TIPS to start with Transformation Journey | Starting With Agile
Agile transformation is a journey that requires a lot of patience, mindset change both at leadership and ground level teams. The time frame to achieve Agile transformation depends on the maturity of the organization in terms of: its openness to experiment, mindset to empower its employees to take decisions that they are accountable for, readiness to invest in its People, tools and technology. This is not all that ensures Agile implementation, there are other factors that also comes into play: Environmental factors, levels of hierarchy etc. below is one tried and tested sample transformation roadmap, companies can use and build on to create a long term and short terms goals and objectives for their transformation journey.
Steps to start with Agile transformation journey:
- Setup an Agile Transformation team led by a seasoned and experienced Agile practitioner with experience of Agile transformation. Choose members of this team from different orgs /units who have some experience of Agile and can put forward the existing challenges of their org and can help implement practices back in their group to drive Agile transformation.
- Carry out the agile readiness assessment with help of external consultant or independent agency
- Create a transformation road-map- See one above which can be used/modify as per needs.
- Define short term and long terms goals for Agile transformation journey – take inputs from the outcome of the Agile readiness assessment to define short term and long terms goals.
- Define a mechanism to measure the progress of Agile transformation journey. May be start with simple Agile Maturity Assessment (can be in form of a questionnaire or a tool) Take leadership and management alignment on Agile transformation goals and help needed.
- It is critical to make business units part of your transformation journey. Make them an active member of the journey by inviting one representative from business unit to be part of Agile Transformation team.
FEW TIPS TO START WITH AGILE JOURNEY
- Start with small group for Agile execution and record results to create success stories that helps get buy-in from management
- Start with simple tools. Initially can experiment work with excels that help define what is needed and which tools can satisfy those needs. Too many tools and complex tools are distractions and speed breakers.
- Spread Agile awareness through training. Use external consultants and coaches initially. Develop on in-house knowledge and competency gradually in form of in-house Agile Coaching Academy (ACA).
- Train the business people and units along with solution providing groups or Information technology(IT) units to bring understanding of Agile at both sides. It is very important for Business side (Product owners) to know of their accountability and participation to implement Agile which will eventually bring benefits to them or customers.
- Concentrate on Team Metrics- these are very important and provides lot of insight for improvement.
- Define simple Org level metrics. Not all Agile Team level metrics can be scaled to org level.
Whatever you work with Project, Program or a Product, look at highest level of it. Plan budget, resources, releases to production and even doing documentation at the highest level. This will help synchronize the delivery of integrated workable solution created by multiple teams to customer at earliest and will also reduce overheads of administrative tasks- approvals, audits etc.
