IST442 Exam 2

In our class lecture, we stated that there is a key concept that can enable speed, reduce costs and add value. What key concept can do this?

Simplicity

T or F: Keeping things simple reduces costs and therefore adds value. If you want to be slow, rigid, and expensive, pile on the bureaucracy.

True

Simplicity enables…

Speed and agility

What is the title of the best-selling personal development book of all time?

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Be Proactive

Begin with the end in mind

Put first things first

Think win/win

Seek first to understand, then be understood

Synergize

Sharpen the saw

Defines the present state or purpose of an organization?

Mission Statement

Mission Statements answer what three questions?

What it does, who it does it for, and how it does what it does.

In our class lecture, we stated that having “vision” is a key to achieving a goal. Which of the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” best speaks to this concept?

Begin with an end in mind

What famous book focuses on the “The Learning Organization”?

The Fifth Discipline

T or F: Vision gives you direction but decreases your passion to do things.

F

In the video “Passion Trumps Intellect,” (3) character traits were defined that were more important than intellect. Which is NOT one of the character traits that was defined?

a. Initiative b. Creativity c. Intelligence d. Passion

c. Intelligence

Along with vision, you’ll differentiate yourself with these qualities:

Initiative, creativity, passion

What style of leadership seeks to help the people grow as individuals and puts people first?

Servant

What is considered the single most important practice that allows teams to “continually improve” by learning from previous project experiences?

Retrospectives

Retrospectives

The single most important practice because it allows the team to learn about, improve, and adapt its process. They allow for “continual improvement.” They help the team learn from its previous work on the product and its process. First and foremost, they are not about blame; but rather it is a time for the team to learn from previous work and make small improvements.

When leading a team, instead of seeking to command, you should seek to do what?

Steer

Leaders ____ rather than command.

Steer

Leaders create a ____.

Vision

T or F: Project leaders just lead, not manage.

F

To create a successful project team, what is the most important thing that we can do?

Select the right people.

Attributes of a successful agile team

Dedicated people, cross-functional team members, colocation or ability to manage any location challenges, mixed team of generalists and specialists, stable work environment

What tool is effective for measuring team performance and work yet to be completed?

Burndown chart

Time burdown chart

Effort (Y-axis), Time (X-axis)

Keeping the end in mind three strategic steps

Mission (why your organization exists), vision (where you want to be), core values and principles (what values will you practice and principles you will follow to get there

Seven Habits Paradigm

A vision establishes _____

The destination of basically where you want to be in the future

In addition to a vision, an organization or individual should have a _____, which defines the present state or purpose of an organization.

Mission

Mission statement

Defines the present state or purpose of an organization. Answers three questions about why an organization exists:
What it does

Who it does it for

How it does what it does

Mission statement

Written succinctly in the form of a sentence or two, but for a shorter timeframe (1-3 years) than a vision statement; and is something that all employees should be able to articulate upon request.

Uber mission statement

“We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion.”

Uber vision statement

“Transportation as reliable as running water, everywhere for everyone.”

Examples of Uber core values

We are customer-obsessed; we celebrate differences; we do the right things; we persevere

“The end point” (case study) goal set by John F. Kennedy

For a person to land on the moon and return safely before the end of the decade.

Response to Kennedy’s goal (case study)

Three-part space program (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo); an agile approach (incremental in nature, flexible and learn as you go.

Apollo 1 takeaway points (case study)

Faster is better from a marketing success (but be careful); increments must be quick but not negligently fast; technical debt can reach “dangerous” levels.

SpaceX mission statemnet

“The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.”

SpaceX vision statement

“To advance the future.”

SpaceX core values

Innovative; being a risk taker; inclusivity; diversity

In our class lecture, we stated that there is a key concept that can enable speed, reduce costs and add value. What key concept can do this?

Simplicity

Best-selling personal development book of all time

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

Defines the present state or purpose of an organization

Mission statement

Where there is no vision,

The people will perish.

