand CMMI High Maturity Practices course (ironically called "UCHMP" - pronounced "You Chump") is a 5 day course about applying statistical techniques to process improvement using the CMMI Maturity Level Four and Five Process Areas.  I took it four or five years ago myself.


When v1.3 of the CMMI came out last year the upgrade featured some major changes to ML5, including the removal of a ML5 Process Area (Organizational Innovation and Deployment - OID) and the inclusion of a new Ml5 Process Area (Organization Performance Management - OPM).


The differences between OID and OPM are numerous, but there is not an upgrade class just for so-called "high-maturity."  So even if you wanted to "pay some dollars to the SEI," you wouldn't be able to get it.  But there is hope.


The SEI offers a CMMI v1.3 model upgrade course that you can take online.  That has a complete description of OPM and a comparison between that and OID.


If you wish to be a member of a ML4 or ML5 CMMI Appraisal team you MUST take this upgrade course, as well as participate in some face-to-face training with your certified lead appraiser.


If you don't intend on being a member of the appraisal team, you might consider connecting with you friendly CMMI Consultant to sit down with you an explain their interpretation of the changes.


Like this blog? Forward to your nearest engineering or software exec! 

Jeff Dalton is a Certified SCAMPI Lead Appraiser, Certified CMMI Instructor, author, and consultant with years of real-world experience with the CMMI in all types of organizations. Jeff has taught thousands of students in CMMI trainings and has received an aggregate satisfaction score of 4.97 out of 5 from his students.

Visit www.broadswordsolutions.com for more information about running a successful CMMI program.