A 7-features model to assess the intrinsic value of an Agile game [dec 2018]

To respond to enterprises eager to become Agile and to infuse Happiness at Work [1], new products and professional services such as graphical workshops [2a] have emerged into the market place under the buzz formula "Agile games".

To help managers understand what these products and services might bring to them [2b], we released early 2017 a study which featured a taxonomy of four classes of business instruments for Agile execution [3a][3b] :

1. management frameworks, 
2. management methods, 
3. design canvases,
4. [Agile] games.

To assess how an Agile game really differentiates versus frameworks, methods and canvases, we made a comparative study on

• the Agile game Planning Poker®, which is probably the first Agile game launched into the global market place, 
• the Agile game Delegation Poker, and
• the Agile game La Maîtrise d'Usage® [4].

This study found that these Agile games share 7 features :

1. Business usage and scope : as most Agile games are used for Agile transformation (training, team upraisal / team building, Agile retrospective...), these Agile games are used for Agile execution : on a daily basis, they help managers and team members to cope with business management issues.
2. Management doctrine  : an Agile game captures a management doctrine which targets  a specific management issue such as planning, teamwork efficiency or innovation [5].
3. Support documentation : the documentation (printed, video,...) defines the business scope and expectations, elaborates on the linkage between the management doctrine and the Agile game and shares use cases derived from real projects.
4. Game design and material : er...An Agile game is a game.
5. Franchisor : an Agile game is brought to the market by a franchisor [6a] who is tasked with developping market awareness and a network of qualified partners.
6. IP rights : an Agile game bears intellectual property rights which are leveraged to nurture a fair and sustainable ecosystem [7].
7. Creator : an Agile game bears a design created by a person who deserves attribution for it [6b].

• [1] Happiness at Work with Agile games, L'entreprise numérique créative, 15 juin 2018
• [2a] A bank of 500+ graphics / canvases for Agile workshop (post in French), Do-Khac Decision, 4 novembre 2018
• [2b] Agile games : what are we talking about ?, Gouvernance numérique d'entreprise, 12 mai 2018
• [3a] Agile instruments : state of the art and trends, Do-Khac Decision, 2017 ,Do-Khac Decision, 15 avril 2018
• [3b] Agile transformation : possible impacts of four types of instruments, Gouvernance numérique d'entreprise, 12 juillet 2018
• [4] Agile games from around the world, L'entreprise numérique créative, 4 mars 2018
• [5]The Agile game ProtectShareIP® , Gouvernance numérique d'entreprise, 29 mai 2018

• [6a] [6b] Agile game franchisors and creators (official sites) :

• Planning Poker (James Grenning) :  Mountain Goat Software, USA
• Delegation Poker (Jurgen Appelo) : Happy Melly One, NL
• La Maîtrise d'Usage (Tru Dô-Khac) : Do-Khac Decision France

• [7] La Maitrise d'Usage®, Delegation Poker, Business Model Canvas, ITIL® [Business models of two Agile games franchisors versus two creative digital enterprises in B2B], L'entreprise numérique créative, 11 novembre 2018

To go beyond this Agile games 7-features model, the consulting SME Do-Khac Decision, France, has launched for 2019 New Year  "Agile games Étrennes 2019", an operation to call IT managers to offer their business partners a direct experience with genuine Agile games [8].

• [8] DSI, pour les étrennes 2019, offrez des Agile games aux directions métiers, Gouvernance numérique d'entreprise, 2 décembre 2018

 Other posts

• A definition for Agile game : joyful collaborative tool, Gouvernance numérique d'entreprise, 23 mai 2018

Planning Poker® is a registered trade mark of Mountain Goat Software, USA.
La Maîtrise d'Usage®  et ProtectShareIP®  sont des marques enregistrées par Do-Khac Decision, France.