Lean Transformation

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Agile Transformation Cadence Model Activity 7: Reprioritizing and Changing the MVC Backlog

As new learnings are generated you will want to refine your backlog of Minimum Viable Changes. You may want to be prioritized the next set of changes you are going to introduce into the organization. You may also want to add or remove changes from your backlog.

Following the insight and analysis process, insights are collected from various sources, grouped into themes, which then generate Key Insights. One or more Key Insights can then be converted into a Change Option.

This Change Option can be evaluated in terms of value and effort, and prioritized accordingly. The Minimum Viable Change is also evaluated how well it fits into the overall transformation model.

When there is capacity to start the next high-priority Change Option it is then introduced as a Minimum Viable Change into the Validated Change Lifecycle.

Read More Lean Change - Chapter 6: a Cadence Model for Workshops, Meetings and Review Sessions When Running Lean Change at Scale

Agile Transformation Cadence Model Meeting 6: Transformation Canvas Refresh

I have found it necessary to allocate dedicated time to keep the transformation canvas up-to-date. Again a monthly update seems to strike the right balance of overhead and communication.
As discussed previously, Minimum Viable Change Canvases will be continually refined as a result of running through the Validated Change Lifecycle.

New insights generated from these changes will often reflect the overall transformation model. A dedicated workshop can be set up, following a similar process as the Minimum Viable Change refresh workshop, in this instance we will be looking at the transformation canvas instead. Sections of the canvas can be annotated for correctness, and then workshop members can brainstorm on both root cause and potential modifications that can be made to the canvas.

While we would like our sponsors and stakeholders to be directly involved in this process from the beginning, we have found that sometimes necessary to conduct an initial workshop with change agents and change champions, who then socialize changes with a sponsor/stakeholder group, who then suggests further modifications.

These changes are then communicated out to the rest of the organization, where feedback can be received and incorporated back into the Transformation Canvas.

An excellent way to facilitate this feed back is to place the transformation canvas in a highly visible place to serve not only as an information radiator, but also providing area for all members of the organization to provide insight and feedback.

Read More Lean Change - Chapter 6: a Cadence Model for Workshops, Meetings and Review Sessions When Running Lean Change at Scale

Agile Transformation Cadence Model Meeting 5: Validate and Refresh Change Canvas

As an agile transformation progresses new learnings will invalidate the content of one or more Minimum Viable Changes. Change agents should work with change stakeholders to continually evaluate and if necessary modify their canvas as appropriate, including any Improvement Experiments being planned or in progress.

One approach is to run monthly sessions with the change recipients group. During this session the canvas can be annotated with colored tabs to denote whether a particular assumption is correct, partially correct or completely incorrect.

The group can then work together to work out what is exactly wrong with the current thinking, and what needs to change.

Finally, the group can work to update the MVC Canvas to reflect the latest learnings. This may include updating the backlog of improvement experiments.

It is very likely that insight which could also modify other aspects of the transformation outside of the scope of this MVC may also be generated, and can be collected for future insights analysis sessions.

Read More Lean Change - Chapter 6: a Cadence Model for Workshops, Meetings and Review Sessions When Running Lean Change at Scale

Agile Transformation Cadence Model Meeting 4: Insight Analysis

have found it necessary to commit dedicated time for change agents to get together to continually revise the direction of an agile transformation. This involves planning, planning, and more planning. New information is always being uncovered which can make old assumptions invalid.

As discussed previously this new information can come from a variety of data sources.
Change agents will be discovering new learnings to execution of the Validated Change and Improvement Experiment lifecycle.

These new learnings will encourage change agents to modify both Minimum Viable Change Canvases as well as the transformation canvas, which in itself will result in new insight.

Leaving the Lean Change process aside for a moment, significant information will also be uncovered simply through the act of being on the ground and talking with change recipients, and other change stakeholders.

When we look at these and other sources of information at their entirety, it becomes clear that confusion can ensue if we do not try to manage some of this information.

Insight Analysis

One way to start off the change planning session is a method that we call insight analysis. Using this approach all new learnings are converted into specific insight items, and a deliberate processes is used to convert the insight into one or more actions.
The first part of the method is insight collection. To facilitate this MVC Canvas as well as the Transformation Canvas can be extended with an insight collection area. Change agents, change recipients and change stakeholders are encouraged to place insights into these areas as they occur. Again this insight could occur for a variety of different reasons.

An advantage of this approach is that insight can serve as another information radiator publicizing the latest thinking about the transformation.

Once insight is collected insight analysis can occur. This is typically done by aggregating separate insight tickets into related common themes, and creating a key insight for each common theme. Each key insight can then be used to coordinate one or more activity including updating the Transformation Canvas, updating one or more MVC Canvases, or reprioritizing the backlog of MVCs.

