Implementing Agile and Scrum in software development organization means a big change. In her book “The Great ScrumMaster“, the Agile coach Zuzana Šochová recommends an eight steps journey for a successful transformation to the Scrum approach.
The second important concept about change management describes a process for implementing successful change in eight steps. It addresses those change phases. First, you set the stage. Next, you decide what to do and make it happen. And finally, you make it stick.
Create a Sense of Urgency
The very first step before you implement any change is to create a sense of urgency. Make the change necessary, because until you feel pain in your current processes, there is no need for improvement. And it doesn’t matter if the desired change is huge, like an Agile transformation, or small, like using Git instead of CVS. Without good motivation and a good reason there will be no change. Be honest and transparent in presenting both the opportunities and the threats; otherwise you might lose the trust of others.
Guiding Team
As one individual, it’s hard to change anyone. You should focus on early adopters and encourage them to become part of your team. You need people who are passionate, good communicators, and
leaders. Make the group diverse. It shouldn’t follow any organizational structures if it is to access a broader audience. In general, if there are three of you, you already have the ability to create a snowball effect by attracting others.Creating a change vision and strategy is another important part of your change process. There are thousands of great ideas about what can be done. However, you should present the change clearly and simply so people understand it. Be sure all your change team members can explain it in less than five minutes.
Think about the real goal you would like to achieve—which is unlikely to be Agile (which is a strategy for achieving a goal). Your goal is more likely to be more flexibility, increased quality, and improved customer satisfaction.
Understanding and Buy-in
And now comes the hard part. Regardless of how great your vision is or how much you believe in it, you have to sell it to others. And others have various fears; their contexts are different, and the way change impacts them will also be different. So all you need here are good listening skills, an understanding of their context, and the ability to fill them with enthusiasm. You will also need patience, because it takes some people longer to buy into a new idea. Also, don’t be frustrated by repeating your vision over and over again. It takes time for each piece of information about a change to sink in.
Empower Others to Act
This part of change management is usually quite close to what ScrumMasters do. To empower others to act, you need to remove impediments so that you can make it easier for them to change. The
ability to build self-organized teams is extremely helpful here. It’s not only about removing what is blocking others but about acknowledgment and recognition of people who have taken some
steps toward change.Short-Term Wins
Demonstrate success frequently. It’s great to have a long-term vision and a challenging goal. However, you need milestones to celebrate along the way. Make them simple so you can celebrate success early enough to increase overall positivity. “It’s challenging and sometimes even exhausting, but we are going to make it.”
You will need to reflect upon and adapt your strategy because no change can be planned in detail up front. So “dance in the moment.” Be transparent about the failures. If you try to hide the
failures, you will only risk making them grow into gossip, which can possibly destroy your change effort.Don’t Let Up
Some changes fail just because they are declared as done too early, when people are still somewhere on the way to the desired state. And as their new positions haven’t stuck yet, they usually—sooner or later—revert to their old habits. Such an early victory seems to be good motivation, but in the long term it usually destroys the whole change. “From now, we are
already Agile.” The team usually reacts with irony, saying, “We are already Agile now, so we don’t need to change anymore.” So does it mean that after a certain stage we don’t need to
change and try hard anymore? Not quite. Perfection is not a state, it’s a journey. So you will never be finished. Changes never stop. The goal can be extended and adapted, but there is never an end.Create a New Culture
Finally, the last step is to make it stick. Make the new way of working an integral part of your culture. That’s the way we are. And there is no discussion about it.
As people slowly accept new ways of working, you might hear something they would never have said before as if it’s the most natural thing:“We are not going to follow any detailed plan; we want to be invited to create it and change it based on feedback.*
“We are not here just to write code; we need real customer feedback to understand customers and make them happy.”
Reference: The Great ScrumMaster – #ScrumMasterWay, Zuzana Šochová, Addison-Wesley Signature Series
Website: http://greatscrummaster.com/
We have also to remember that an Agile transformation is an ongoing process. It is essential to remain flexible and open to change, following the core principles of continuous improvement, adaptability, and responsiveness to change. This transformation never truly “finishes” and Agile transformation is a journey rather than a destination.
The aim is to create a culture and mindset that embraces change, fosters collaboration, and continuously seeks ways to improve. It is a dynamic process that evolves with the team and the organization.
Additional resources on Scrum and Agile transformation
The Six-Step Journey to Agile Transformation
While the agile methodology is a fast-track medium for software development, the efforts don’t always pan out. The journey to agile transformation is complex and must follow a step-by-step transition. What is the ideal way of doing it?
For an Agile Transformation, Choose the Right People
Agile methodology, created to fast-track software development, is now being used throughout organizations by teams that want to execute projects quickly. But those efforts often don’t pan out. Research reveals that many large agile initiatives not only miss their goals but also cause organizational disruption—including staff burnout, the loss of key talent, and infighting among teams. What’s going wrong? With the help of organizational network analysis—a methodology for mapping how people collaborate—the authors have identified where unforeseen barriers undermine agile initiatives.
The main problem they found: Traditional practices for executing agile projects are ineffective. Companies err by staffing agile teams only with stars, isolating them from the main business, and dedicating members 100% to teams. This article offers alternative approaches: tapping “hidden stars,” who will be less overloaded, for agile initiatives, and then identifying and reaching out to highly connected potential resources who can bring in expertise as needed.
Unlocking Agility’s True Potential: How Continuous Improvement Drives Project Success
This article will explore the concept of continuous improvement in agile methodologies and how it can help teams achieve better results.