A Transformational Agile Approach

Apply an Agile Mindset

An Agile transformation is a journey of discovery. When we begin, we may have goals in mind for a future better state as a result of the transformation — improved proficiencies, new capabilities, better outcomes and so forth. How we achieve these goals requires experimentation, learning and adaptation to meet the emergent needs of those going through the change. No Agile transformation is exactly like any other.

This uniqueness requires an adaptive approach. No pre-determined plan or cookie-cutter solution will realize true agility. A state of agility requires the ability to continuously inspect the current state and adapt goals, tactics and execution to achieve desired results.

How to Start

There are many possible starting points and paths for an Agile transformation. There is no right or wrong place to start and no right or wrong path to take. The current state, the desired goals and the opportunities for pragmatic progress towards these goals inform our first steps. We will have ample opportunity to reassess and pivot at any point along the journey.

That said, there are some key ingredients for a successful transformation:

1. Establish a clear goal. What will be different as a result of the transformation? What will our teams be capable of that they can not do currently? What impact will these new capabilities have on outcomes? How will we know when we have achieved the goal?

2. Communicate and get buy-in for the goal. Stakeholders need a shared understanding of the desired outcome, a desire to achieve the outcome and a willingness to invest in what is needed.

3. Invoke learning loops. Agile transformations are by their nature change initiatives. Effectively implementing change requires that we learn new things. What we need to learn will be informed by our goals and what we discover is needed to support our teams in achieving them. Remember, there is no pre-determined solution. We must address the problems and opportunities as they arise and devise solutions along the way.

4. Give the teams the support they need to achieve success. Our Agile teams continually evolve to become the team they need to be to effectively accomplish their work. Discovery along the Agile transformation journey results in emergent work and improvement opportunities that in turn challenge the team to become the team that is needed. Teams that can not evolve will not attain agility and to evolve they will need appropriate support from their organization.

5. Invest in what is needed. Achieving goals requires appropriate investment. Investment includes focus, energy, time, and money. The type and level of investment is informed by the goals and the needs the teams discover as they work towards the goal.

A note on sustainability. Keeping the benefits of the transformation requires ongoing and continuous attention to what made the transformation successful. If a need to adapt to changing conditions and new information persists, resist the temptation to codify and operationalize your agile practices. Embrace the values and principles underlying Agile and continue to reflect and adapt accordingly. Agile is a dance that never ends!

Investments

While it is impossible to accurately predict the needs of a particular organization and its teams over their Agile transformation journey, we can anticipate some possible needs by learning from the experience of other organizations who have gone through successful transformations and use this information to help us understand some of the investments that we might need to make. Often teams benefit from some combination of training, coaching, and facilitated self-assessment.

Training

Executives and Managers

Executives and managers may need training on the context in which an Agile approach fits and the associated benefits, tradeoffs, costs and the organizational changes that accompany the adoption of Agile principles and practices. Understanding of the role of executives and managers as sponsors and change agents helps them to recognize and remove systemic impediments to successful adoption of Agile. Seeing how Agile is different and how it might effect executives and others who support the product teams will prepare them to support the change.

Scrum Masters

Managers, team leads, project managers, or other team members who wish to learn how to apply Scrum principles and rules to create high performing teams focused on rapid value delivery to their customers may benefit from attending a Certified Scrum Master workshop.

Product Owners

Product Owners, product managers, project managers, customers, stakeholders, business analysts, and Scrum Masters who wish to learn how to use Scrum to achieve rapid results may benefit from attending a Certified Scrum Product Owner workshop.

Scrum Teams

New and existing Scrum teams who want to build a shared understanding of Agile terminology, process, and accountabilities and learn how to collaborate as an Agile team may benefit from a team workshop. A team-based release simulation can stimulate systemic agility, activate self-organization and accelerate learning.

Coaching

Coaching is outcome-based and serves to align Agile adoption with business strategy, goals, and planning. In addition to strategic alignment, coaching aims to develop practical knowledge and capability by focusing on emergent needs and delivering just-enough and just-in-time guidance and mentoring. Coaching is subject to adjustment based on progress, evolving needs and feedback.

Leadership

In addition to the coaching approach outlined above, leadership coaching includes periodic check-ins with executive and senior leadership for coordination.

Team

In addition to the coaching approach outlined above, team coaching may include observation and coaching in Sprint events such as Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective and activities such as Product Backlog Refinement and general team work. Team coaching uses Sprints as space to practice with the coach reinforcing concepts and helping the teams develop competence and confidence in real-world application.

Individual

Sometimes specific individuals need additional coaching support.  Typically this coaching consists of an intensive, ongoing and collaborative series of one-on-one work sessions. These coaching sessions provide targeted support to help individuals achieve improvement goals for both themselves and their teams.

Diagnostic (self-assessment)

A team-level facilitated self-diagnostic can guide organizational investment by answering two fundamental questions: (1) where are our teams on the path to developing proficiency in Agile practices and (2) what knowledge would help our organization progress towards its desired goals? By repeating a diagnostic on a rolling basis, the organization can track shifts in its capability over time.

Options

Needs inform possible investments.  As the transformation progresses, be prepared to redirect investment to target areas of emergent need. Appropriate response to emergent needs is a critical success factor for the transformation. The example investments above can be tailored, mixed and adjusted in various combinations to adapt to needs.