Leffingwell SAFe Video #1

Question 1

Who told the story and said, “If you can’t come, send no one.”

This pertained to management cannot delegate quality.

Answer 1

W. Edwards Deming

Question 2

Per Leffingwell and SAFe, who extends Lean-Agile practices to the rest of the company?

Answer 2

The Guiding Coalition extends Lean-Agile practices to the rest of the company.

Question 3

True or False.

Per SAFe, Lean-Agile processes are only for the IT department.

Answer 3

False. Lean-Agile processes can be used for both IT and non-IT groups.

Question 4

What does LACE mean?

Answer 4

Lean Agile Center for Excellence.

Question 5

Who controls LACE or participates in it?

Answer 5

Leffingwell discusses LACE at the same time as discussing the Guiding Coalition.

Question 6

Forming a Guiding Coalition is NOT enough per John Kotter, what must the Guiding Coalition do?

Answer 6

The Guiding Coalition must work effectively as a team.

Question 7

On a practical level, what does the SAFe Implementation Roadmap need?

Hint: Early w… and s…….able l…. term g….

Answer 7

Early wins and sustainable long term gains.

Question 8

What are the first 3 steps of the Implementation Roadmap for SAFe 4.5?

Hints:

1) Train L….-A…. Change A…..
2) Train Ex….., Ma….., Le
3) Identify V…. S…. and ARTs

Answer 8

1) Train Lean-Agile Change Agents.
2) Train Executives, Managers, Leaders.
3) Identify Value Streams and ARTs.

Question 9

What is an ART?

Answer 9

The short answer: It is an Agile Release Train.

Question 10

Why do companies even consider using SAFe?

Hint: What book did Malcom Gladwell write?

Answer 10

The Tipping Point.

Companies reach a tipping point and know that they need SAFe: a method for scaling their projects with Lean-Agile technqiues.

Question 11

Gladwell mentioned two reasons why organizations decide to change to SAFe?

Hint:

A burn… plat… and pro….. leader…..

Answer 11

1) A burning platform.

2) Proactive leadership.

Question 12

In his video, Leffingwell estimated a bank might have 10-12 operational value streams.

What specific operational value stream did Leffingwell mention in his video?

Answer 12

A customer getting a loan from application to payments to payoff. The value stream took 9 large steps.

Question 13

What is an operational value stream? Give an example.

Answer 13

A bank’s loan process. From loan application to payments to payoff.

Question 14

Within an operational value stream (normally just called a value stream), there are major steps. What are those steps called?

Answer 14

Ask N…within an operational value stream, are these the first 3 steps??? Ask N and Amaan.

1) Train Lean-Agile Change Agents.
2) Train Executives, Managers, Leaders.
3) Identify Value Streams & ARTs.

Question 15

What is the difference between an Operational Value Stream and an ART? Ask N to verify.

Answer 15

N or A:

A value stream is one of a dozen or so business streams in a large enterprise. The loan process at a bank would be an example. But one entire ART could be built regarding a new approach to Collecting Payments, a part of the value stream.

Question 16

True or False. Detailed planning will serve you well when using SAFe?

Answer 16

False.

Too much planning just slows you down per Leffingwell.

Leffingwell said: Choose an ART and go..

Not too much, not too little, just enough detailed planning.

Question 17

True or False. Regarding over-planning, did Leffingwell really say in his video: Choose an ART and Go.

Answer 17

True.

Question 18

True or False. Global ARTs are discouraged because of time differences and language difficulties.

Answer 18

False.

Question 19

True or False. One component in a value stream (awarding loan in a loan value stream at a bank) could be the total focus of an ART?

Answer 19

True.

Question 20

Leffingwell is very fond of John Kotter quotes. Leffingwell agrees with Kotter that three things are very important regarding training. What are those three areas?

Hint: B. S. A.

Answer 20

Behaviors, skills, and attitude need to be shaped in training.

