How do you balance agility and stability when scaling agile across multiple teams and projects?

- Don't just adopt, adapt: Frameworks are a starting point, not a straitjacket. Be willing to customize for your unique needs and be honest about what won't work. - Think beyond the big names: LeSS, SAFe etc. get the most buzz, but smaller frameworks might be better fits for some contexts. Do your research! - Ryan's approach (below) is valid: If 'pure' frameworks feel too rigid, his layered PO model could be a better fit.

the choice of scaling framework depends on the unique context and objectives of each organization. While SAFe offers stability through structure and governance, it may sacrifice agility due to its bureaucratic nature. LeSS promotes simplicity and alignment but may struggle with coordination in complex environments. Nexus provides a lightweight framework focused on scaling Scrum, while Scrum@Scale extends the principles of Scrum across the organization, and DAD offers flexibility through integration of various practices. Ultimately, finding the right balance between agility and stability requires a thoughtful assessment of organizational needs and a willingness to adapt and evolve over time.

I've tried SAFe and DAD. After some experimentation, the approach I evolved into is not create teams of teams but create layers of product owners that decompose the backlog down from a high level to a low level. Once it is decomposed to a size digestible by a team of 4 or less people for 6 or less weeks, turn it over to a scrum team/scrum master to execute. The product owners feed their allocated backlog to their allocated scrum teams (2 to 4 teams per PO). The POs would trade backlog between them to if their teams are falling behind.

- Set up a consistent approach, like Scrum or Kanban, that all teams can follow, while giving each team the flexibility to work in their way. - Have regular meetings between teams to stay aligned and avoid working in isolation, helping maintain both agility and stability. - Focus on making small, regular improvements so teams can stay flexible without causing instability. - Use project management tools to keep track of progress and how teams depend on each other, ensuring everything runs smoothly as you scale.

O Scrum é uma estrutura ágil que equilibra agilidade e estabilidade ao escalar metodologias ágeis. Ele fornece orienta??o clara sobre papéis e cerim?nias, promovendo coordena??o entre equipes, enquanto permite flexibilidade para adapta??o às necessidades específicas do projeto e da organiza??o. O Scrum promove autonomia das equipes, incentivando a responsabilidade e o engajamento, e os benefícios geralmente superam os custos associados à sua implementa??o, como treinamento e mudan?as culturais.

Balancing agility and stability when scaling Agile across multiple teams and projects is a multifaceted endeavor, but aligning teams around a common vision and strategy serves as a cornerstone for achieving this delicate equilibrium. A shared vision acts as a guiding light, providing clarity and direction amidst the complexities of scaling Agile. When teams understand the overarching goals and objectives of the organization, they can make informed decisions and prioritize their efforts effectively, fostering stability through alignment. a common strategy ensures that teams are working towards complementary outcomes, reducing conflicts and promoting collaboration across the organization.

Sin importar el modelo usado, debe estar muy claro para donde quiere ir la empresa , es decir, tener una estraetgia solida, comenzando con un claro proposito y despues tener OKRs que sea posible que todos los equipos se visualizen dentro de ellos. La Agilidad estar para apoiar el cambio y la adaptacion al contexto, entonces, si tenemos estrategia clara, podemos ir creando un dise?o organizacional que coloque a todos en la misma pagina

A estrutura??o de OKRs para alinhamento estratégico é a chave para o sucesso. Mas para isso acontecer, é necessário treinamento e acompanhamento, pois trata-se da aplica??o de uma cultura alinhado a uma metodologia. Afinal, quebrar paradgmas e levar todas as pessoas para o mesmo caminho é o maior desafio.

La alineación y la comunicación eficiente en equipos constituyen a mi parecer los pilares fundamentales que busco fortalecer como líder para el desarrollo de equipos de alto rendimiento. Un equipo alineado con el propósito de la organización, así como con sus metas individuales y colectivas, y que se comunica de manera efectiva, tiende a obtener mejores resultados. Considero que la mejor manera de lograr esta alineación es mediante la co-creación, involucrando a todos los miembros desde el inicio. ?Por qué? Porque cuando los equipos comprenden y adoptan el propósito de la organización, se convierten en participantes activos y comprometidos con el proceso, lo que resulta en una mayor cohesión y colaboración entre los miembros del equipo.

