Michael Spayd - Agile Assessment Prior To Scaling

Premise

We all want to scale the benefits of Agile up from the team level to the wider organization. Our leaders pine for the holy grail of “enterprise agility.” Before beginning such a monumental endeavor, it is wise to take stock of the territory. Scaling a process may now be doable, but how do you scale leadership? Or culture? Leveraging learning from the field of Organization Development (OD), as well as Integral Theory, this session will walk you through the “how tos” of conducting a focused and comprehensive organization assessment. Using the Integral Agile Transformation Framework ™ from my book, Coaching the Agile Enterprise, we will cover topics ranging from why the concept of systems entry is critical to success, how different assessment modalities can be used effectively, what formal and informal methods exist, the importance of examining a full-range of topic areas, and the key qualities of the feedback meeting in engaging stakeholders and understanding the data.

Learning Outcomes: Understand the benefits of conducting an organization assessment prior to starting an Agile change initiativeUnderstand the pros and cons of using different modalities used (e.g., interviews, surveys, large group processes, systemic methods, etc.) Be exposed to a variety of formal assessment methods, from leadership to culture to team health and rolesStart using a template to think through an organization assessment

Summary

Content rating (0-no new ideas, 5 - a new ideas/approach, 9-new ideas): 5

Style rating (0-average presentstion, 5 - my level, 9-I learned something about presenting): 5

Action / Learning

book - find out about organizational development -

Frederic Laloux - reinventing organization (but don't get your organization to teal)

find Braddeles dajo - analysis of agile manifesto

Presentation

well_begun_is_half_way_done_-_conf_presentation.pdf

Notes

Organizational development approach / methodology

Find current state of the organization Who wants what, and why and what way How ready are they

Understand aspects Individual minds sets Level of maturity of leaders / teams Quality of personal relationships

Scale from people doing sprints etc Don't put framework in place for people that don't need it - eg team delivering the product

What is the urge for change Who is the client - talk to lots of people as viewpoints differ Do assessment Have feedback meeting - people that care about the change Change plan (vision) and a change team - here is what is really feasible with this plan (contract now)

Is this a transition or transformation Tactical (we want to go faster) vs strategic (create agile org, take a long time) Process driven Culture driven Leadership driven

People don't think they are doing tactical

Horizontal dimension

Four perspectives - integral discipline I - thoughts, emotions, states of mind IT - physical body, anything we can see touch observe WE - shared values, meanings, language, relationship, cutural background ITS - system, networks, technology, natural environment

Action - find out about Ken Wiber, integral discipline

We have a bias

Vertical dimension

Four organizational attitudes Evolutionary / purpose driven - focus on inner integrity, sees systematically. Dis identifies with own ego (teal) Pluralistic / relationship driven - fairness, community, equality of all perspectives, focus on justice for all, consensus, relationship over outcomes, value driven culture . Green Achievement / results driven - pragmatic, success oriented, complex logic, question authority, get ahead, values freedom and achievement. Orange Conformance / role driven - awareness of social roles, following authority. Absolute truth. Amber Impulsive (red) - power, dominance, heroism, avoidance

People don't skip stages in development, start at conformance roll driven

Frederic Laloux - reinventing organization (but don't get your organization to teal)

Braddeles dajo - analysis of agile manifesto

See chart Quadrant Leaderships and engagement Competitive

How Interview structures, weight at high end, business people, but also lower level Questionnaires / surveys Structure observations

See charts

Takes about 2 weeks on site externally but people will want to take 1 Prepare for a couple of months before end

Where to look

Leadership profile cycles. 360 assessment. Do it with people who say they want do a transformation.

Can you give me the full org chart

The feedback meeting Big - 12 people, but not 20 Sensitive What's next

Michael Spayd - coaching the agile enterprise