Wouldn’t it be great if there was guidance on how to know if your Agile transformation is doomed to failure? Perhaps a short set of leading indicators or “red alerts” that give us an early warning signal? If we have this, we could react and potentially turn the ship around before it hits the iceberg. It could save millions in cost, time, and effort. Caveat [...]
We all agree that Agile teams should be self-organizing, right? Then prove it. Teams should choose their Agile approach! Why do we pigeonhole teams into either Scrum or Kanban? Instead, why don’t we TRUST the team to self-organize and come up with their own Agile approach that works for them? Instead of dictating a specific Agile method or framework for the team, we should provide [...]
Leaders considering an Agile transformation should reach deep and examine their motives. They should also embark upon this journey with eyes wide open, understanding what they themselves must be willing to do to lead the charge. Let’s start with a gut-check list for leaders considering an Agile transformation: Am I willing to realign people and teams to the flow of value? Am I willing to dedicate [...]
For those of you considering an Agile transformation, here is my advice on your #1 consideration. Ask yourself this question: “Is my organization willing to align to value with cross-functional teams?” The question is about your willingness to realign your organization to value. In my opinion, all other considerations are secondary and pale in comparison to this one. Let’s unpack the question a bit. Alignment [...]
When it comes to seeking help for an Agile transformation, there are Agile Coaches and there are Framework Implementors. If you are considering launching an Agile transformation, you need to understand the difference. Start by asking a potential Agile Coach this question: “How would you engage with us to kick off our Agile transformation?” Real Agile Coach A real Agile Coach will answer the above [...]
As an IT or business leader starting an Agile transformation, the enormity of it can appear quite daunting. The cost can be significant. The risks are real. What if it goes on forever with no real impact to the bottom line? How do I ensure it sticks? These are all valid questions and concerns for a leader about to kick off their Agile transformation. Lead [...]
Due to their centralized nature, Shared Service teams have special considerations and needs that Agile coaches should be aware of. This article discusses four focus areas for when coaching Shared Services. Shared Services teams are typically inundated with a large amount of requests. It is not uncommon to see the service demand much higher than the available capacity of the team. To make matters worse, [...]
Considering taking on an Agile transformation for your enterprise? Warning – it is not for the cautious! There is an easy way – just rename your existing process to “Agile Waterfall”. Then enjoy many subsequent years of … (wait for it) … slow-to-market unimpressive products with poor business results, as your team’s esprit de corps nosedives amidst continuous frustration. Credit: codesqueeze.com “101 Ways to Know [...]
As an experienced Agile leader and coach, I often run into the following situation. In my opinion, it represents the largest Agile anti-pattern in the product development world. Many teams focus on progress over the product increment. Progress and Component Teams Team A says, “We are agile. We are making good PROGRESS on our system.” Upon further investigation, Team A is comprised of team [...]
“Going Agile” should never be the goal of any enterprise transformation. There, I said it. Some Agile transformations are analogous to someone telling you that everyone here in the US needs to start driving on the left side of the road. Why? We will get to our destination 16 seconds faster on average (time to market improvement). We will have less wrecks (better quality). Traffic [...]