Guerrilla Values

Presentation given at both Agile Cambridge and Agile in the City: Bristol covering the purpose and benefits of explicit values and how teams can define and socialise their own for the benefit of the wider organisation.

Transcript

1. Values Guerrilla #agilecitybrs
2. What am I talking about? Why values are not always obvious Their impact on people and culture Defining and embracing values Using values to shape a culture
3. By defining the values we embody, we have direct control over the shape and direction of our groups culture
4. #agilemanc @lee_winder Senior Engineering Manager Financial Services Lee Winder
5. WHAT ARE V ALUES EXACTLY?
6. Values are the set of principles or beliefs that we live by, how we define our work and always strive to embody in everything we do
7. Are Values Always a Good Thing?
8. Are Values Always a Good Thing?
10. When defining our values we not only need to consider what we believe but also the environment around us
11. The Risk Of ‘implicit’ Values
12. Culture Values Values Values Values Values Values Values
13. Values Values Values Values Values Values Values ? ? ? ?
14. ? ? ? ?
15. What Do We Want To Do INSTEAD?
16. Defining Your Values
17. Identify Who Can Drive This These people need to be well respected, engaged and clear on why values are important It’s important that this is not based on hierarchy
18. Get a rather large list of possible values Don’t focus on the values you identify with yet, purposefully select lists with conflicting or random values
20. Within the group define two sets of values Inward Coming Values Current Internal Values Select these from the list you created previously These are the values you often see exhibited by external groups These are the values that you believe you embody right now
21. Within the group define two sets of values Inward Coming Values Current Internal Values Select these from the list you created previously These are the values you often see exhibited by those outside These are the values that you believe you embody right now
22. Take these to the wider group Let everyone have a say on whether what you see as incoming and internal values are what they see day to day
23. Back in your group whittle it down to 3* Automatically discard values people didn’t agree with or have a really good reason why you’re keeping them
24. Defining Your WISH Values
25. Our Wish Values allow us to identify who we want to be, not who we are
26. Rinse and repeat down to 3* At this point we’re defining who we want to be, not who we are, so you don’t need to take them outside the group
27. This can be difficult where is the company going where is your wider industry going where do individuals see themselves The future holds so many unknowns…
28. Keep This SimplE If you’re too specific on where you want to go then there’s a bigger chance of derailment
29. FUTURE VALUES
30. SUPER QUICK RECAP Identify a group of engaged and respected team members Select the values you and those around you embody right now Review your selected list with the wider group Reduce your current values to 3*
31. SUPER QUICK RECAP Select the values you’d like to reflect in the future Keep the process simple - there are so many unknowns Reduce your wish values down to 3*
32. So We Have Our Values... Now What?
33. Story-fi your values Without a story all you have is a collection of buzz words
34. For your current values identify times where you’ve embodied them
35. Collate them into a single description of how you live by the values you identified Expand your values into something short that reflects your behaviour
36. EXAMPLE DESCRIPTION & TITLE
37. Define the actions or behaviours needed to achieve your Wish Values
40. Publish Them
41. Only do this when you can do it to a seriously high level of quality Presentation says so much about the importance of what’s being shown
44. LIVE BY THEM Make space for people to question behaviour that is counter to what you’ve defined
45. But don’t be to stubborn as values are meant to empower team members, not give them an excuse to say “no”
46. And don’t become a prisoner to your values
47. Shaping Culture With Your Values
48. Building Teams That Reflect Your Values
49. Hire for value fit, not cultural fit
50. Current Values Wish Values Compare candidates against all your values You want a spread of people weighted towards your wish values
51. Design a process around your values
52. Combine people who embody different values to cross-pollinate and embed behaviour This requires a deep understanding of your team, the individuals and how they respond in different situations
53. Structure your 1:1’s around your values
54. Structure long term goals around your wish values And you’ve already identified what you need to move towards these wish values, and published them
55. Radiate Your Values Outwards
56. Turn the original problem around If there is a lack of defined values outside your group you can expose your values outwards
57. Values
59. A strong set of internal values will naturally radiate outwards generating a positive feedback loop across the entire organisation
60. A Slightly Longer Recap
61. By defining the values we embody, we have direct control over the shape and direction of our teams culture
62. When defining our values we not only need to consider what we believe but also the environment around us
63. Define your Current Values Identify a group of engaged and respected team members Select the values you and those around you embody right now Get agreement on those values from the wider group Reduce your current values to 3*
64. Define Your Wish Values Select the values you’d like to reflect in the future Keep the process simple - there are so many unknowns Define actions to move towards those values in the future
65. Radiate Your Values Story-fi your values Publish your values Live by your values
66. Build A culture based on your values Create a recruitment process that targets value fit, not culture fit Focus progression and goals around your wish values Structure teams around different values to cross-pollinate
67. A strong set of internal values will naturally radiate outwards generating a positive feedback loop across the entire organisation
68. Guerrilla Values @lee_winder Feel free to ask me any questions on Twitter #agilecitybrs