Fertilization

Fertilization

Submitted by: Donald Patti, Jennifer Atoki, Joakim Marner
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Play Description

Pattern Summary

“Fertilize” the mind through training, hands-on workshops, knowledge seeding, and other learning activities to create a common knowledge base across agile teams.

Related Patterns

Cross Pollination, Measured Growth, Grow-Split-Grow, Scrum Master Team

Symptom Categories 

Uneven Knowledge, Lack of Understanding, Lack of Experience, Resistance to Change, Lack of Engagement

Symptoms Addressed

This Pattern can address two different challenges:

  1. Lack of knowledge and uneven knowledge during an initial agile transformation
  2. Periodic upskilling after a transformation, introduction of more advanced techniques and promoting life-long learning journeys

Detailed Description

“Fertilization” refers to any efforts to increase knowledge, skills and abilities through formal and informal learning to create a common knowledge base across agile teams. This can include formal training, hands-on workshops, seminars, webinars, open spaces, hackathons, Communities of Practice activities, coding dojos, assignments of mentors, and other types of learning engagements. It emphasizes both the “being” and “doing” aspects of agile, preparing teams for a more effective transformation by equipping them with the necessary skills and mindset. The goal is to create a common knowledge base across teams and ensure that all members share a similar understanding of agile principles and practices. This shared foundation not only fosters collaboration but also increases both enthusiasm and confidence in applying agile methods.

Fertilization is particularly important in the early stages of an agile transformation, where it can help overcome resistance to change by demonstrating the value of agile practices through practical application and shared learning experiences.

Use When

The “Fertilization” pattern is best used when:

  • Before the First Sprint. Teams or departments new to agile are about to start their very first Sprint, or about the start using a new agile technique. The additional, focused instruction should help them to understand the framework or technique well before they attempt to use it.
  • Uneven Knowledge. Use Fertilization involving multiple teams to creates a consistent understanding of agile across those teams, so they can collaborate together more effectively.
  • Grafting is not possible. Grafting, another transformation pattern, shifts agile-capable individuals or teams on to teams where there is no prior agile knowledge. Unfortunately, it is not possible to graft if there aren’t any agile-capable individuals. In this case, it is better to build knowledge from the ground up by using one or more fertilization techniques.
  • Enthusiasm high, working knowledge is low. Fertilization works well when enthusiasm about agile is high but working knowledge is too low for team to be effective early on.
  • Introduction of more advances techniques. Often, an initial transformation focus on the new ways of working and upskilling of new techniques such as Design Thinking, DevOps and technical practices (for example from Extreme programming) are phased to be learned at later stages (crawl, walk, run).

Do not use When

  • Teams Operate Independently: When teams work independently with minimal overlap, Fertilization might not be as effective in creating a common knowledge base. However, it can still help with promoting a growth mindset.
  • Lack of Commitment: If there is no genuine commitment from leadership to invest in continuous learning, Fertilization may be ineffective.
  • Overemphasis on “Being” Agile: If the learning opportunities are too focused on mindset rather than practical application, it might create an imbalance.

In Frameworks

All frameworks have some formal training associated with them. We encourage learning about this training by visiting their respective training sites.

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe): Fertilization is crucial during the initial stages of implementing SAFe. SAFe emphasizes comprehensive training through several hands-on SAFe certification classes for all levels of the organization to have a thorough understanding of the framework. In addition, SAFe encourages continuous use of the IP iteration as an opportunity for formal learning.

Scrum@Scale: In Scrum@Scale, Fertilization might include Communities of Practice (CoPs) or workshops that enhance cross-team knowledge sharing and alignment, preparing teams for the scaling challenges inherent in larger organizations. Scrum@Scale also encourages formal learning when needed. Jeff Sutherland emphasize that mastery takes times and need to go beyond simply knowing rules and prescriptions.

Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS): In LeSS, Fertilization can be applied through workshops and coaching sessions that help teams understand LeSS principles, particularly when multiple teams need to synchronize their understanding of agile practices and principles across a shared product backlog. LeSS emphasizes the benefit of continuous growth in the lean-agile mindset on topics such as lean thinking, queueing theory and system thinking.

Disciplined Agile (DA): DA promotes tailored learning and continuous improvement, making Fertilization essential for teams and organizations adopting the DA toolkit. It supports the selection of learning opportunities that align with specific contexts, ensuring teams understand the principles and practices that best fit their work environment. In addition, DA incorporates formal training into their transformation roadmap (DA Transformation Roadmap) via continuous deeper mastery of it catalogue of principles, promises, guidelines.

Toyota Production System (TPS): emphasize that everyone needs a mentor and engage in life long learnership. The mentor will guide the mentee to discover solutions and counter measures on her own.

