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An Emergent Approach to Transitioning Toward Agile Organization
The document explores adaptive approaches to organizational change towards agility, emphasizing the need for integrating top-down, bottom-up, and planned change methods. It presents a framework for adaptive change that focuses on incremental, emergent, holistic, and native characteristics, allowing organizations to grow through continuous learning and reflection. The discussion culminates in the idea that effective agile transitions require a balance of practices across technology, projects, and organizational dimensions, promoting a culture of ongoing improvement and adaptability.
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An Emergent Approach to Transitioning Toward Agile Organization
- 1. Getting Started withAgile: an Emergent Organizational Change Approach Michael Hamman ecosystemae Agile2008 August 6, 2008
- 2. Intention of PresentationTo provide some models and perspectives to help leaders and managers imagine a way of bringing about effective and adaptive transition to organizational and software agility.
- 3. Agenda Some StandardChange Approaches A Framework for Adaptive Change Adaptive Agile Transformation Sample Agile Transition Phases
- 4. Assumptions & BiasesLarge companies (1,000+ people). Bias toward an ‘O’ type theory of change. But also driven by ‘E’ imperative Motivated by large systemic change as opposed to relatively minor project level ‘adjustments.’ What we’re growing is adaptive capability.
- 5. The activity wecall building creates the physical order of the world, constantly, unendingly, day after day…. Our world is dominated by the order we create. ” -- Christopher Alexander
- 6. 1. Three StandardChange Approaches
- 7. Three approaches tochange… Top-down Change Change is driven from the top down Change is initiated in times of crises--it is dramatic . Incites revolution, which provides impetus. Examples: recapitalization, reorganization, repositioning strategy, reforming organizational culture; some Agile adoptions. Can be misguided, since it is driven by a small (top management) population. Will likely engender resistance, and hence ineffectual execution. Highly disruptive, with a long road to recovery.
- 8. Bottom-up Change Change is driven from the bottom-up; it is ‘grassroots’. Informal, improvisatory, unmanaged. Messy, dynamic, creative, experimental, adaptive. Examples: skunk works, some Agile adoptions. Lack of coordination can result in groups working at cross purposes. Can activate unhelpful political fighting (e.g. us-versus-them). Can result in narrowed competencies because of being overly focused on own interests. Three approaches to change…
- 9. Planned Change Change is driven laterally, usually by internal (or external) consultants. Highly planned, focused, and methodical. Change templates often imported into the organization. Examples: quality improvement, reengineering, some Agile adoptions. Can be overly formalized, and stifling of initiative. Big up-front planning may yield changes in practice, with little transformative effect accrued to the organization. The importation of methodology is inorganic, and hence may not be the right fit. Three approaches to change…
- 10. What we wantis a way of thinking about adaptive agile transition that can integrate these three change approaches into a dynamic ‘rhythm of change’.
- 11. 2. A Frameworkfor Adaptive Change
- 12. Consider… Adaptive Changein organizations arises from the interweaving of four qualities. It is P iecemeal . It is E mergent . It is H olistic . It is N ative .
- 13. Change that isPiecemeal. Rather than sporadic and episodic, we imagine change as piecemeal, ongoing. Small increments arise from a vision of what is wanted in the organization. Requires feedback and reflection--and hence visibility and transparency--in order to correct small errors and make small improvements as we go. Rather than large, disruptive Change (with a capital C), we start with something small, and grow, in small increments, from there. Piecemeal
- 14. Change that isPiecemeal. A staircase sequence of small change moves , each small move followed by a ‘baking-in’ period. During this ‘baking-in’ period, we observe and reflect on what happened, in preparing for the next move. Move Observe Reflect* * Note: Reflection must have a Holistic hue (see below). Move ‘ Bake’
- 15. Change That isEmergent. Piecemeal growth implies a change process that is emergent, rather than planned up-front. While the vision for where we’re going may be known a priori , the path itself emerges as we traverse it. This allows us to learn as we go. Again, this requires transparency and visibility. Without this, there can be no Emergence. Composition (planned change) converges with execution (actions taken, discoveries made). Emergent Piecemeal
- 16. Change that isEmergent. Each reflection gives rise to a hypothesized next Move. Move Observe Reflect* Move ‘ Bake’
- 17. Change That IsHolistic. Every system (team, unit) is embedded in a larger whole. It is all too common to optimize locally (e.g. our unit, our team, our functional group) at the expense of the whole. Change process and activities involve all management layers. Working together to see the whole, even as it also is emerging. Incremental and emergent change processes must be ever-mindful of the larger wholes that are affected. Emergent Holistic Piecemeal
- 18. Change that isHolistic. Each reflection takes in the greater whole of the organization. Initially, we start with a smaller part of this whole. Then, as we proceed, we encompass a little more of that whole. Move Observe Reflect* Move ‘ Bake’
- 19. Change that isNative. Incremental, Emergent, and Holistic growth must arise from what is already there. Just as we are asking people to become more adaptive to new practices and processes, so must those practices and processes be adaptive to how people best work. A notion of change that discovers and amplifies current strengths, styles and capabilities. New practices and processes reflect the socio-cultural flavors and textures that are already there. Emergent Holistic Native Piecemeal
- 20. A Synergy EmergentHolistic Native Piecemeal Change strategy (planning) and execution emerge together. New practices are adopted piece-meal, out of native ‘best practices.’ Even so, vigilant attention is given to the whole. People at all levels own and participate actively in the change process. We correct small errors as we go along. Requires transparency and visibility. Facilitates a high degree of organizational adaptability.
