agile reorgs: a survival guide

Agile Reorgs: A Survival Guide

KATY SAULPAUGH, PRACTICE LEAD

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 THE DILEMMA AROUND REORGS2 HOW TO PERCEIVE LOSS AND CHANGE3 SURVIVAL TIP 1: PREPARATION4 SURVIVAL TIP 2: EMPOWERMENT5 SURVIVAL TIP 3: RESILIENCE

THE DILEMMATO REORG OR NOT TO REORG

We tend to meet any new situation by reorganization, and a wonderful method it is for creating the illusion of progress at the mere cost of confusion, inefficiency and demoralization.

- Charlton Ogburn

WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE REORGS?

illusion of progressdemoralization

IF YOU DON’T REORG

People will revert to old habits

Your structure will often be top heavy

Your teams will not be cross-functional

People will lose interest and trust

You won’t be agile

IF YOU REORG BADLY

Agile is the “bad guy”

People will be demoralized and turnover will increase

You will spend more time and money correcting mistakes

You won’t be agile

CAN YOU REALLY BE AGILE WITH…

THE SAME ROLES

THE SAME STRATEGY THE SAME REWARDS

THE SAME PROCESSES THE SAME TEAM SIZE

THE SAME STRUCTURE

REORG RULES1.Move to a new table or row2.You may not sit next to

someone you know3.Introduce yourself to your

new neighbors

PERCEPTIONS OF CHANGEHELPING OTHERS DEAL WITH LOSS

1. DENIAL 2. ANGER 3. BARGAINING 4. DEPRESSION 5. ACCEPTANCE

AMBIGUOUS LOSS AND CHANGE

“There is no such thing as closure – we have to live with loss, clear or ambiguous, and it’s okay.”

– Pauline Boss

Translation: people don’t have to “get over” the change, because change will never be “over.”

But they don’t have to fixate on it either.

SURVIVAL TIPS

PATIENCE PREPARATION EMPOWERMENT

RESILIENCE CONCLUSION

01

02

03

Use strong communications

techniques to help people have

the right expectations

going into a reorg

Build “gritty” organizations that

are able to weather future

reorgs and other bumps in the

road

Find ways to involve people

that are not just lip service and

that have a positive impact

on the reorg effort

SURVIVAL TIP 1PREPARING WITH THE RIGHT EXPECTATIONS

BUSINESS VALUE OF AGILE

WE NEED TO REORG TO…RELEASE PRODUCTS MORE OFTENMAKE COLLABORATION WITH CUSTOMERS EASIERBECOME MORE EFFICIENT IN OUR PROCESSESEMPOWER TEAMS TO MAKE MORE DECISIONS

Find out how people process information in

your organization

Saying you don’t know is OK and is much better

than saying nothing

Figure out the best way to push

and pull information

Don’t make the agile coach

always deliver the message

The scarier the change, the

more frequent the

communications

SURVIVAL TIP 2FINDING A SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT

EMPOWERING TEAMS

Conduct a large group design charrette to workshop out how a new agile functional model might work

Create other opportunities to give feedback in a focus group or informal format

Craft a path for resolving disputes

Lessons:

Involve people in initial discussions to promote understanding

Allow people to bring new insights to leadership

Bring emergent problems to the team

SURVIVAL TIP 3BUILDING RESILIENCE TO CHANGE

THE FUTURE NEED FOR AGILE REORGS

• 2/3 of IT organizations are either fully agile or or leaning toward agile

• Scaling agile is increasing: 57% of organizations use Agile for program management; 51% use Agile for portfolio management

• Agile approaches are being used for teams outside of IT such as marketing and HR

HOW OFTEN AGILE PROJECT MANAGEMENT IS USED(PMI PULSE OF THE PROFESSION, 2016)

Always9%

Often28%

Sometimes31%

Rarely17%

Never15%

BUILDING TEAM RESILIENCE

INTERVEN-TIONS

SET AN EXAMPLE

CREATE MEANING

TELL THE STORY

Allot time for teams to reflect and create shared meaning and norms with each major change

Most organizations

need to iterate on their

organization structures –

what have they learned?

Leaders should not give up or “take a fall” after one difficult change in their organizations

SURVIVAL TIPS

PATIENCE PREPARATION EMPOWERMENT

RESILIENCE CONCLUSION

01

02

03

Use strong communications

techniques to help people have

the right expectations

going into a reorg

Build “gritty” organizations that

are able to weather future

reorgs and other bumps in the

road

Find ways to involve people

that are not just lip service and

that have a positive impact

on the reorg effort

IT’S TIME FOR QUESTIONS!

Q A&

THANKS FOR LISTENING

Q & A SESSION

CONTACT

@KATYSOUTHPAW

LINKEDIN.COM/IN/KATYSAULPAUGH

WWW.ENTERPRISE-KNOWLEDGE.COM

KSAULPAUGH@ENTERPRISE-KNOWLEDGE.COM