Book Image

SAFe® Coaches Handbook

By : Darren Wilmshurst, Lindy Quick
Book Image

SAFe® Coaches Handbook

By: Darren Wilmshurst, Lindy Quick

Overview of this book

The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) is widely recognized as an eff ective methodology for implementing Agile practices at the Enterprise level. However, the complexity of SAFe® can make it challenging for Teams and organizations to determine which practices can be safely adapted to their unique needs. Although SAFe® is a framework rather than a set of rules, promoting adaptation, it’s crucial to understand why SAFe® practices are designed the way they are along with the consequences of modifying them. The SAFe® Coaches Handbook is a comprehensive resource that goes beyond a how-to guide, providing a deep understanding of SAFe® principles and practices. The chapters are designed in a way to teach you how to successfully implement SAFe® in your organization and eff ectively manage the Team’s Backlog while avoiding common pitfalls. You’ll discover optimal ways to create SAFe® Teams and run successful Events. You’ll also learn how to plan Agile Release Trains (ARTs), manage the ART Backlog, conduct PI Planning, and grasp the importance of Value Stream Identifi cation in driving value delivery. By the end of this book, you’ll be armed with practical tips and advice to help you successfully customize the Scaled Agile Framework to your Enterprise’s needs while preserving the aspects that make it work successfully.
Table of Contents (26 chapters)
Free Chapter
2
Part 1: Agile Teams
7
Part 2: Agile Release Trains
13
Part 3: Portfolio
20
Chapter 17: Embracing Agility and Nurturing Transformation
21
Glossary
Appendix A

Measuring Progress

“The problem….is metrics. It is a situation where if you can’t count what is important, you make what you can count important.”

— James Willbanks (Army advisor)

There’s a challenge that we see consistently with our clients who struggle with determining how well their ART is performing using concrete measurements. This gets in the way of the vital Inspect and Adapt cycle that holds such an important place in the Agile methodology. After all, if there’s no established definition of success or consistent means of measuring performance against that goal, how will you know what needs to be improved? And, if you can’t prove your first ART is succeeding, how will you get approved to launch another ART?

To address this issue, many organizations make the mistake of tracking vanity metrics.

These are simple measurements that look good on paper but that don’t really say much about the success of the...