rising to the agility challenge
TRANSCRIPT
Rising to the Agility ChallengeAgile on the Beach 2016
Dragan Jojic
part of BeLiminal network
[email protected]@BeLiminal.com@DrJojic
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“Build your organization into an engine of possibility“
Dave Gray, “Experimentation Is The New Planning” (FastCompany.com, 2012)
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Where did this talk come from?
• My article published in InfoQ in February 2016
• That often referenced Swedish streaming service
• Following a link from a tweet to a blog to a book
• A chance meeting with a popular public speaker at an event many years ago
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Balancing alignment with autonomy
Spotify:“Loosely coupled, tightly aligned”
Autonomy(what to do & how)
Alignment(what to achieve &
why)
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Aligned Autonomy
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The Agility ChallengeEverybody in the ‘agile enterprise’:• Knows what they need to achieve and
why• Can decide by themselves how best to do
it• Genuinely cares that it gets done
Source: htpps://www.infoq.com/articles/agility-challenge (InfoQ, February 2016)
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Organisational debt*
Customer needs & market realities
Organisation’s strategy & its
delivery capability
* Source: steveblank.com/2015/05/19/organizational-debt-is-like-technical-debt-but-worse/
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What else holds us back?
“...structural inertia, with layers and layers of management, and cultural inertia, which is the
‘this is how things are done here’ attitude”
Prof. Costas Andriopoulos, Cass Business School
Source: “Wake up call to big business as tech-savvy newbies set the pace” (The Times, 8 September 2015)
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If the rate of change on the outsideexceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near
Jack Welch
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Three gaps that cause ‘friction’
Knowledge gap
Effects gap
Alignment gap
Actions
Outcom
es
Plans
Source: Stephen Bungay, “The Art of Action” (2010)
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Actions
Usual approach: more detail & control
Outcom
esKnowledge
gapmore detailed
info
Effects gap
more detailed controls
Alignment gapmore detailed instructions
Plans
Source: Stephen Bungay, “The Art of Action” (2010)
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Actions
‘Directed opportunism’
Outcom
esKnowledge
gaplimit direction to defining intent
Effects gap
give freedom to adjust
actions in line with intent
Alignment gapcommunicate intent & allow ‘each level’
to define how they will achieve it
Plans
Source: Stephen Bungay, “The Art of Action” (2010)
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Wise words of a public speaker
Three Cs of success in life• Commitment• Confidence• Communication
Tony Ball MBE
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The Agility Challenge & 3 Cs of successEverybody in the ‘agile enterprise’:• Knows what they need to
achieve and why• Can decide by themselves how
best to do it
• Genuinely cares that it gets done
Communication
Confidence
Commitment
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The Agility Challenge & 4 Cs of successEverybody in the ‘agile enterprise’:• Understands external
environment, and organisation’s delivery capability
• Knows what they need to achieve and why
• Can decide by themselves how best to do it
• Genuinely cares that it gets done
Curiosity
Communication
Confidence
Commitment
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Actions
Three gaps of friction & 4 Cs of success
Outcom
es CuriosityConfidence
Commitment
Communication
Plans
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“Agile makes organisations work; Leadership makes Agile work”
Michael Short & Guy McDonnell
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But what kind of leadership?
Leadership at all levels in the organisation
In a truly agile enterprise, everybody has the right and responsibility to lead
“Leadership is about taking initiative and influencing those around you”
John Kotter
“…being a leader from the position you are in”David Marquet
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4 Cs of success = 4 Cs of leadershipEverybody in the ‘agile enterprise’:• Understands external
environment, and own delivery capability
• Knows what they need to achieve and why
• Can decide by themselves how best to do it
• Genuinely cares that it gets done
Curiosity
Communication
Confidence
Commitment
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Actions
Outcom
es
Plans
Curiosity“In an agile organization the mantra should be ‘Do Less’”
Jim Highsmith
• Look, listen and learn• Develop strategic options,
run experiments & measure impact
• Keep everything visible• Convert ‘push’ to ‘pull’: what
is possible with the means we have at our disposal?
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Communication
Actions
Outcom
es
Plans
“Knowing why we’re doing something is the key to making good decisions”
Gojko Adzic
• Communicate the ‘ends’• Leave the ‘means’ to those closest to the
customer • Identify useful metrics that show we are/aren’t
successful
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Actions
Outcom
es
Plans
Confidence“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission”
Grace Murray Hopper
• Articulate norms / delineate authority
• Keep each other honest• Take initiative (OODA loop):
– Observe: look for risks & opportunities
– Orientate: check alignment, communicate intent, gather input
– Decide (hypothesis) & Act (test)• Seek and provide input • Ask for and offer helpSources: John Boyd’s OODA loop; David Marquet, “Turn the Ship Around”; Chris Collison & Geoff Parcell,
“Learning to Fly”
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“When you’re surrounded
by people who share a passionate purpose, anything is possible”
Howard Schultz
Commitment
• Tell stories (SUCCESs*)
• Agree, model and evolve desired behaviours
• Recognise contribution
• Show respect
* Source: Chip Heath & Dan Heath, “Made to Stick” (2008)
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Think big, start small, move fast
Thank you!
