The harder you push, the harder the system pushes you back

THE HARDER YOU PUSH, THE HARDER THE SYSTEM PUSHES BACK.

EMILIANO SOLDI – STEFANO LUCANTONI

As Agile Coacheswe address severalchallenges to help organizations on

their path to change

CHANGE

THE DANCE OF SHIVA

HOW MANY AGILE COACHES

ARE NEEDED TO CHANGEA LIGHTBULB?

JUST ONE!BUT THE LIGHTBULB MUST

WANT TO BE CHANGED

BERLIN WALL FALL

NOVEMBER 9TH 1989

Motore dell'innovazione è l'Etica, cioè il desiderio sincero e forte di servire l'uomo.WHAT IS CHALLENGING

THE STATUS QUO?

The SATIR Change Model

Change happens primarily at the individual level.In order for a group or organization to change, all the individuals within that group or organization must change.

This means that in order to affect change in our organizations, businesses and communities, we must first understand how to affectindividual change.

WHEN CHANGE HAPPENS?!

The awareness about the need for changeshouldn’t be taken for granted

Resistance to Change

Change can be disorienting, creating stress and anxiety for many people.First reaction is to try to avoid the change, often this occurs being passive.

Others will resist the change through tactics such as negativity, destructive criticism and, in extreme cases, sabotage.

«PEOPLE DON’T RESIST CHANGE.THEY RESIST BEING CHANGED!»

- PETER SENGE

RESISTANCE IS JUST RESPONSE TO CHANGE.THAT RESPONSE IS FEEDBACK.

LEVERAGING FEEDBACK MEANS TO

CONTINUALLY ASSESS IT

AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY…

Culture is the way you think, act and interact

FacilitationCreating space in order for people to self-organize

How to generate localized

awareness?

19

20

Localized Awareness is just the beginning…

We needsomething

more!

"IF YOU WANT TO REALLY CHANGE

CULTURE, YOU HAVE TO START

WITH CHANGING STRUCTURE, BECAUSE CULTURE DOES NOT REALLY

CHANGE OTHERWISE"Craig Larman

STRUCTURES GUIDES OUR BEHAVIORS

Conway’s Law

Organizations which design systems... 

are constrained to produce designs 

which are copies of the communication structures of these 

organizations

Conway’s Law

Organizations which design systems... 

are constrained to produce designs 

which are copies of the communication structures of these 

organizations

ONLY MANAGEMENT CAN CHANGE THE SYSTEM

“It is not enough that management commit themselves to quality and productivity, they must know what it is they must do.Such a responsibility cannot be delegated.”

—W. EDWARDS DEMING

THE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE

THE NUMBER ONE OBSTACLE TO SUCCESS

FOR MAJOR CHANGE PROJECTS

IS INEFFECTIVE SPONSORSHIP

25%

34%

67%

85%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Sponsor was veryineffective (score < 2)

Sponsor was ineffective(score between 2 and 3)

Sponsor was effective(score between 3 and 4)

Sponsor was veryeffective (score between

4 and 5)

Perc

ent o

f res

pond

ents

that

m

et o

r exc

eede

d pr

ojec

t obj

ectiv

es

Correlation of sponsor effectiveness to meeting project objectives

THE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE

STAY COMPETITIVE AND CHANGEAMID CONSTANT TURBULENCE AND DISRUPTION

Management feels the tension between needing to stay ahead of increasingly fierce competition and needing to deliver current year’s results, actually changing while running.

That can be overwhelming.

WHAT COULD GIVE THESE LEADERS

NEW STRUCTURES, SPACES AND ENOUGH CONFIDENCE

TO LEAP BEYOND THEIR FEARS?

SAFE – SCALED AGILE FRAMEWORK (DEAN LEFFINGWELL)

29 http://www.scaledagileframework.com

LESS – LARGE SCALE SCRUM (CRAIG LARMAN & BAS VODDE)

30 http://less.works

31

You know what?We need

somethingmore!

Frameworks are not enough…

WHAT ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE CHANGE

PROCESS OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED?

Change managementChange managementPeople Side

People Side

Copyright Prosci 2014. All rights reserved.

THE KOTTER MODELSAccelerate’s 8-Step Process

A well structured hierarchy, with heavy managerial processes can produce reliable and efficient results on a weekly, quarterly or annual basis. Such an operating system lets people do what they know how to do, exceptionally well. 

THE FUNCTIONAL HIERARCHY (OPERATING SYSTEM 1)

WHAT WE NEED IS A SECOND OPERATION SYSTEM, WHICH IS ORGANIZED LIKE A NETWORK NEXT

TO THE EXISTING HIERARCHY.

THAT SECOND OPERATING SYSTEM, IS DEVOTED TOTHE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE STRATEGY,

THAT USES AN AGILE, NETWORK-LIKE STRUCTUREAND A VERY DIFFERENT APPROACHES.

The network organizationworks best when no one

tries to project-manage it.

FUNC

TION

ALHI

ERAR

CHY CROSSFUNCTIONALTEAMS

IT COMPLEMENTS, RATHER THAN OVERBURDENS THE HIERARCHY, THUS FREEING THE LATTER TO DO WHAT IT’S OPTIMIZED TO DO.

IT ACTUALLY MAKES ENTERPRISES EASIER TO RUNAND ACCELERATES STRATEGIC CHANGE.

DUAL OPERATING SYSTEM

THE GOOD NEWS?! WE ALREADY USE VIRTUAL NETWORKS

OR ORGANIZATIONS IN AGILE!

ETC

42

Small group of people that initiates, encourages, and supportsan organization’s effort to introduce and improve 

Agile adoption.

IMPROVEMENT COMMUNITIES

43

Group of individuals who join together to work collaboratively to improve the organization’s 

Agile adoption.

COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE

44

A community of practice is a like‐minded or like‐skilled group of individuals who voluntarily come together because of their passion and commitment around a 

technology, approach, or vision. 

AGILE RELEASE TRAINS DELIVER SOLUTIONS

Virtual organization of 5–12 teams (50–125+ individuals) that plans, commits, and executes together

HOW ARE WE GOING TO MAXIMIZE THE

EFFFECTIVENESS OF VIRTUAL NETWORK?

Facilitatoron stage again!

Release Planning Lift Off

STRUCTURED FORMATS

Open Space

OPEN FORMATS

SO

AND…

WE NEED AWARENESS

WE NEED STRUCTURE

WE NEED LEADERSHIP

WE NEED CHANGE MANAGEMENT

We definitely need to create space for collaborationso that everyone can effectively contribute to change

#