Strategies For A Successful Agile Evolution

?Agile transformations are wide ranging in their impact and scale. They touch nearly every part of the organization; strategy, people, structure, and technology. Therefore, they are one of the most difficult transformations your organization will ever undertake, and also one of the most valuable.? They should be considered never-ending and constantly evolving.? I like to think of them and refer to them more as Agile Evolutions that keep going.

A good Agile Evolution is well planned and communicated and cannot be done alone. It is vitally important that you build the right tribe to drive the evolution.? In my case I was lucky to have an amazing team of Agile Coaches to collaborate with and lend support along the way.? They were key in defining and driving our implementation strategy.

Below are some strategies to consider for any proper Agile Evolution.

As always, I hope you find the guidance and insight helpful.? Keep in mind that what you do should be tailored to? your specific needs and situation.?

Strategy 1

Define the vision and purpose.?

Why are you undertaking the Evolution in the first place?? Clearly articulating what it is about and what benefits you are looking to achieve.? This aligns everyone from the onset.? I recommend to have a quick soundbite or elevator pitch for the vision statement to set the destination.

Vision Example:? To transform the organization into the best and highest performing Agile organization in the industry.

It is short, easy to understand and aspirational. It is meant to inspire people who read it to be part of building something great.

Consider also having a longer goal statement which has more details in it.

Goal Example:? To transform the organization so that it embodies the 4 core values and the 12 principles of the Agile manifesto.? Making collaboration the cornerstone of the organization and providing faster and more relevant business solutions that reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Keep in mind that these are just examples.? Make it your own.? The important thing is that you explain what it is all about and what you are trying to accomplish.

Finally, I would recommend taking a snapshot of the Agile Values and Principles.? Post them so that everyone knows what they are and can learn about them.? Talk about them often.? A cornerstone of any Agile Evolution is cultivating the right mindset and collaborative culture.

Strategy 2

Explain the Benefits

To get buy-in from the leadership team and from the organization you must be able to explain clearly the value you will achieve from the evolution.? That means being specific.? Be clear.? What benefits will you achieve?? Ideally you should have a way to benchmark the current state of the organization so you can compare before and after. This is a fantastic way of showing the benefits of the evolution.? If you do not have a benchmark, observe and document the current state, ask around. Work with DevOps and ENG for example to understand you CICD cycle and rate. Making the evolution as data driven as possible will bring structure and clarity. Consider sending a survey asking some key questions before you start your evolution.?

Below are some examples of the benefits an Agile Evolution will provide and some areas where you might need to get clarity on the current state of things. Make sure to prioritize so you are addressing the most important opportunities first.

• Shorter time to market.
• Adaptability to changes in market conditions.
• Higher customer satisfaction.
• Reduction of waste.
• Higher quality products.
• Cross organizational collaboration.
• Continuous improvements.
• Happier and less stressed-out teams (do not underestimate the importance of this).

This is a great place to talk about how the Agile Values map to specific goals.? I like to use the following simple chart to map values to activities.

Strategy 3

Define the Right Team Structure.

Teams should be cross-functional and end-to-end.? That means they should not require help from outside to complete their work.? A standard Agile team should consist of 5 – 8 people for optimal efficiency.?

Below is a sample Agile team structure:

Putting a team structure in place could have a significant impact on the organization.? For example, will you be a matrixed organization (teams report to multiple leaders) or will everyone in the Agile team report to the same Engineering Manager regardless of discipline (as in the example above)?

This needs to be thought through clearly with leadership.? Only the leadership team can make this decision, but it is your role as the Agile Champion to present them with options and guide them through the right decision for your company.

If an organizational change is required then understand the impact, identify who can make the change, and put a plan together to implement it.

Strategy 4

Create a Training and Team Adoption Plan

Do not go full speed ahead without taking the time to consider that people and teams will need training and support.? Folks will be anxious about change, so you need to be responsive to that and help the teams manage it in a responsible way.? Training the organization can come in several forms.

• Workshops:? We had two-day workshops with every team at the beginning of our evolution.? It strengthens the team dynamic, builds teamwork and provides clear guidance and training.
• Training Sessions:? Consider creating a class or two on Agile Mindset, Scrum, Kanban, story estimation etc.? Whatever the team needs.? Hold several sessions and record them so folks can see them later.
• Establish a culture of continuous improvement:? Retrospectives, Communities of Practice, Demos, individual Coaching and Mentoring sessions formal team trainings and workshops, all work well here.

Pro-Tip: Remember the Deming cycle:

Plan, Do, Check, Act.? You want this to be consistent and as fast as possible.? It is designed to address uncertainty and to engage the team in a cycle of continuous improvement.

Strategy 5

Build Your Team

For an Agile Evolution to be successful you need to have the support of your leadership team.? That means they must believe in the vision, goals, and benefits.? Once you have defined those and a basic plan (as above), present them to the team and ask them to be a part of the evolution.? Be explicit. Who do you need and for what purpose.? Who is the sponsor?? Who is giving support? What is expected of them?? How often will you report back to them on your progress?? At a minimum I would recommend the following roles:

• Agile Executive Sponsor – This person sponsors the transformation and gives weight to it. They are not involved in the implementation of the transformation.? Someone like the CEO for example
• Agile Champion – This is the person driving the transformation forward, they are the link with executive leadership.? They need to be expert organizers and enthusiastic about Agile.? Influence management is incredibly important because much of their time will be spent communicating and aligning with teams across the organization.? The ultimate responsibility lies with them.
• Agile Coaches – The Agile Champion cannot be everywhere, especially in large organizations.? Having a team of dedicated Agile coaches is key. They are the backbone of any good Evolution. They are the doers. Where the Agile Champion needs to be more strategic, the Agile Coaches are tactical, implementing the evolution to their teams.

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Strategy 6

Manage Communication

Any successful evolution depends on communicating….then communicating again….then again….and again….you get the idea.? Have a communication plan in place and be diligent about it.? Consider the following for example:

• If the organization has a regular all-hands, put the Agile Evolution on it as an agenda item.
• Centralize communication through a dedicated channel.
• Send regular surveys and create feedback loops.
• Set up a regular cadence for communication.
• Chose the channels that are the most effective.
• Create a presentation you can quickly update for more formal meetings.

I hope these strategies help to provide some guidance and structure to an incredibly complicated and nuanced initiative.? You will find that Agile Evolutions are not straight forward and need a steady hand.? Be flexible and be prepared to adapt, like any good Agilest.? You will likely need additional strategies to make the evolution a success.? Consider taking a servant leadership approach to the evolution, it will go a long way to making it successful.? Finally, be prepared for pockets of resistance and keep an open mind when you get push back.?

The benefits that come out of and Evolution can be astronomical if done correctly.? In the past I have seen speed, transparency, quality, and team engagement all increase due to a well planned and executed Agile Evolution.?

To infinity and beyond!