- Let me tell you about a lesson I learned the hard way while leading a team to agile success.I was hired as a team lead at a big company with a mission to create an agile team from a group of twelve skilled people.
- It wasn’t easy, as 80% of the group were consultants, but we eventually transformed into a self-organized agile team with 80% company employees, including some offshored team members.
- However, I made a major mistake that almost cost us everything. I pushed too hard for self-organization and didn’t communicate the investment needed to my boss and the CIO.
- This led to lot of dissatisfaction, and it was fatal for me. So, what could I have done better? I would have implemented the six steps to agility discussed below and communicated our progress to keep the company engaged. Here are some of my key takeaways:
- Decide if Agile is Right for Your Organization: Be convinced that agile is the right thing for your company, and seek support from an agile mentor to build your knowledge and confidence.
- Get Leaders’ Buy-in with Data: Use facts and figures to convince Leadership to embrace agile as an investment in sustainable human capital.
- Trust : Work with your team so they trust you and not feel that they are being policed.
- Empower Your Team into Self-Organization by Example: Lead by example and take small steps over time, pulling from the team instead of pushing your practices.
- Focus on Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement and make it a habit to reflect on what worked and what didn’t.
- Spread the Word: Communicate your progress by being transparent and share success stories to keep the company engaged and excited about the agile transformation.
Value stream Mapping
November 15, 2023
