Transformations Turn Worlds Upside Down - How to Embrace the Roll

Jennifer's Discovery after Leveraging Her Coaching Sessions

Jennifer found me 9 months into a 12-month massive reorg, where the 100,000+ global headcount organizational; threw all their chips into an Agile Transformation.

She went from being in the middle of layers of leadership to a flattened hierarchy and processes from 2-year timelines to 6 weeks. The evolving landscape of agile organizations, leadership and team dynamics can significantly influence the success of agile transformations. Jennifer, a newly appointed chapter leader in an agile organization, faced this reality head-on. Her journey offers valuable insights into overcoming leadership challenges and fostering a high-performing team.

The Challenge: Working in the Shadow of a Senior Team Member

Jennifer stepped into her role with enthusiasm and a clear vision for implementing agile methodologies. However, she soon found herself overshadowed by Mark, a technical team member whose impressive credentials included a PhD, multiple patents, and extensive experience. Mark’s reluctance to embrace the new agile processes and his inclination to revert to traditional methods created confusion and hindered the team’s progress.

Mark’s extensive experience and influence made it difficult for Jennifer to establish her authority and gain the team’s trust. Team members often deferred to Mark, complicating Jennifer’s efforts to implement agile practices effectively.

Leveraging Coaching to Discover The Turning Point: Dialogue and Strategic Reassignment

In the confines of a private coaching call, Jennifer felt safe and trusted our collaboration. "Let's talk about what Ideal looks like to you?" I encouraged her.

Recognizing the challenges, Jennifer engaged in an open and honest dialogue with her boss, Matt. She expressed her concerns about the team's reliance on Mark and the resulting difficulties in fostering an agile mindset.

Understanding the situation, Matt decided to move Mark into a more senior role, allowing him to leverage his expertise without disrupting the agile transformation. This strategic move was intended to remove obstacles and enable the team to fully commit to the agile process.

Embracing Agile: New Challenges and Opportunities

With Mark transitioning to his new role, the team began to embrace the agile methodology. This shift opened up new avenues for identifying roadblocks and opportunities for improvement. Jennifer’s leadership became crucial in navigating this phase of the transformation.

Strategies for Overcoming the Shadow of a Senior Team Member

Jennifer applied several strategies to assert her leadership and enhance team performance:

1. Leverage Your Strengths: Jennifer's envisioned a path forward that included Mark in a role better suited to his aspirations. By reaching out to her boss, Matt for an open dialogue, to talk agile paths forward, they reached a collaborative decision. Props to Matt for taking initiative to put the plan into gear quickly!
2. Communicate Effectively: She confidently shared her ideas and successes/bottlenecks in team meetings, highlighting the positive impact of the agile processes she was implementing.
3. Seek Feedback: Part of being Agile is reaching out to people and seeking feedback. Jennifer kept the agenda open and supportive, and discovered everyone's intention was to help self-team-organization and when aligned, goals and process fall into place more easily.
4. Build Relationships: Jennifer invested time in building strong relationships with team members, even as she experienced self-doubt along the way. By understanding their concerns and aspirations, she fostered a supportive and cohesive team environment.
5. Take Initiative: Instead of waiting for things to magically happen, Jennifer reached out to people she thought would be capable of making impact faster. With a shared vision, and keeping proactive, she created impact fast and discovered that others had the same perception as she did.
6. Collaborate and Learn: Rather than viewing Mark as a competitor, Jennifer saw him as a valuable resource. She collaborated with him, learning from his experience while establishing her own role and credibility.
7. Communicate Your Goals: Jennifer openly discussed her team aspirations with Matt, ensuring he was aware of her ideals and could support her growth within the organization.
8. Be Patient and Persistent: Jennifer understands that building her reputation and gaining the team’s trust will take time. Leading a change of this size equates to planting seeds, nurturing them often through conversation and contributions, while sharing inspiration for forward movement.

Conclusion

Jennifer’s journey highlights the importance of strategic leadership and effective communication in overcoming challenges and fostering a high-performing agile team. By leveraging her strengths, building relationships, and staying committed to the agile transformation, Jennifer successfully navigated the complexities of her role and contributed to the team’s success. Her story serves as an inspiring example for leaders facing similar challenges in their organizations.

Coaching can be leveraged across organizations, roles, responsibilities. Jennifer leveraged this solution in her 2nd of 12 sessions. While the situation described above is real, the names have been changed.