How to break the rules - Cucumber mix

We invest so much in technology, so why do we seem to get so little benefit in return? We introduce new processes, tools and methods, but when you stand back and squint the organisation still looks just the same.

Is technology over-hyped and oversold, as many would have us believe, or are we doing something that means we lose out on all those promised benefits? Societies work because we follow the rules, but what if those same rules are holding us back? The problem may not be in the technology, but in us failing to change our habits.

In this talk, Dan introduces some uncomfortable truths from Eliyahu Goldratt, author of “The Goal” and one of the fathers of modern management theory, that may help us to recognise and challenge this behaviour so we can start to get the real benefit from all that technology.

This version of the talk takes examples from BDD.

Transcript

1. How to break the rules
   Dan North
   @tastapod
   

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2. @tastapod
   Eliyahu Goldratt
   https://alchetron.com/Eliyahu-M-Goldratt-1011218-W#-
   1984 2005
   1947-2011
   

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3. @tastapod
   “Technology can bring benefits if, and
   only if, it diminishes a limitation.”
   —Eli Goldratt
   

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4. @tastapod
   We are really, really bad at

   adopting new technology
   

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5. @tastapod
   We are really, really bad at

   benefiting from new technology
   

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6. @tastapod
   Goldratt’s four questions
   1. What is the power of the technology?
   2. What limitation does the technology diminish?
   3. Which rules enabled us to manage this limitation?
   4. Which new rules will we need?
   

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7. @tastapod
   Which rules enabled us
   

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8. @tastapod
   Which rules enabled us
   Rules designed to enable us

   inevitably constrain us
   

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9. @tastapod
   http://www.ultraconsultants.com/mrp-vs-mrp-ii-vs-erp/
   

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10. @tastapod
    Applying the questions to ERP
    1. We can collect and analyse information across the org.
    2. Diminishes ignorance of what other divisions are doing.
    3. You must use cost accounting rules to run your division.
    4. Use throughput accounting to measure flow of value.
    

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11. @tastapod
    Rules become law
    1. We can collect and analyse information across the org.
    2. Diminishes ignorance of what other divisions are doing.
    3. You must use cost accounting rules to run your division.
    4. Use throughput accounting to measure flow of value.
    

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12. @tastapod
    

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13. @tastapod
    1. Whole team can drive scenarios using plain text specification.
    2. Diminishes handoffs between silos of responsibility.
    3. Analysts must hand off requirements to programmers to automate.
    Programmers must hand off code to testers to check.
    4. The team works together to define, automate and check scenarios.
    Applying the questions to Cucumber
    

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14. @tastapod
    1. Whole team can drive scenarios using plain text specification.
    2. Diminishes handoffs between silos of responsibility.
    3. Analysts must hand off requirements to programmers to automate.
    Programmers must hand off code to testers to check.
    4. The team works together to define, automate and check scenarios.
    Rules become culture
    

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15. @tastapod
    behaviour-driven
    development
    

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16. @tastapod
    1. The whole team can focus on delivering software that matters.
    2. Diminishes speculative features and over-engineering.
    3. Requirements must be comprehensive and unambiguous.
    Solution must be flexible and extensible.
    4. Iterate quickly to provide valuable feedback.
    Assume we are wrong but that we can learn and adapt.
    Applying the questions to BDD
    behaviour-driven
    development
    

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17. @tastapod
    Behaviour-Driven
    Development
    1. The whole team can focus on delivering software that matters.
    2. Diminishes speculative features and over-engineering.
    3. Requirements must be comprehensive and unambiguous.
    Solution must be flexible and extensible.
    4. Iterate quickly to provide valuable feedback.
    Assume we are wrong but that we can learn and adapt.
    Rules become paradigm
    

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18. @tastapod
    The rules are holding us back!
    Law Culture
    Paradigm
    

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19. @tastapod
    How to break the rules
    1. Understand the power of the new technology
    What does it do? How does it work?
    How can we exploit this technology?
    2. Recognise the limitation the technology will diminish
    How could you prove the limitation was holding you back?
    How would you know it was diminishing?
    

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20. @tastapod
    How to break the rules
    3. Identify the existing rules we use to manage the limitation
    How will they get in the way? What assumptions do they make?
    How can we make it safe to change? How to create a graceful exit?
    4. Identify and implement the new rules
    How can we safely exploit this new technology?
    How do we introduce and institutionalise these new rules?
    

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21. @tastapod
    “Technology can bring benefits if, and
    only if, it diminishes a limitation.”
    

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22. @tastapod
    Now, go break some rules!
    @tastapod
    https://dannorth.net
    dan@dannorth.net
    

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