How to Use

There are many ways to “Fertilize” the mind through learning and training. Here’s one approach:

  1. Identify Learning Outcomes: Work together to identify learning outcomes for the participants in the proposed learning opportunities.
  2. Select the Appropriate Learning Approach: Consider modality (online, in-person, workshop, formal training, dojo, etc.), attendees, courses, duration, among other factors.
  3. Select Appropriate Content: Ensure that the learning content balances both theoretical and practical aspects of agile, addressing “being” and “doing” agile.
  4. Schedule Learning Opportunities: Organize and schedule formal and informal training sessions that align with the team’s or organization’s current agile journey.
  5. Facilitate Learning: Deliver and/or facilitate learning opportunity. Encourage active participation and interaction during training to increase retention and application of knowledge.
  6. Follow Up: Evaluate effectiveness of learning to confirm the learning outcomes were achieved. Plan follow-up activities, refresher sessions, or coaching sessions to reinforce learning and address any gaps.

Use When…

Play Authors

  • Scott Ambler
  • Kent Beck; Craig Larman
  • Dean Leffingwell; Mark Lines
  • Taiichi Ohno; Jeff Sutherland
  • Bas Vodde

Advantages

The “Fertilization” pattern has a number of advantages over other patterns, including:

  • Impacts both “being” and “doing” agile. In the agile community, we talk about “being” and “doing” agile. Being agile refers to a change in mindset to be more agile, while doing agile refers to using agile practices, like Daily Scrum or Pair Programming.
  • Builds common knowledge base. One of the challenges often faced during an agile transformation is uneven knowledge from department to department or from team to team. Fertilization activities tend to even out attendees’ knowledge so that they all share the same terminology and, hopefully, the same levels of understanding after they attend.
  • Increases enthusiasm, confidence. When delivered and facilitated properly, agile training increases enthusiasm among attendees, making it easier to make progress with an agile transformation after the training. It also increases their confidence in applying agile in their work environment, where your transformation is underway.
  • Often achieves quick results. Because well-designed training improves in quality over time, well-delivered training achieves results quickly when compared to coaching or learning-by-doing. In most cases, this accelerates your agile transformation.

Disadvantages

There are some potential disadvantages to fertilization, such as:

  • Sometimes imbalanced (being vs. doing). Fertilization activities, particularly informal learning opportunities, are sometimes imbalanced. They cover “being agile” well, but not “doing agile”, for example. To avoid imbalance, experienced agilists should help to select the activity, looking carefully to ensure that the learning opportunity includes both theory and applied knowledge. If, for whatever reason, a learning opportunity emphasizes “being” over “doing, or vice-versa, then leaders of the transformation should find another learning opportunity to re-balance it.
  • Quality varies. The quality of Fertilization activities, such as training, varies significantly. Individuals selecting among learning opportunities are encouraged to find trainers or facilitators who are certified and receive good reviews and feedback from their students.
  • Often mistimed. Fertilization activities, and in particular formal training, is often mistimed. Evidence, including the Forgetting Curve, indicates that knowledge gained on any given day is often lost in a few days to a few weeks. When determining when to provide a learning opportunity, be sure to time delivery so it is used on the job within a couple of weeks.
  • Potentially costly. Depending upon the fertilization approach selected, calling the Fertilization pattern can be very costly — especially when all efforts consist of formal learning delivered by a paid trainer or facilitator. While learning delivered by a paid trainer is more likely to be high quality, balance delivery of higher-cost formal learning with in-house learning opportunities.

 

Additional Notes

Balancing Costs: Consider a mix of high-cost formal training and low-cost in-house learning to manage expenses while still delivering quality education.
Timing Matters: Ensure that learning opportunities are timed close to when the knowledge will be applied to maximize retention and effectiveness.
Self-Directed Learning: Encourage self-directed learning through resources like online courses, books, or community forums to supplement formal training.

Sources:
Agile Learning and Development: Creating Agile Teams. (2023). Agile Alliance. https://www.agilealliance.org/agile-learning-development/

Disciplined Agile® Transformation Roadmap: Thrive as a Learning Organization. (DA Roadmap). Project Management Institute. Retrieved August 16, 2024, from https://www.pmi.org/disciplined-agile/process/transformation/roadmap/thrive

Effective Agile Training: Balancing Being and Doing. Mountain Goat Software. (2022). https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/effective-agile-training

Innovation and Planning Iteration - Scaled Agile Framework. (2024, July 15). Scaled Agile Framework. https://scaledagileframework.com/innovation-and-planning-iteration/

Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS). (2023). LeSS Framework. https://less.works/

Quality Circles versus Communities of Practice. Sutherland, J. (2024). In Scrum at Scale Practitioner Training.

SPC - Scaled Agile Framework. (2024, August 6). Scaled Agile Framework. https://scaledagileframework.com/spc/