- 21. Such a processallows for a synergetic balance of top-down , bottom-up , and planned change approaches. How much of which (top-down, bottom-up, planned) will be a function of several organizational and cultural factors.
- 22. Planned Change -- Allows plan to emerge. We still begin with a plan but, as is the case with Agile projects, we know we don’t have to plan ‘everything.’ Top-Down Change -- Allows executive leaders to adapt and modulate their involvement, from being the Visionary, to being the Evangelist, to occasionally being the ‘Autocrat.’* Bottom-Up Change -- Provides emergent organizational structures and systems to support necessary grass-roots engagement and leadership. * See T. B. Lawrence, et al., “The underlying structure of continuous change,” Sloan Management Review , 47(4).
- 23. 3. An AdaptiveAgile Transition Pattern
- 24. Agile Transition ScaffoldingAdaptive growth unfolds across three dimensions. Incremental growth increases practice amplitude in at least one dimension resulting in overall movement across all. Don’t focus on all three all the time--it’s a rhythm . Nevertheless: Exclusive over-emphasis in one dimension for too long results in accumulation of dysfunction in other dimensions. Amplitude of Practice Technology Projects Organization
- 25. Focusing On ProjectDimension Only Limits to Growth … can result in the fabled ‘limits to growth’ behavior. Things start out great. But, then they falter. Inscrutable results and behaviors appear. We respond by redoubling our effort. This usually makes things worse. Shame and embarrassment follow. But, usually the problem is in some other dimension, which we’ve been ignoring.
- 26. Project Dimension Wheremost of the Agile literature resides. Addresses software development, project management, requirements, project teams, self-organizing teams, customer-team collaboration. Also includes inter-project issues Sample Resources: XP, Scrum, Crystal, FDD, etc. Schwaber, The Enterprise and Scrum . Amplitude of Practice Technology Projects Organization
- 27. Technology Dimension Includesproject technology, programming languages, tools, company platforms and infrastructures, architectures. Sample Resources: Dean Leffingwell, Scaling Software Agility. Coplien & Harrison, Organizational Patterns of Agile SW Development . Amplitude of Practice Technology Projects Organization
- 28. Organization Dimension Organizationalculture, processes, systems, and practices. Includes individuals, teams, and entire organization. Leadership and human capability. Organizational processes, systems, and structures. The growing network of stakeholders, managers, and leaders involved in the adoption. Sample Resources: Coplien & Harrison, Organizational Patterns of Agile SW Development . -Organization Development literature. Amplitude of Practice Technology Projects Organization
- 29. Projects are Enginesfor Adaptive Growth. Projects are a context for organizational learning and growth. The business drivers which they serve become catalysts for organizational improvement. Correctly designed, projects generate breakdowns . They reveal aspects of Technology and Organization that hamper organizational growth and development. Technology Projects Organization
- 30. Projects are Enginesfor Adaptive Growth. Commitment to continuous improvement. An attitude of learning. Sufficient room for error and rapid error correction. Such an understanding of projects requires that we think of them differently: Technology Projects Organization In his book, Experimentation Matters , S. Thomke called projects ‘experiments for learning’, citing Thomas Edison, among others. Projects help facilitate growth in the amplitude of practices.
- 31. Organizational Growth isCyclic Cyclic Expansion Action, reflection, and planning go together. The process is cyclic. It is based on a well-known organization development practice called ‘Action Research.’ Act Reflect Hypo- thesize Plan
- 32. Expand Phase Theprocess brings increasing amplitude & sophistication across the three dimensions. Processes, methodologies, and practices emerge and evolve from simpler to more complex forms. E.g. Software practices which can eventually have great sophistication and native particularity (Cockburn, ‘methodology growing’). This emergent process follows along the grain of the current organization, expanding it from within. Amplitude of Practice Technology Projects Organization
- 33. A Synergetic Polyphonyof Practices It is Continuous : we move step-by-step (‘methodology growing’, ‘piecemeal growth’) It is Emergent : the particulars emerge as we move (learn as we go) It is Holistic : involves movement across wholes within the organization (‘cake slice’ unfolding) It is Native : Emerges from, and is tailored to, the strengths, styles, and capacity already there. Involves top-down, bottom-up, and planned change movements. Emergent Holistic Native Piecemeal Success comes from the polyphonic interplay of practices
- 34. Contact Information MichaelHamman [email_address] www.ecosystemae.com www.beautifulsystems.org