Dominik Maximini - Agile leadership in practice : applying management 3.0

Bibliographical Information of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek

This publication is listed in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek; detailed bibliographical information can be accessed under www.dnb.de

2018 Dominik Maximini

Printing, Production and Publishing: BoD Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt, Germany

Illustrations and Cover: Juliane Pilster, Stuttgart, Germany, http://agile-ready.org

Typesetting: Johanna Conrad, Buch&media GmbH

ISBN: 978-3-75280-871-1

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronically, mechanically, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

I once invited my team to do a code review in the sun. The weather was beautiful; we had a habit of discussing source code each week; there was a nice patch of green grass just outside our office, and I was in a joyful mood. So why not?

I also organized lunch meetings where employees shared their vacation photos. I invited colleagues to cook dinners in my kitchen. (Food is a recurring theme in my work-life.) I convinced our office manager to put up a bell that we could ring to mark celebrations (with cake or cookies, of course). And I used my office chair as a wheelchair while visiting teams across the entire office, a practice that I consider naming Management By Rolling Around (MBRA). Some people thought I was a silly manager.

Several years later, when I quit my job as a development manager to become a writer and speaker, one team member told me that I was the best manager he had ever worked with. Another person said I was the first manager who didnt suck. Some experts say that, when employees quit, they usually do so because of their managers. But not in my case. I had evidence that, in my part of the organization, turnover dropped to nearly zero. Sure, I was probably a silly manager, but my team members stayed! And my CEO was pleased.

Whether I was indeed a good manager, or just the first one who didnt suck, it was clear that I managed things differently compared to others. I had no fear of experimenting with unconventional ideas. I wasnt interested in implementing management practices just because they were the norm in other organizations. I cared much more about practices that had a positive impact on peoples happiness, engagement, and productivity.

When I started writing about my alternative approach to management, which I named Management 3.0, some managers in other organizations started copying my practices with their own teams. A few of them even wanted to know all the details, variations, and exceptions for each practice. I received questions similar to How long does it take to do a code review in the sun?, Is it OK for the team to sit in the shade? and What do you do when its raining?

As a writer and speaker, I share management practices that worked for me (and some practices used by other managers and their teams). What worked for me could work for you. But there are no guarantees. And I cannot share all the details, variations and exceptions, because I dont know them. You will have to try for yourself and see if you can replicate the successes. Every good practice for me is an experiment for you! That was always the best advice I could give to anyone who asked for more.

Until now.

It was with great pleasure that I learned about this new book written by Dominik Maximini. Dominik has been experimenting with nearly all Management 3.0 practices as described in my works. With many of them, Dominik succeeded. With some, he failed. But when Dominik failed, he figured out how to change the practices and make them work in his situation. And with other ideas, he was able to venture far beyond what I had experienced or even imagined myself.

Managers are like chefs. (I warned you about my food obsession.) Chefs use standard recipes from books, but they always change things depending on their guests and the environment in which they need to cook. Great dishes should first be credited to the chefs who prepared them, and only second to the original recipes that they used while cooking.

In this book, Dominik shares all he knows about experimenting with Management 3.0 practices. Managers (and chefs) are best advised to improve their work, not just by reading more recipe books, but by learning how other managers have experimented with and improved upon those recipes.

I am convinced that this book will help you be a better manager.

Jurgen Appelo, Creator of Management 3.0

Our economies are changing rapidly. Product life cycles are getting shorter, market and customer demands are constantly changing. Customers are no longer looking for a product but rather for a specific solution which best fits their own specific needs. New technologies arise and offer radically new approaches for solving existing problems as well as offering new options. Old competencies are losing relevance, new competencies are in demand. When working with students, committees and leaders these topics are dominant, and lead me to the insight that these changes are significantly impacting the work of todays managers.

This creates conflict between employees and managers, especially when considering established management structures and styles. Employees no longer want to be traditionally led, as the demands upon them are soaring. They demand the right to have a say in more matters and expect their own needs to receive a central focus.

Adapting the organization to increasingly important external influences, namely organizational change, also requires the active role of management. Without active leadership, successful change will not happen.

Dominiks new book is based on many years of experience in management consulting, and with applying new management techniques in agile environments. He is focusing on successful change management especially highlighting the principles of building teams, as well as the necessary changes in organizational structure, leadership and focus of the organization. These changes also have to be supported by other systems, for example those used for performance measurement or reward distribution. His book is an integrated, holistic approach covering all the relevant aspects necessary to achieve successful modern-day change management. He excellently describes how the role of leaders needs to evolve in our rapidly changing business world.

Dominiks approach is unique for that matter and transports an integrated agile management approach. This integrated approach is especially important in times of dramatic change and helps managers to shape a new vision for their role. All stakeholders are integrated and become partners in the change process, forming a robust foundation for future profitable growth.

Prof. Dr. Claus W. Gerberich, University of Lucerne, Senator of the European Economic Forum (EWIF Europisches Wirtschaftsforum e. V.)

In October of 2008 I started at NovaTec as Business Unit Manager (back then a totally undefined role) for the specialist area of software architecture. Up to that point in my professional career I had worked as software developer, software architect and IT consultant, ten years of which with IBM. My expertise and experience in management was unfortunately limited. After successively taking on management activities and ultimately becoming a NovaTec board member in 2015, it was very valuable for me to have colleagues like Dominik Maximini in the company, who focused fulltime on company cultures and management practices as their specialist consulting area. Over the years a synergy has developed between the idea generation in Dominiks specialist field and the experimentation with these new approaches within NovaTec itself. As decision maker it was my responsibility to understand these good ideas and implement them together with the management team.