Em Campbell-Pretty - The Art of Avoiding a Train Wreck: Tips and Tricks for Launching Safe Agile Release Trains

First published in 2019 by Em Campbell-Pretty & Adrienne L. Wilson

Pretty Agile

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

This book is a SpiritCast Network Book.

Author:

Campbell-Pretty, Em & Wilson, Adrienne L.

Title:

The ART of Avoiding a Train Wreck; Tips and Tricks for Launching and Operating SAFe Agile Release Trains

ISBN: 978-0-359-59446-7

Subjects:

1. Organisational Effectiveness, 2. Agile Software Development, 3. Information Technology Management, 4. Computer Software Development

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All enquiries should be made to the publisher at em@prettyagile.com

Disclaimer:

The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.

Implementing SAFe in a large organization is never an easy task, unless you have a dedicated coach to guide you. Em and Adrienne are amazing guides and with this book you can feel just as if they are with you, guiding you the whole way with tips and tricks and warnings of pitfalls to avoid before you fall into them. This is a book I wish I had when I was taking my first steps into the world of SAFe.

Inbar Oren, SAFe Fellow and Principal

Consultant, Scaled Agile, Inc.

If you are thinking of launching an ART, DONT! Until you read this book. It is filled with great experiential learning and advice as well as tips to avoid a train wreck. This is a must-read for anyone planning on launching a train!

Joe Vallone, SPCT and SAFe Fellow, Scaled Agile, Inc.

Whether you are adopting SAFe or launching your first Agile Release Train, Em and Adriennes book is a must-read. Dont get derailed; instead, learn from two renowned experts and gain practical insights into how to best lead a successful enterprise Lean-Agile transformation.

Richard Knaster, SAFe Fellow, Principal Consultant, Author SAFe Distilled Book series

The ART of Avoiding a Train Wreck applies a practical and empathetic approach to the ins and outs of actually applying SAFe. It shines an emphasis on the people, and shares real-world success, tools for success, and anti-patterns that we can all learn from. Much gratitude to Em and Adrienne for sharing their stories, and their hearts, with us.

Jennifer Fawcett, SAFe Fellow, Scaled Agile, Inc.

Launching and managing agile release trains isnt easy. Organizations encounter a variety of bumps and challenges along the way. Thanks to Em and Adrienne, there is now an owners manual with practical instructions and expert tips to ensure they dont get stuck in the mud!

Marc Rix, SAFe Fellow, Scaled Agile, Inc.

By far, the best real-life guide to implementation I have ever read! This book is an absolute required read for any enterprise who wants to get it right and more so for those who may have started on the wrong foot and need a self-help guide to correct.

Scott Frost, SAFe Fellow, SPCT and Business Agility Advisor, Accenture|SolutionsIQ

I have known Em since the dawn of Scaled Agile Framework. She is dedicated, has a witty sense of humour and is always dead serious when it comes to Agile Release Trains and how to set up those correctly. She is passionate on things like teamwork and getting organizations to perform at their best. This book is full of gold nuggets from one of the very first pioneers on getting Scaled Agile set up and running.

Most organizations that I have met who would like to start their journey on SAFe are really nervous on the potential pitfalls that they might not recognize before it is too late. A seasoned coach is the best thing you can have to avoid those pitfalls in the first place, and this book is a fast pass access to senior coach knowledge. If you are a SAFe SPC and your job is to set up a train or trains, this book is a must.

The ART of Avoiding a Train Wreck is filled with advanced level knowledge like how to apply Impact Mapping with Epics and a fun and easy way to prioritize a trains problems. It also has some expert-level knowledge on how to integrate Lean UX correctly in your train and tips to run events for globally distributed ARTs. Em does a huge service for the entire SAFe community by making this knowledge available in very easy-to-read handbook format.

Dr. Maarit Laanti, SPCT4 and founder Nitor Delta

The ART of Avoiding a Train Wreck was outstanding; it was a privilege to read. I have learned of multiple new books that I need to go read after reading some of the references. I absolutely loved the amount of practical advice provided. I live in a world where we still have projects, teams work overtime when needed, and we still need to meet some waterfall expectations due to external forces. I left this book feeling hopeful with a number of new ideas to try as opposed to feeling guilty because my culture is a little slower to evolve.

Robin Yeman, SPCT Candidate and Lockheed Martin Space Fellow

The number of times that I have said that SAFe is a Framework NOT a Prescription, in fact if I had a penny for every time I said it I would be a wealthy man. Every time I have implemented SAFe it has always been different because you have to use your brain (it is not a one-two-three-step guide) and then you need to apply it to the organisation context. And as Dean Leffingwell told me, If you are still doing the same thing a year later, then you are doing it wrong because you are not inspecting and adapting based in relentless improvement.

At last, Em and Adrienne captured their many learnings from launching Agile Release Trains over many years, including not only learnings that I completely agree with (absolutely bloody right moments!) but many that are new insights for me as well. It also includes SAFe says this but our experience says that. It is full of practical insights of avoiding a Train Wreck but more importantly how to set the train up on the right tracks, e.g. how to run an Epic Workshop, what to watch out for in PI Planning and some real gotchas to avoid. Plus laced with some great anecdotes.

A must-read for all SAFe Program Consultants.

Darren Wilmshurst, SPCT, Director and Head of Consulting, Radtac Ltd

Em & Adriennes book definitely fills a gap in the SAFe literature and the literature about Lean & Agile transformation in general. It gives you a very good impression of how a healthy transformation feels like and what to do to get there. Its not just a cookbook of how to do a proper transformation, though there are a lot of good tips you can follow, but it tells a story you can relate to taken from everyday life in transformations.