In this Bonus episode we have Diana Larsen, and James Shore, both authors of acclaimed books about Agile. They join us to talk about their model called Agile Fluency Model™. We talk about how the model emerged.
One of the premises of the model is that teams find proficiency in different aspects of their work. Some teams focus on Value delivery, others focus on improving their technical skills, etc. And although all of these approaches are valuable, they are also different. And we need to understand where we are, as well as what phase best corresponds to the needs of the teams and organizations we work with.
The different phases of team fluency are called “zones”, as in a Bus route. This is because all zones are possible destinations, but there is a certain sequence to the progression. Diana and James discovered this after a long process of learning and experimenting with the teams they’ve worked with. The model reflects their experience, and has been validated by many other Agile Coaches that have seen similar patterns of development for their teams. The Agile Fluency Model is a collection of patterns that teams experience over time, and given their specific focus.
The model is also a useful tool for our retrospectives in the form of a “diagnostics” tool that the core team has put together to help us understand where each of our team is according to the model.
Many will no doubt tempted to call the Agile Fluency Model a “maturity model”, but Diana and James point out that each of the phases of the model has its own maturity dimension, and a team can be very mature in any of the phases if that suits their business context. Maturity is a cross-cutting concern for all phases of the model.
There’s also a very cool story of how the model was invented. Interested? Then listen in on our conversation about the Agile Fluency Model.
When you are ready to know more, follow the links below:
- The model is described and presented at Agilefluency.org
- The original paper that introduces the model can be seen at Martin Fowler’s bliki: Introducing the Agile Fluency Model
- There’s also a very good video of Martin Fowler introducing the model. You can see that video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URlnxbaHhTs
- And James Shore also has a video introducing the model: http://vimeo.com/68327316
About the authors
Diana Larsen joins us today from Portland, Oregon. Diana leads the practice area for Agile software development, team leadership, and Agile evolutions at FutureWorks Consulting. Diana is co-author of Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great; Liftoff: Start and Sustain Successful Agile Teams; Five Rules for Accelerated Learning; and co-originator of the Agile Fluency™ model.
You can link with Diana Larsen on LinkedIn and connect with Diana Larsen on Twitter.
James Shore joins us today from Portland, Oregon. James is a long-time Agile practitioner who teaches, writes, and consults on Agile development processes. He is a recipient of the Agile Alliance’s Gordon Pask Award for Contributions to Agile Practice, co-author of /The Art of Agile Development/, and co-creator of the Agile Fluency Model. InfoQ has named him as one of the “most influential people in Agile.” You can find his screencasts at letscodejavascript.com and essays at jamesshore.com.
You can link with James Shore on LinkedIn and connect with James Shore on Twitter.
