The Culture behind DevOps

One of the quickest ways to get someone to do something is to make them feel uncomfortable in their current situation.

Download the presentation here.

According to Brett St Clair, proclaiming in front of over 400 delegates at the Africa DevOps Day June 2017 conference, the one fundamental action that would drive better cultural change in DevOps is for all us to become ‘uncomfortably excited!’

This became the buzzword for the rest of the conference, sealed on the lips of every delegate and barista.

DevOps requires a strong cultural support structure in order for it to reach it’s potential, rather than being bastardised by those that would say No or But. But, like Wellington at Waterloo who chose the battleground (ED: to be fact checked), you need to create the most conducive environment that you can.

Three easy steps to follows:

• Build the right environment – It is not a one-size fit all solution.
• Collocating crosses functional teams – this includes Business, not just IT.
• Get the latest tools – Use the latest tools to build your latest tools.

By intention or consequence, DevOps creates new ways of working. One effect is that top leaders start to hire people that are better than themselves in specific tasks. This takes guts and specific desire to be a Rebel in their own organisations (not the swinging from ship masts Pirates, but the cool, slick corporate kind!). This inherently kicks into effect the old chestnut, better known as the corporate immune system. That fights back with Ifs, Buts and Whys. Rest assured there are better and easier, ways to reduce these risks.
Brett ended off his keynote address with three powerful points and encouraged all to be ‘uncomfortably excited’.

Brett St Clair’s 3 Top Tips for Africa DevOps Day delegates:

• Hire Product Owners – it’s all about Empathy in this economy
• Design First – Your customer experience is your differentiator.
• Don’t be a dick – no ‘butts’ allowed, call people out.

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