Read More Lean Change - Chapter 6: a Cadence Model for Workshops, Meetings and Review Sessions When Running Lean Change at Scale

Agile Transformation Cadence Model Meeting 3: Sponsor and Stakeholder Update

When running larger transformations it can often be necessary to have specific update sessions for other stakeholders of the change such as line managers, executives, as well as key stakeholders from partner departments within the organization such as marketing, or product development.
You also need to keep your primary sponsor up to date/to enlist his or her help in making sure that the transformation is progressing. In our experience a good primary sponsor is a director or VP level executive who has director responsibility over a set of change recipients. It is also a good idea for the ultimate owner of the consternation to be someone at the executive level.
Where possible, try to streamline how many needs you have and see if you can run a consolidated stakeholder and sponsorship update, that way all interested members can collaborate on the same information. The politics and or structure of many organizations make this difficult to do, and it may be necessary to have a dedicated review session for primary sponsors, and a separate one for other interested stakeholders. This will mean that synchronization of information across meetings will be required, which is challenging.

One topic you want to continually revisit as part of these updates is the overall direction of the transformation being executed, specifically whether minor changes or a major pivot is required to keep the transformation successful.

The transformation canvas can be annotated with colored tags to indicate which portions of the transformation contain correct, partially correct or completely incorrect assumptions. This can serve is a very useful source of discussion during a stakeholder and/or sponsor review.

Another point of discussion during the interview sessions, is discussing any items that are acting as blockers or impediments to the transformation. We want to do everything we can to encourage sponsors and stakeholders to take ownership of removing these impediments.

The Validated Change Kanban is an excellent source of information to go over any blocking items and other impediments facing the transformation. We have had good success running a standup style conversation in front of the Kanban to help facilitate this kind of conversation. We've also used photos and/or soft copies of the Validated Change Kanban in certain situations.

Read More Lean Change - Chapter 6: a Cadence Model for Workshops, Meetings and Review Sessions When Running Lean Change at Scale

Agile Transformation Cadence Model 2: Change Recipient Update

Change agents will need to constantly review the status of a minimum viable change with the change recipients who are involved.
We have had change agents meet once or twice a week for a change recipient update, ran as a kind of stand up. At first this is often run by the change agent with all change recipients in attendance.

This type of update will be run for each minimum viable change that is currently in progress.
Eventually change agents should delegate running the standup to a selected change champion. It's also a good idea to get other chain stakeholders such as management and interested executives to attend at least some of these review sessions.

These sessions can be run in a fashion similar to stand up. Discussions can focus on the progress of improvement experiments, looking at standard impediments and problems such as bottlenecks, blocking items, and change overload, the candidate should also be investigated for any assumptions are turning out to be incorrect. A deeper conversation may also be warranted if a dramatic change in direction, known as the change "pivot" is required.

As mentioned previously, try to place the Change Canvas and associated Improvement Experiments of close to where change recipients are working as possible. If I Kanban system or agile style card wall is in play, then placing these artifacts right next to them to ensure maximum exposure.

Read More Lean Change - Chapter 6: a Cadence Model for Workshops, Meetings and Review Sessions When Running Lean Change at Scale

Agile Transformation Cadence Model Session 1: Change Agent Standup

In a large Transformation you will most likely be employing a team of change agents.

A standup is a good way to keep change agents aware of each others activities and accomplishments. This standup can take place in front of your Validated Change Kanban. This Kanban can show the state of all Minimum Viable Changes across the Validated Change Lifecycle.

You may also elect to use an additional swim lane to track a consolidated view of all Improvement Experiments that are in progress. Improvement Experiments are typically placed at the bottom of the Change Canvas that represents the Minimum Viable Change being validated by the experiment.

Placing active Improvement Experiments on the Validated Change Kanban makes it easier for change agents to discuss them as a team, but requires some synchronization. Weigh the need for communication with the overhead of having to keep Improvement Experiments synchronized in more than one place.

Here is a photograph of how one group of change agents tracked active improvement experiments for each MVC in play.

For our stand ups we had change agents rotate who ran the meeting, running it as a Kanban style standup. Using this approach, the standup is a quick 10- 15 minute meeting where each Minimum Viable Change, and potentially each Improvement Experiment, is quickly traversed and discussed; with a focus on problems made obvious by the Kanban system.

Problems typically take the form of:
· Blockers

· Bottlenecks

· to much activity going on at once

· a MVC or Improvement Experiment stalls at any particular state

Blockers typically are expressed as a hot colored ticket that is placed on the MVC or Improvement Experiment.

Once an issue is identified, the issue is assigned to one or more change agents, who usually discuss a resolution after the stand up is over. In this way the standup can be conducted quickly.

Read More Lean Change - Chapter 6: a Cadence Model for Workshops, Meetings and Review Sessions When Running Lean Change at Scale