Quite often, I am asked the question “How do I introduce Agile (or insert a framework) into my organisation to get them to change?” My answer to that is “You don’t.” Once the shocked looks start to subside, I begin to explain.

If you lead with a statement such as “We are going to implement Scrum”, how would you expect people to react? Think about a time when someone in a leadership role made a blanket statement about a change they were going to implement. How did you react? With skepticism? Confusion? Concern? Even if it was a great idea, just lobbing it into the crowd without any explanation or justification is just setting yourself up for failure.

WHAT’S THE REAL PROBLEM?

Instead, what I encourage people to do is to sit down and write out what they think the problem that they are trying to solve is. This is not an easy task for most people, especially if you have already arrived at “I am going to introduce Agile.” You have to roll back your thinking, undo the preconceived ideas you have already placed in front of you, and clear your brain to be open to new thinking.

And then you have to ask yourself, am I able to define the problem we are trying to solve on my own? Is this a conversation I need to have with others? If I’m going to involve others, how am I going to frame it?

BREAK IT DOWN

Once you have defined the problem that you think needs to be solved, then you need to start looking at what that means to a greater depth beyond a problem statement. What are the nuances of that problem? How do others see it? You may all agree on the problem statement but when you unpack the details you may differ.

WHAT OUTCOMES DO WE WANT FROM A SOLUTION?

If, after all of that, you still feel strongly about Agile being a part of the solution, then work with your organisation to see how the core tenets of Agile may be a fit. But continue to keep an open mind, and by all means do not put the stamp of a framework on the problem even at this stage. Work with your team or core group to review your organisational or team values, and the outcomes that you want out of a solution. If those align with the Agile values, you will quickly see the correlation and it will aid in the conversation. You will be able to align the two and show a clear path to achievable outcomes.

ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY

While this only skims the surface of the long process to making sustainable change in the organisation, if everyone slows down and always starts with “What is the problem you are trying to solve?” and has meaningful conversations about it - and then asks “Why?” over and over until the problem is crystal clear, we will see more directed, meaningful change in our organisations.

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About the Author:

INDRA A. BOOKS

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