Cross functional teams, not silos and handoffs
Configuration as code, not snowflake systems
Automation, not manual steps
Confidence, not uncertainty
Developers share responsibility for the health of systems with the operations team. By following these principles, working software can be delivered faster and with fewer problems
Organizational change is hard. In fact, any change is hard. Whether it is successful or not, people are more comfortable with what they know and asking them to do things differently can be difficult. When businesses adopt a program of change, they do not do it lightly or without purpose. That said, they often engage in a program of change without really understanding what they are changing or why. It is simple to believe that if what we are doing now is failing, doing something different will be better.
Today, many enterprises are looking to agile software development as a solution to slow releases and stagnating technology. The belief is that agility will produce more software faster at lower cost. While fully embracing a culture of agile innovation can achieve that result, the journey is long and difficult. Often, organizations take on too much too fast and lose sight of the business goals or problems they are trying to solve. These change programs are overwhelming and can lead to worsening problems and a retreat to the practices that, while know to fail, are comfortable and familiar.
A more pragmatic approach to transforming a business is to examine why change is desired and address the biggest problem first. Focus on solving for one major business goal before moving on to the next. This way, the business can consciously change to the appropriate level of agility and innovation for its culture and market. Continuously evaluating the effectiveness of changes relative to business goals will give leadership the tools to decide how much to move forward or when to change course. The cultural changes will have tangible value, giving the execution team something to rally around and feel proud about.
Change is hard, but with a focused plan it can be manageable and successful. Change takes time, but measurable progress builds confidence and makes it easier. Change can be frustrating, but understanding why it is happening will energize the team. In the end, successful change is fun and rewarding for everyone involved.
Dear Agileists,
We have an opportunity to get it right this time. The next round of enterprise agile transformations is under way. In past transformations we expected a lot and were disappointed when things did not change fast enough. The constant pressure and criticism put a sour taste in the mouths of the people we were trying to help.
After some time away and more overdue waterfall projects they are trying again. This time can be different.
The Agile Manifesto values “Individuals and interactions over process and tools”. This usually gets applied to breaking down heavyweight waterfall processes and replacing them with Scrum or XP or Lean. We get upset when they want to include some upfront planning or governance or post-release testing. A hybrid process can meet the needs of the organization while still delivering valuable software quickly.
This time let’s iterate to success. Let’s keep the things that work and stop the ones that don’t. Let’s focus on the result and not on the process. And let’s cut the enterprise some slack. This is a big change that they’re trying to make and we are here to help.
=Kevin
Kevin Hickey's Blog 