Shadow of the Colossal Transformation

The concept of New Ways of Working dates back to the 1970s and initially had nothing to do with software or agile for that matter. At the core of the original New ways of working concept, there was a need for cultural changes to improve the well-being and effectiveness of employees. Even though transformation is based on fairly broad concepts, each organisation has its own specific challenges (or shadows), so there isn't a cookie-cutter for transformation. There are numerous articles and case studies about the challenges of transformation. This article is different, there are no bullet points or predefined checklists to transform your organisation, that would be extremely naive of me. I am going to attempt to reflect on some of my past experiences, with the help of arguably the best video game ever made.

Shadow of the Colossus has received many awards and a fair bit of praise by both the gaming community and artists alike. It is an extremely engaging action-puzzle game which provides an extraordinary cinematic experience and unique game-play. The story follows Wander who needs to defeat 16 Colossi in order to resurrect his partner, Mono. All he has to help him along his journey is an objective, his instincts, and a horse named Agro. Wander has 16 deceptively simple tasks to complete in order to achieve his goal. He receives some vague clue prior to each mission but nothing really prepares him for each challenge. Finding the correct path to each Colossi was part of the many puzzles that Wander needed to overcome. To progress effectively he relied on pure intuition and environmental signals for guidance. In order to be successful, Wander needed to commit himself to each challenge, one Colossus at a time. Once he had found a Colossus, he would then need to figure out a strategy to take it down. This usually required some thought and a specific adaptive strategy for each Colossus.

At this moment in time, there are many organisations with transformation backlogs. The bulk of the items in these backlogs are usually quite large undertakings, colossal tasks if you wish. I have seen organisations attempt to tackle multiple transformation tasks at once. Although these initiatives were sometimes effective they were never sustainable or permanent. I believe that Wander's approach to defeat the Colossi was more prudent as he tirelessly focused on one milestone at a time. 

Valus

Valus is the first Colossus that Wander encounters. When Wander first encounters Valus he looks quite minuscule in comparison to the Colossus as one would expect. The image of Valus does not do him justice. Right off the bat, you are clueless and have no idea what you need to do next. The objective is simple, take down the Colossus! If you stop running around like a headless chicken (like I initially did), you get the opportunity to notice a wound or weak-point on Valus' leg. You then need to discreetly make your way to Valus to get closer to the weak-point and at this stage, you figure out that this it is only natural for you to use your sword. Prior to doing this, instinct tells you that there will be an aggressive response. Your situation is going to get worse and you somehow need to be prepared for any reaction. Valus reacts appropriately when you first attack him as he is in extreme pain. You have two options at this point, you can run far away which won't get you anywhere (you will then need to start from scratch if you choose this option), or you can remain calm amidst the chaos and look out for another cue to proceed. Wander strategically hangs on for life and begins to use each opportunity that he is afforded in order to eventually take down Valus. Tackling your first transformation objective will seem like tackling Valus. 

In some instances, I have seen many organisations apply 'agile' transformational initiatives counter-intuitively, where cultural agile anti-patterns were being followed in the false pursuit of agile euphoria. An extreme example of these anti-patterns would be when there is a conscious effort to limit the information that flows outside of the transformation working group. All employees are implicitly part of a transformation working group. People want to feel informed and empowered but this can only be achieved by 100% transparency and focused commitment for each transformation task. There are many people that would say that it is too risky to be candid with employees, especially if you are transforming due to negative circumstances, but it is still absolutely essential for the well-being of staff and the organisation as a whole. Think of it this way, if you have 500 employees then you have a potential of 500 Wanders that are ready and able to tackle whatever challenges you face as an organisation. There will be uncertainty and there will definitely be confusion, but you are aiming to achieve a sense of belonging and trust so that you are a unified team that aspires to achieve the same goals.

As Wander progressed by defeating more Colossi, one would assume that similar techniques and strategies would work on their counterparts but this is not the case. Wander had to quickly adapt in various situations and effectively use what he learned from experimentation in order to succeed. There are often signals or cues that can help validate whether transformation initiatives are either working or not.

Basaran

This was the 9th and possibly the toughest Colossus. Basaran resides inside a cave within a geyser field. So essentially it was the toughest Colossus in one of the toughest climates. At first glance, it seemed like the environment was working against you, as it was easy to fall off your horse and visibility was absolutely poor. However, Wander realised that the tough climate could work in his favour in a seemingly impossible situation. I have often seen at least one or two transformation topics that predictably get shuffled around, or deprioritised because it is "too complex and sensitive to tackle right now". These discussions usually raise red flags, as it is typically these elusive transformation topics that are the ones that should be at the top of the list. Even when the climate for change seemed like it was working against us, it usually helped to take a step back and look at the problem differently. There was always a new perspective or approach that helped us achieve our goals. When initiatives were deprioritised because they were too complex or volatile, it pushed us further back in our endeavour to evolve as a team.

Phalanx

Phalanx is the 13th Colossus and it will take your breath away. You will be in awe when you first see this majestic creature and it will inspire you to complete your journey to the end. This was not a simple task for Wander but it provided a thrilling experience and at this point, even though this was a unique challenge he was somewhat prepared and inspired. Transformation can definitely be fun at times and it is imperative to have positive initiatives in your sights. Motivated teams are definitely more engaged and it is sometimes easy to lose focus on previous achievements. Celebrating big transformation successes help create a foundation for future experimentation and problem resolution.

The Endgame

When you accomplish defeating the 16th Colossus, there is a preconceived expectation that the game will end with a climatic finish. This is not the case. Wander finds himself reaching his objective to resurrect Mono but this had come at a cost, and it is evident that the journey had changed him. It is quite a powerful ending but very inconclusive at the same time. Similar to transformation initiatives, you may expect a predictable end state but this is not practical. Change will happen gradually but your goals and objectives should be assessed along the way to make sure that you are achieving what you set out to achieve as a team. Transformation has no end. Even if you achieve your goals and all of the objectives that you set out to achieve, there will be a need for constant nurturing and positive influence to ensure that healthy transformation characteristics are long-lived. If you empower staff to become "Wanders" then everyone will be a leader in their own right. This will certainly help when your organisation faces seemingly impossible challenges that cast shadows on your team's culture and ways of working.

Some organisations could have 5 shadows and others may have a hundred shadows. These shadows usually get larger and more complicated to tackle if they are not addressed. The core formula that never failed me was to surround myself with transparent and committed leader's who would establish realistic goals and objectives. These leaders genuinely sought to improve the well-being of employees, customers, and the organisation as a whole. Most importantly, a safe environment was needed to take a stab at the shadows no matter how volatile the situation was.