The class is basically a tour-de-force on systems thinking applied to software & hardware product development. One gets to clear the fog of local optimization in seemingly smart ideas such as component teams, team POs or specialized workers. The result is a simple, yet immensely challenging idea called LeSS. After the training one is ready to grasp just how big and necessary the chasm is to a better world of product development. I guess it’s up to each one of us to decide if we want to work on crossing that chasm, whatever it takes. Thanks Craig for helping me realize that!
Coming to Craig’s meet up is like a fireside chat. Very warm and very personal. The questions asked by the audience were incredibly thought-provoking and relatable even though they were from different functional domains. I personally liked the way Craig used examples from his vast experience to answer these questions. Once people get over the uneasiness coming from his comments, suggestions, and answers, I suspect they open their minds to many possibilities. There is something for everyone to learn, whether you are an entrepreneur, executive, manager or engineer. I look forward to seeing him again through this meet-up or another forum(s).
Anurag Saksena, Software Technology Lead
The training was wrapped with participation of Gordon Weir, invited by Craig Larman to share his past experience of LeSS adoption at Bank of America.
About Gordon: Gordon has been a department leader of technology groups in two large banks. And has first-hand experience of three LeSS huge adoptions (he doesn’t like the word “transformation”). All of them with very different contexts. He talked about how he discovered LeSS and enabled it, and what he discovered during his multi year change journey. What didn’t work and gave personal anecdotes about how he dealt with the wider organisation’s persistent and unique ways of trying to force the org back to “normal”.
Additional Kodak moment are below:
Craig Larman’s LeSS Practitioner workshop is the rare learning experience that grounds participants in “owning/why” rather than usual “renting/how” ideas of change and transformation. Craig is skilled at leading you to discover yours and general human biases. He rather than handing out the technicalities of LeSS as a solution truly equips you through hands-on exercises to uncover the systems thinking model — a critical tool that’ll help lead your team to “real transformation.” The workshop is thoughtful as well as feisty as we discover counter-intuitive ideas. Craig is stunningly patient and practical in helping us think through our discoveries and the in-real-life challenges of taking those back to our teams and organizations. Over a 20+ year career the LeSS Practitioner workshop is the best ROI I have gotten from a coach led learning experience.