This will be an experience report, followed by a question and answer session. A shortened version of the report is included below.

Topic: The Benefits of Spreading Agile Values Company Wide

During the formation period of Smilebox, Inc. we made a decision that would conceivably make or break the company. As many of us founders were familiar with the benefits of using an Agile process within a development team, we decided to turn the dials to 11 and build a complete Agile company. This meant that we would found the company on Agile values, and that the whole team concept would include every company employee. This decision delivered significant benefits, and provided unique challenges as the company evolved over its first four years.

It Starts with the Values

We created Smilebox Inc. around a consumer focused business plan. One of the first steps in our companies organization was to define a set of company values which would be used to measure future decisions. We used the original set of Extreme Programming values as a starting point, but we evolved a unique set of company values that were specific to our plan. The values we chose were “Consumer Centric”, “Creative and Technical Excellence”, “Family Oriented”, “Accountable”, “Transparent”, “Collaborative” and “Fun”. These values would be the guide posts we’d use as we made decisions. They turned out to be powerful company builders as we grew from 4 to 35 employees.

From Personalized Values Come Personalized Practices

If you are paying attention to a set of values that were grown from those that define Agile, you can’t help but to adapt agile principles and practices to suit your new values. When these values define the company as a whole, interesting things can happen in those disciplines beyond development, where practices may not be as well defined. With an Extreme Programming development team as an example, practices can spread to new places, and the cost of change can shrink everywhere.

The Company Standup

A common practice in agile development teams, the standup is useful for setting the tone of the day and for removing blocking problems. When the standup includes the whole company, one which values transparency, collaboration and fun, it can take on an entirely new character. Employees typically join a small company to be part of something big. With a transparent standup, we can find out what really happens in all those other teams. Information is shared, ideas are generated and we start each day feeling part of a team aligned with a common goal. It’s both powerful and empowering.

Benefits:

• Cross pollination of information and ideas can lead to leaps in productivity and creativity, simulating a cross functional team
• Feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself improves comraderie, morale and collaboration. It builds trust.
• Issues raised can be quickly troubleshooted in a cross functional manner.
• It provides a daily rhythm.
• It serves as a daily update from the CEO!

Retrospectives

Another common practice among agile development teams, retrospectives are useful times to improving how the team develops software. In a company based on agile values of accountability, transparency, creative and technical excellence and collaboration, they become even more important, and not just within the development team. As we moved forward with our development retrospectives, other teams noticed how we became more effective each week. They wanted to share in the improvement, and now have their own weekly retrospective, and the results have been significant. As a further step, we now share the outcomes of each retrospective. Frequently the “Try These” from a retrospective contains ideas for another group to consider. Eventually we evolved to the point where we now occasionally have a “Company Retrospective” where we discuss themes and ideas that impact everyone. Since we all have the full business context due to company standups, all topics help us drive towards shared vision.

Benefits:

• A focus on accountability drives each employee to improve their performance
• Issues are raised early and often, and not limited to within a single team
• Some of the best ways to become more effective is changing how we work with other teams
• Reflection is a powerful force to learning, and applicable in all disciplines

Executive Exemplification

Values can only be effective if everyone believes in their importance. What better practice then to have the leadership exemplify those values in action? A company is only as transparent as its leadership. When everyone can join in the discussions of deal making, fund raising and company life cycle events, you get the full experience. When confidence in change is leveraged through rapid adaptation to changing needs, everyone understands why we focus on technical and creative excellence. When the boss brings his family in to the office for the day, or to just see the demo, you share his priority of family. It’s the same for all the values. Visibility to management is already recognized as a core feature of agile development. It turns out, visibility in the other direction is equally compelling. Leadership driven by agile values can really make a team sing.

Benefits:

• Where the head goes, the body follows
• Values are only powerful when you live them, and there is no more powerful example than that of leaders leading by example.
• Transparency vests all employees in the success of the business
• Having an agile executive complements an agile development approach, and really allows them to benefit each other.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the examples of how we have personalized typical agile practices. These particular experiments worked out well, others we tried were not so successful. The ability to frequently experiment with adjustments to existing practices, with success measured against our personalized values, has proven a boon to our business.

Values can be powerful forces when applied to a small company. From their seed can come personalized principles and practices. By starting with agile values, and then making them your own by aligning them with your business plan, you can instill a creative force for change and adaptation necessary for success. Traditional agile practices become personalized through iterative improvement measured against these values. Different teams can create new practices that are applicable to their discipline. Most important, they frame every conversation and decision, enabling rapid execution and shared vision.