John Kotter:

“We often don’t think through carefully what new behaviors, skills, and attitudes will be needed when major changes are initiated.

As a result we don’t recognize the kind and amount of training that will be required to help people learn those new behaviors, skills, and attitude.”

Question 21

Leffingwell said in his video: Reading a few things about SAFe isn’t enough. You need to be…

Hint: An asian client brought Leffingwell in for a consult.

Answer 21

You need to be TRAINED in SAFe.

Perhaps the importance behind getting SAFe certified as an SA.

Question 22

When doing a PI Planning event for a company, what is perhaps the first two questions Leffingwell asks?

First, how many people do you have on the ART ?

Second…

Answer 22

How big a room do you have?

Leffingwell believes strongly that you need a big room with the entire ART within it for training. Same teacher, same room, everyone.

Leffingwell did not say it, but there seems to be synergies in getting the entire team together for PI Planning.

Question 23

What does PI stand for???

Answer 23

Program Increment

Question 24

When Leffingwell refers to getting your first “win”, what does he mean?

Answer 24

Your first “win” would be a completed PI: Program Increment.

Question 25

What does Leffingwell mean by “rinse and repeat”?

Hint: Launch more A___ and V___ S____.

Answer 25

Rinse and repeat means: Launch more ARTs and Value Streams.

Leffingwell isn’t just talking about “consolidating value”, he’s also talking about “creating more change”.

Question 26

How many ARTs can you launch at a company? What’s the limitation?

Answer 26

How many people do you have to be on those ARTs? Those trains.

Question 27

Why don’t organizations start using SAFe at its highest level, the portfolio level?

Hint: The organization itself.

Hint: Large Value Streams.

Answer 27

Organizations may dabble a bit with SAFe but to work at the Porfolio Level, you need leadership at the top to be solidly behind all of SAFe. Not just one or two leaders, but ALL of leadership.

Also, ARTs (Agile Release Trains) normally work on one or two parts of a Value Stream. A Portfolio works at entire value streams (remember, perhaps around 10 value streams for a bank as an example).

Question 28

Leffingwell did NOT mention training for what role regarding ART readiness?

Answer 28

He did not mention team roles.

He mentioned product manager, product owners, and scrum masters. He did not mention team member roles outside of those groups.

Question 29

On an Agile team, what roles provide content authority?

Answer 29

Product Manager and Product owner provide content authority.

Question 30

Leffingwell said: Train Teams and Launch ???

Answer 30

Launch the ART: the Agile Release Train.

Question 31

Not everything needs to be perfect because this is an i_____ and a_____ model.

Answer 31

Not everything needs to be perfect because this is an inspect and adapt model.

Question 32

Inspect and adapt, saves our ________

Answer 32

…bacon.

Question 33

IMPORTANT: Setting what date creates a timebox for everything?

Answer 33

Scheduling the PI (Program Increment) Planning Meeting.

Question 34

Setting the PI Planning Meeting date for your ART does what 3 things per Leffingwell.

*This might be hard to remember…

Hint:

1) Forces a t_____ for preparation.
2) Minmizes w___ p_________. You don’t have to be perfect.
3) HARDER to REMEMBER. Assures people that Inspect and Adapt workshop creates a closed loop system.

Answer 34

1) Forces a timebox for preparation.
2) Minimizes work preparation. You don’t have to be perfect.
3) HARDER to REMEMBER. Assures people that Inspect and Adapt workshop creates a closed loop system.

Question 35

Leffingwell mentions 3 things for assessing and evolving launch readiness. What 3 things?

Hints:

1) Form A____ T____.
2) Train the THREE ROLES (one role is missing).
3) Prepare the B______g.

Answer 35

Asses and evolve launch readiness:

1) Form Agile Teams.
2) Train the Three Roles of Product Owner, Product Manager, and Scrum Master. He does NOT mention regular team members.
3) Prepare the Backlog. (ARTs need to have something to do when they begin.)