Vision

Don’t just focus on the process, but rather the destination (begin with the end in mind)

The Fifth Discipline key takeaway

Vision gives you direction and increases your passion to do things.

_____ trumps intellect

Passion

Along with vision, you’ll differentiate yourself with these qualities

Initiative, creativity, passion

Big Rocks key takeaway

Focus your efforts on the important priorities first, thenn work on all the small stuff afterwards.

What is a servant leadership?

The servant leader is a servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve first.

Servant leadership origins

Servant leadership goes back millennia. The term was first used by Robert Greenleaf in his 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader.”

Servant Leadership Focus

A servant leader focuses on the growth and well-being of employees and other stakeholders in their organization. Servant leaders seek to help the people they serve grow as individuals. They have more capability to accomplish things and therefore they’re really serving in return.

Traditional leadership

Focus on such things as strategy, goals, financial performance, and customer satisfaction.

Servant leadership difference from traditional

An additional focus on providing their employees with development opportunities. Employees today want to feel they have a job where they can succeed. Servant leaders put people first.

Examples of servant-led companies

Starbucks; Marriott; Nordstrom; Southwest Airlines; Zappos; Whole Foods

Agile leadership

Focus on value determination, prioritization, and creation.
Determination: project involvement with cost/benefit analysis or value judgments.
Prioritization: managing the product backlog
Creation: collaboration with customers and technical debt reduction
This can be a far cry from the traditional scope, schedule, and cost focus.

Determination

Project involvement with cost/benefit analysis or value judgments

Prioritization

Managing the product backlog

Creation

Collaboration with customers and technical debt reduction

The best leadership comes through

Teamwork, empowerment, and collaboration

In our class lecture, we stated that having “vision” is a key to achieving a goal. Which of the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” best speaks to this concept?

Begin with the end in mind

What famous book focuses on “The Learning Organization”

The Fifth Discipline

In the video “Passion Trumps Intellect,” 3 character traits were defined that were more important than intellect. Which is not one of the character traits that was defined? Initiative, Creativity, Intelligence, or Passion?

Intelligence

What style of leadership seeks to help the people grow as individuals and puts people first?

Servant

The single most important practice that allows the team to learn about, improve, and adapt its process. They allow for “continual improvement.”

Retrospectives

Retrospectives help the team do what?

Learn from its previous work on the product and its process.

A retrospective is not about blame; the retrospective is

A time for the team to learn from previous work and make small improvements.

Key times to hold a retrospective

When a team completes a release or ships something. It does not have to be a monumental increment. It can be any release, no matter how small.
When more than a few weeks have passed since the previous retrospective.
When the team appears to be stuck and completed work is not flowing through the team.
When the team reaches any other milestone.

Retrospective questions

What is going well? What areas could use improvement? What should we be doing differently?

Leaderless teams are

Rudderless teams

Leader’s earn authority

From bottom-up

Leadership involves

Handling complex situations

Leaders create

A vision

Leaders ____ rather than command.

Steer

Project managers cross both

Leading and management

Commanders vs. Leaders

Commanders know the objective, leaders grasp the direction. Commanders dictate, leaders influence. Controllers demand, collaborators facilitate. Controllers micro-manage, collaborators encourage.

Managers who embrase the leadership-collaboration model understand their primary role is to

Set direction, to provide guidance, and to facilitate connecting people and teams.

Self-organized (self-disciplined) teams

Getting the right people; articulating the product vision, boundaries, and team roles; encouraging collaboratioon; insisting on accountability; fostering self-discipline; steering rather than control

Agile teams

Focus is on rapid product development (dedicated optimal size from 3-9 members); produce functional product increments; limit WIP

Attributes of successful agile teams

Dedicated people, cross-functional team members, colocation or ability to manage any location changes, mixed team of generalists and specialists, stable work environment

Agile team roles

Cross-functional team member, product owner, team facilitator