Para alinhar as equipes em torno de uma vis?o e estratégia comuns, é crucial comunicar claramente os objetivos da organiza??o, definir metas mensuráveis, envolver as equipes no planejamento, manter uma comunica??o aberta e transparente, promover uma cultura de colabora??o e reconhecer os sucessos. Isso garante que todos entendam seu papel na realiza??o dos objetivos organizacionais e trabalhem juntos de maneira eficaz para alcan?á-los.

The cadence has value in communications between teams and organizations. If everyone is on the same page calendar and Sprint naming, it is such a pleasant thing. If you sprints are named or numbered in some funky way you will spend half your time trying to figure out what the beginning and ends of sprints. I find it a waste of time and money as I saw so many project managers make spreadsheets to try and corollate sprint schedules among teams. Such a waste on a non-value added label. Teams can always use descriptions to add funny names. Plus don't get me started on rolling up reports. If you want to do that, then they should be of the same naming convention.

By synchronizing activities such as release planning and milestone reviews across teams, organizations can maximize efficiency and minimize conflicts. This alignment fosters stability by promoting a shared understanding of priorities and dependencies, enabling teams to work collaboratively towards achieving overarching objectives. Furthermore, synchronization facilitates transparency and communication, providing stakeholders with a clear view of progress and allowing for timely adjustments as needed. Therefore, it's essential to strike a balance between synchronization and flexibility, allowing teams to adapt their plans and priorities while maintaining alignment with the broader organizational goals.

Define a cadence for planning, reviews, and retrospectives that allows for regular alignment and coordination across teams. Implement mechanisms for synchronization, such as cross-team ceremonies or shared backlogs, to ensure that teams are working towards common goals and timelines.

Sincroniza??o é a principal parte do trabalho de times em um modelo escalável, é necessário ter reuni?es constantes entre os agilistas, product owners e a equipe do produto para garantir que todos est?o alinhados, trabalhando de forma conjunta e perseguindo um mesmo objetivo de médio/longo prazo em comum.

Establecer cadencias de sincronización entre equipos en marcos escalados es crucial. Hemos observado que al tener múltiples equipos, que a lo largo del trabajo van surgiendo silos que deben abordarse desde el principio. Lo hemos abordado creando comunidades para que la información fluya en todas direcciones (horizontal, vertical, transversal). Implementamos sesiones diarias de sincronización (dailys de dailys), retrospectivas mensuales grupales y reuniones semanales de equipos por roles. Esta estructura fomenta interacciones continuas, aumentando la eficiencia y reduciendo los desperdicios y silos.

Collaboration encourages teams to work together seamlessly, leveraging each other's strengths and expertise to achieve common goals. By breaking down silos and promoting cross-functional collaboration, organizations can enhance stability by ensuring that teams are aligned and coordinated in their efforts. Moreover, collaboration fosters a sense of shared ownership and accountability, empowering teams to collectively navigate challenges and adapt to changing circumstances. Additionally, By encouraging experimentation, knowledge sharing, and feedback loops, organizations can cultivate a culture where individuals are empowered to take risks, learn from failures, and iterate on their approaches.

Encouraging cross-team collaboration, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement initiatives. Create opportunities for teams to learn from each other's experiences, share best practices, and collectively address challenges to enhance both agility and stability.

Totalmente de acuerdo. Para reducir los silos, también propongo incluir sesiones de conexión entre todos los miembros, establecer canales generales para compartir temas comunes como lecciones aprendidas y victorias conseguidas, y realizar "Lean Coffees" que fomenten la comunicación y colaboración entre todos los integrantes del equipo. Además, considero importante la creación de una métrica que nos permita medir el coeficiente de inteligencia colaborativa dentro del equipo. Esta métrica sería una herramienta invaluable para la mejora continua, permitiéndonos identificar áreas de oportunidad y evaluar el progreso en el fortalecimiento de la colaboración entre los miembros del equipo.

Estabelecer um cultura que tenhamos líderes facilitadores e possibilidade de aprendizado (errar e aprender) é fundamental para promover um cultura forte e coesa de evolu??o do modelo ágil em todas as esferas da companhia.

