How well does your workflow flow?

A workflow is a process in which work flows through until it is completed - at least that’s what the name suggests. Based on my experience working with and talking to teams, workflows don’t always facilitate flow. Instead, they are often built to function as ways to keep everyone at 100% capacity and/or act as mazes with many places where you can get lost for quite some time. The problem is, that’s usually not the intent.

This deck was used in a session that aimed to deliver the following learning objectives:

understand what the terms flow and workflow mean
learn what signals workflows can send and which ones yours might be sending you
avoid making common missteps that cause workflows to actually impede, rather than facilitate, flow

Transcript

1. How well does your work fl ow fl ow? @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB #LALDN22 Julia Wester /in/juliawester/ @everydaykanban Co-Founder, 55 Degrees AB
2. @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Follow us on social media /company/55degrees @55degreesAB @55degreesAB /55degreesAB /c/ActionableAgileAnalytics Got stress? f l
3. 3 #LALDN22 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB What is fl ow?
4. 4 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Flow is movement of potential value through a system £ 💡 #LALDN22
5. 4 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Flow is movement of potential value through a system £ 🎉 💡 #LALDN22
6. 4 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Flow is movement of potential value through a system £ 🎉 💡 #LALDN22 A work fl ow is a model of that system
7. 5 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB #LALDN22 Options Liabilities Finish Start Assets One way to look at it…
8. 5 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB #LALDN22 Options Liabilities Finish Start Assets Optimising fl ow minimizes liabilities One way to look at it…
9. When columns re fl ect stages of a lifecycle 6 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Finish Start #LALDN22
10. When columns re fl ect stages of a lifecycle 6 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Finish Start Closer to Farther away #LALDN22 An item’s position is a signal of time to value
11. When columns re fl ect stages of a lifecycle 6 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Finish Start Closer to Farther away #LALDN22 An item’s position is a signal of time to value How does this connect to fl ow?
12. 7 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB and how to avoid them Common work fl ow choices that block signals #LALDN22
13. Columns represent functional silos 8 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB #LALDN22 I work in this column
14. Move the people to the work 9 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Share collective responsibility until work is done #LALDN22
15. The right names make it easier 10 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Describe the lifecycle stage, not the role or task Creating Validating Considering Delivered #LALDN22
16. Columns can’t handle cyclical activities 11 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Don’t plan for your work to move backwards I found a bug so back to Develop it goes… #LALDN22
17. Build in cycles to your work fl ow 12 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Gather data on how long items spend in the cycle Validating #LALDN22
18. Build in cycles to your work fl ow 12 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Gather data on how long items spend in the cycle Validating We’ll fi nd and fi x things here! #LALDN22
19. Build in cycles to your work fl ow 13 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Gather data on how long items spend in the cycle Reviewing #LALDN22 Fixing
20. Build in cycles to your work fl ow 13 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Gather data on how long items spend in the cycle Reviewing #LALDN22 Fixing Validating
21. Use Exit criteria as a tool to help 14 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Complete before exit •Code committed •Pull Request approved •Code in staging & tested Complete before exit •Testing results verified •User Acceptance completed •Support docs ready Complete before exit •Item refined •Dependencies coordinated •Stakeholders identified Building Prepping for Release Releasing Under Consideration Complete before exit •Item available to end users •Support team up to speed #LALDN22
22. Columns don’t represent a lifecycle stage 15 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB #LALDN22 Blocked
23. Columns don’t represent a lifecycle stage 15 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB #LALDN22 Where does this occur in the lifecycle? Blocked
24. Block items in place 16 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Or move issues to a more appropriate place in the work fl ow #LALDN22
25. Block items in place 16 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Or move issues to a more appropriate place in the work fl ow #LALDN22
26. Ensure handoff columns fi t into your work fl ow 17 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Do they happen in a predictable place in the lifecycle? #LALDN22 External Handoff
27. Ensure handoff columns fi t into your work fl ow 17 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Do they happen in a predictable place in the lifecycle? #LALDN22 When its back, does it move to the right? External Handoff
28. Share your stories about missteps and your tips to avoid them in social media. Use #LALDN22 and #55DegreesofFlow! 18 #LALDN22 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB
29. 19 @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB remember this… If you only remember one thing #LALDN22
30. Model your work fl ow so that how you move is signal of movement towards or away from realising potential value @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Finish Start More Less #LALDN22
31. @everydaykanban | @55degreesAB Follow us on social media /company/55degrees @55degreesAB @55degreesAB /55degreesAB /c/ActionableAgileAnalytics Subscribe to our newsletter