Who Are Your Pigs?

The best cultures are committed cultures.

And committed cultures begin with…

…pigs.

Yes, the pigs.

If you haven’t heard the fable, then here it goes:

A Pig and a Chicken are walking down the road.
The Chicken says: “Hey Pig, I was thinking we should open a restaurant!”
Pig replies: “Hm, maybe, what would we call it?”
The Chicken responds: “How about ‘ham-n-eggs’?”
The Pig thinks and says: “No thanks. I’d be committed, but you’d only be involved.”

You may have heard of this fable referenced within the context of the Scrum methodology. The members of the Scrum team are the pigs – directly responsible for the outcome of a project. All others (outside stakeholders, members of other teams, etc) are the chickens – interested in the outcome, but not responsible day-to-day.

While the analogy was, at one time, used within Scrum to distinguish roles and responsibilities, it can also be applied to the participation of individuals on any given team.

To be successful with any project, you need a room full of pigs.

Pigs that don’t squawk loudly and flap their wings like chickens. Pigs that are focused on results, understanding the “why,” knocking down barriers, and not waiting for someone else to solve their problems. Pigs committed to the cause, collectively owning the outcome, regardless of their level.

5 questions to ask yourself when developing your team.

Who are my pigs committed to a job well done who are constantly moving the needle?
Who are my chickens in disguise derailing the tasks at hand?
Are my pigs empowered with the information they need and the opportunity to communicate issues early and often?
What resources do my pigs need to successfully complete the project?
Are my development partners truly committed to my business objectives (pigs) or are they simply order takers (chickens)?

When you’re looking to build a development team or find a development partner for a project, make sure to look for pigs.