Promover uma cultura de colabora??o e aprendizado na equipe envolve encorajar a comunica??o aberta, trabalho conjunto e compartilhamento de conhecimento, enquanto estimula a aceita??o dos erros como oportunidades de aprendizado, oferece feedback regular e apoia o desenvolvimento profissional, reconhecendo as conquistas individuais e coletivas para promover um ambiente positivo e motivador.

balancing agility and stability when scaling Agile across multiple teams and projects with quality and governance requires a holistic approach that integrates these elements seamlessly into the organization's processes and culture. By embedding quality practices throughout the Agile lifecycle and adopting Agile governance principles that promote flexibility and empowerment, organizations can achieve the delicate balance between delivering value quickly and responsibly managing risks and compliance requirements. However, achieving this balance requires ongoing commitment from leadership, collaboration across teams, and a willingness to continuously adapt and improve in response to evolving challenges and opportunities.

- Governance without trust is pointless: Teams need the freedom to act within those guidelines. Overly-detailed processes signal you don't trust them to do the job. - 'Quality' isn't theoretical, it's baked in: Automate as much testing as possible. This frees up people to focus on the innovative stuff, not endless regression checks. - Innovation means some 'failures'. Balancing that with stability is about defining what acceptable risk looks like beforehand.

Establish governance structures and processes that provide oversight and ensure compliance with organizational standards and regulations without stifling agility. Implement quality assurance practices such as code reviews, automated testing, and continuous integration to maintain stability while enabling rapid iterations and deployments. Strike a balance between innovation and risk management by allowing teams to experiment and iterate while also ensuring that changes are carefully evaluated and tested before implementation.

El tema de la gobernanza es crucial para los equipos, pero en línea con nuestro enfoque colaborativo, no debe ser impuesta. La mejor manera de establecerla es a través de la co-creación con el equipo y el establecimiento de políticas y acuerdos comunes que promuevan una mejor gobernanza. Estas políticas deben ser accesibles y visibles para todos los miembros del equipo. Es fundamental establecer estas políticas desde el principio. Prácticas como la Definición de Terminado (DoD) y la Definición de Listo (DoR), entre otras, nos ayudarán a mejorar la eficacia de nuestro trabajo en equipo.

Getting everyone to point the same is a lost cause. The key is getting everyone to deliver what they promise in a sprint. Prioritize anything that is a dependency for others as high as possible for any sprints. Otherwise planning across teams really starts to fail fast.

- Over standardization crushes the very agility you're aiming for. Let teams own their process tweaks within the overarching framework. - Feedback loops are for course correction, not blame. If things go wrong, the question is "what can we change in the system?" not "who screwed up?" - Invest in ongoing training and development to equip teams with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate challenges and seize opportunities effectively.

?? Don't forget about anecdotes, case studies, or additional perspectives that enrich the conversation. They add depth and nuance, providing a more comprehensive understanding. Let's explore further and embrace the diversity of experiences! ???? #EnrichTheDialogue

Vejo cada vez mais as empresas querendo investir em ágil escalável, mas vejo também que o básico ainda n?o está sendo bem feito, times ainda trabalham de maneiras t?o distintas nas organiza??es que fica difícil falar em escalar algo que na base ainda n?o está uniforme, eu defendo que o "arroz e feij?o" esteja sendo feitos muito bem antes de investir tempo e dinheiro em escalar a agilidade dentro das organiza??es, apesar de estarmos a um bom tempo falando em agilidade, ainda tem um grande trabalho de base a ser feito nas empresas para estarem preparadas para falar em escalar.

While promoting alignment and synchronization, respect the autonomy of individual teams to make decisions and adapt Agile practices to their specific context. Empower teams to experiment and innovate within the framework's guidelines. Establish feedback loops at multiple levels (team, program, portfolio) to gather insights, identify areas for improvement, and iterate on scaling approaches. Encourage openness to feedback and willingness to adjust strategies based on lessons learned. Ensure strong leadership support and commitment to the agile transformation journey. Leaders play a crucial role in setting the tone, providing resources, removing impediments, and championing the balance between agility and stability across the organization.

Ab und zu ist es am besten sich auch mal eine Pause zu g?nnen. Feiert die Erfolge, lernt von den Fehlern! Jeder Fehler war ein Versuch etwas neues zu wagen. Redet miteinander, habt Spa? und denkt immer daran: Wir sind alles nur Menschen.